Duo FisHarmonica at Arab Music Institute

21 January 2025

To promote and strengthen friendship ties between different nations, the Cairo Opera House, under the supervision of by Dr. Lamia Zayed, in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo, hosts a series of artistic concerts, at the different venues of the Cairo Opera House. The first concert features Gianluca Litra (harmonica) and Massimiliano Pitocco (accordion) at the Arab Music Institute on Tuesday, 21 January 2025, at 7 p.m.
The concert’s program includes a number of world-known compositions, including "Lamento - Tarantella" by Giovanni Paolo Bottecini, "Sopra il Fato" by Franco Antonio Merinetti, "Sonata" by Gaetano Donizetti, "Dance" by Arturo Marquez, "Hellenic Suite" by Pedro Iturralde, selections from Morricone's works, and "Sonata" by Frank Proto.
Gianluca Litra began his musical career after obtaining a viola diploma in 1985 with honors, but he found his true passion in the chromatic harmonica, becoming one of the world's leading harmonica players in classical and jazz music. He has participated as a guest with major world orchestras, including the Santa Cecilia National Orchestra (Italy), the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (Germany), the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), and others. He also collaborated with musical giants such as Ennio Morricone, who dedicated a piece to him that he premiered in 2010. He has made several recordings, including the Villa Lobos Concerto with the Italian Swiss Orchestra, and has presented world premieres, including the second harmonica concerto with the Haydn Orchestra. He has been a guest at many major festivals and works as a harmonica professor at the Santa Cecilia Institute in Rome.
On the other hand, Massimiliano Pitocco, born in 1969, is one of the most prominent names in the world of classical accordion. He has been a professor at the Santa Cecilia Institute in Rome since 2004 and at the "G. Braga" Institute in Teramo since 2018. He has contributed to graduating generations of musicians who have won the most important international awards and have become distinguished teachers. He received his training from leading professors such as Max Boni, Friedrich Lips, and Jacques Morneau, and graduated from prestigious musical institutes in Paris and Pescara. He has participated in many performances at the most important theaters in the world and played timeless works by Piazzolla and others. He has collaborated with many musical giants and has a prominent mark in film music and international albums. He was honored in 2018 among the hundred most distinguished Italians in recognition of his artistic contributions.