Europe's youngest female conductor talks music, freedom and determination, breaking down the walls of inequality with talent and grace
Florence, October 23rd, 2020 – She is the youngest female conductor in Europe, an internationally acclaimed pianist and composer, Forbes' 100 under 30 leaders of the future and if that isn’t enough, she's Tuscan. The young millennial —always at the forefront when it comes to introducing young people to classical music with openness and innovation— is creating an unprecedented dialogue between innovation and tradition thanks to her collaborations with other musical genres, technology and new media. Beatrice Venezi is the protagonist of the latest episode of Polimoda Duets, a series of video interviews curated by Polimoda and involving some of the most important cultural figures of our time.
Courtesy POLIMODA
The female-powered interview is conducted by Aliza Licht, expert in creative brand marketing, digital strategy, social media and personal branding as well as the founder and president of Leave Your Mark LLC. During their Zoom conversation between New York and Switzerland, Licht and Venezi discuss the fascinating world of classical music and Beatrice's career, from her early days of studying piano in Lucca to her success in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
“Remember that you always have to dare” is Venezi’s advice to young people. “It doesn’t mean you have to overdo it, but you always have to exit your comfort zone and push your boundaries. That is the way to reach success."
Born in Lucca in 1990, Beatrice Venice has traveled all over the world to perform with various orchestras such as the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, the Orchestra della Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, the Orchestra della Magna Grecia, the Orchestra Filarmonica Campana, the Orchestra Filarmonica di Lucca, the Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento, the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, the Orchestra of the Foundation Bulgaria Classic, the Orchestra and Choir of the Teatro Bolshoij of Minsk and the National Philharmonic Orchestra Odessa, just to name a few. She is committed to helping young musicians discover classical music and fighting discrimination against women in the field.
Courtesy POLIMODA
The video is part of the Polimoda Duets series that has already featured Marina Abramović, Marco Bizzarri, Linda Loppa, Margherita Maccapani Missoni, John Rankin, Lidewij Edelkoort, Mobolaji Dawodu, Rick Owens and Tim Blanks. With this international project, Polimoda connects with the world of art, fashion and contemporary culture, combining its tradition of collecting direct testimony from key figures in the sector with a new format of exclusive video interviews. In each episode, a cultural icon of our time is interviewed by a different interlocutor, from fashion journalists to influencers and researchers in the field, in a conversation on the central themes of modern society.
Courtesy POLIMODA
“If training is the link between our cultural world and professional reality, then our task as educators is to accompany young people in the discovery and knowledge of these two universes, and that merging will be a foundation on which to build their identity and professional growth,” explains Polimoda Director Danilo Venturi. "At Polimoda, we chose to do so by giving voice to great contemporary figures, offering our students, but also a wider audience, the opportunity to meet them, listen to them and treasure their words.”
Credits:
Idea: Danilo Venturi
Interview: Aliza Licht