In search of the “sound of the Dolomites”

I I Suoni delle Dolomiti Festival is much more than just a series of concerts at high altitude. It is an experience that intertwines the evocative power of music with the majesty of the Dolomites. On the eve of the 29th edition, we interviewed the artistic director, Mario Brunello, who has participated in the Festival since its inception. An internationally renowned cellist, Mario has a deep connection with the Dolomites, which he considers a place of inspiration and musical discovery. In this interview, he talks about his experience at the Festival, the challenges and satisfactions of his artistic direction, and his vision of music in an extraordinary context.

From the very first edition, what motivated you to participate in the Festival?

I have a small house in the mountains, lost among the meadows or among the ski slopes, depending on the season. Since I was a boy, I’ve always carried my cello on my back and always sought out particularly inspiring places to study when music was still a distant dream…

Was the idea of bringing music to a natural setting like the Dolomites a natural choice for you?

When Mauro Pedron called me in ’95 to propose a concert in the middle of the Dolomites, I saw a dream come true—something I had always adopted as a method to focus, to isolate myself, to be alone with my cello. But I never imagined that in my musical life someone could seriously organize something so beautiful. So accepting was the most natural thing in the world, yes.

Beyond the beauty of the landscape, what makes “Sounds of the Dolomites” a unique experience for both artists and the audience?

I’ll tell you with this memory. At my first concert, under the Torri del Vajolet, a lady arrived, who had come all the way from Bergamo specifically to hear the concert. She arrived late, after the music had already finished. She was heartbroken. I didn’t immediately realize that she was blind. She had dreamed of listening to music in the middle of the Dolomites, not seeing the mountains but feeling them through the music. She, who wanted to be in that silence, in that space to listen to the music, made me realize that the idea of the Festival was a winning one.

What challenges have you faced as the artistic director of the Festival?

There is always great care in selecting the artists. The biggest challenge is to engage them, to find the words to describe a situation that happens in the moment and is inherently indescribable. I need to make my fellow musicians understand that there is no acoustic but rather a space to be filled with music. Once they’re convinced and come, they’re the first to say, “I’m ready to return at any time.” We musicians are used to seeing and hearing a sound that returns to our ears through acoustics, through the resonance of beautiful halls, wooden walls, special resonances, auditoriums, theaters…

How would you describe the “sound of the Dolomites”?

It’s a sound to be invented, a sound that is created for yourself and for those listening to you at the moment it happens. It’s not a predefined sound; it’s created in the encounter between music, environment, and audience. It’s a unique and unrepeatable experience.

Is there something you are particularly proud of in these 29 years of the Festival?

I see that a format has been consolidated that should be kept intact with its pillars, which are the Trekking and the dawn concerts, which have the power to preserve the spirit of the Festival over time. The Festival has managed to keep its founding values intact: the love for music, the passion for the Dolomites, and the desire to share them with the audience.

What do you expect for the future of the Festival?

The Festival will continue as it is. It will continue to evolve, while firmly maintaining its original values. The search for the “sound of the Dolomites” will continue, and who knows, in the next 30 years, it may be defined with greater precision.

What is it like to have your son Pietro playing with you at the Trekking this year?

Pietro, who is the youngest of my three children, has already participated in various treks since he was a child.

I always carried him in my arms, and now the audience will see that not only am I no longer holding him in my arms, but he will be the one guiding me into his musical world, which is that of singer-songwriter music, of ballads. It’s a type of music I love but don’t frequent as a professional. It’s like having a new mountain guide leading me on an unknown path. Wonderful!

Finally, what is the music of the “Sounds of the Dolomites” Festival?

Music is a great story. Since music was born, it has been a story that never ends. Here, the audience has the fortune of hearing the music they love amplified, broadened, without horizons. Just like the peaks of the Dolomites, which always inspire dreaming and imagining that there is something more up there, above the summits.

One last question. Why did you decide to dedicate your life to music?

Because with music, people listened to me…

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