“This was a summer that offered a healthy dose of challenges and left me feeling fulfilled and even more alive than when I arrived. Now I have returned home with an open mind and an even deeper curiosity for the art form.”
Giancarlo performing at one of the CLA Italy concerts
“Life-changing” are the first two words that come to mind when I reflect on this past summer. CLA Italy offered an experience that completed my summer in the most musically satisfying way possible, all while in a town that displayed some of the strongest hospitality I have witnessed to date.
One of the most unique aspects of CLA is its mission to relate all music-making back to the root of the language. Whether this is simply about the diction of the text, its meaning, or the more existential questions like what its purpose is, one never loses sight of how music and language are one element. Having just arrived after 4 weeks of language study in Italy, witnessing it applied in these contexts gave me so much greater appreciation for both the music and the culture itself, which the town of Novafeltria nurtured beautifully.
2025 CLA Italy Artists during an excursion to a nearby hill town
I was so inspired by the town’s residents, the audiences, and, of course, all of CLA’s musicians and coaches throughout my stay, simply because of everyone’s ability to bring out the humanity within the art itself. Everyone came from different stages of their development, and yet a sense of belonging was immediately felt both on and off the stage. Not to mention, having the privilege to perform for opera lovers in gorgeous venues throughout surrounding towns was truly rewarding and created an extra layer of community that you simply cannot find in other programs!
A particularly moving moment for me was at our final concert in Pesaro, Italy, where I unexpectedly opened the show with Liszt’s transcription of Schumann’s “Widmung”, or “dedication”. In a way, I used this opportunity to offer my own musical dedication to a summer that enabled my growth, both personally and artistically, and all the people and music that have transformed my life for the better. Just when I thought I didn’t need more confirmations that I feel called to pursue this, CLA exceeded my expectations and further confirmed this!
Justin Hong, Katherine Riederer, and Giancarlo Llerena
It was a summer that offered a healthy dose of challenges and left me feeling fulfilled and even more alive than when I arrived. Now I have returned home with an open mind and even deeper curiosity for the art form and Italian language, which I have decided to continue studying! And I certainly return with an even deeper craving for the food and gelato that call Novafeltria home…
Grazie per tutto, CLA Italy!