Giovanni Allevi enchants Expo 2025 in Osaka: 'Nostalgia' in world premiere

Osaka, June 2, 2025 - A moment of deep emotion and art marked today at Expo 2025 Osaka . The maestro from Ascoli Giovanni Allevi , conductor and composer, enchanted the Festival Station with the world premiere of his 'Nostalgia' , an adagio from his concerto 'Mm22' for cello and string orchestra. The performance by the artist from the Marche region is part of the rich program of the Marche , the region that is the protagonist of this week at the Italian Pavilion.

'Nostalgia': A Return Full of Meaning

The choice of June 2nd for the release of 'Nostalgia' is not a coincidence. The date coincides exactly with the third anniversary of his concert in Vienna , an event that saw him unable to get up from his stool to thank the cheering audience. Two weeks after that evening, Allevi would be diagnosed with multiple myeloma , a disease that forced him to a long period of inactivity. Today, his return to a stage, in a land that he loves and that is intrinsically linked to his artistic production, takes on an even deeper meaning. Since his first concert in Tokyo in 2008 , the bond with Japan has been constant , until the forced interruption due to illness.

A destiny sealed between Japan and Marche

"I was 17 and I was into classical music , into Beethoven and Chopin. One day the notes of my very first composition entered my mind and I called it Japan", said the maestro, evoking an almost mysterious origin for the title of his first work, which for him "probably already contained a sealed destiny".

The Councilor for Economic Development of the Marche, Andrea Maria Antonini, emphasized how the birth of Allevi in ​​this specific region, and in particular in Ascoli Piceno, is not a coincidence at all. "There is a terrain, a humus, a family context made up of a tradition present in our territory", commented Antonini, emphasizing the deep bond between the artist and his land of origin.

Le Marche and creative excellence at the Expo

Alongside Allevi, on the stage in Osaka, another symbol of creativity from the Marche region also shone: Iginio Straffi, founder and president of Rainbow Spa and creator of the famous Winx, an animated series that has achieved worldwide fame. Councilor Antonini highlighted how the Marche region acts as a "vehicle through which our creators want to make themselves known here in Japan too".

Ambassador Mario Vattani , Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, highlighted how the multifaceted figure of Allevi – not only an artist but also a philosopher, writer and intellectual – fits well with the overall vision that Italy intends to propose in Japan. "We are proud of the choice to involve the regions in our presentation of Italy, of our nation, that is, to present this variety, this cultural wealth that comes to us from our territories", added Vattani, reiterating the importance of the regions that "enliven our pavilion every week and bring us new content".

Daruma's Wish Fulfilled

A moment of deep emotion crowned the meeting, when Allevi completed the drawing of the Daruma doll, a symbolic gesture to express the desire to return to Japan. "It is the representation of a wish that finally comes true," explained the visibly moved master. "There is an eye that has already been drawn. When the wish comes true, you have to draw the other eye in order to close the circle. With the greatest happiness that I have in my heart, I will now draw the second one," concluded Allevi, sealing a path of hope and rebirth.

The master's next appointments

After this triumphal return to Japan , the composer from the Marche is preparing for new important stages with four concert events in which he will be the protagonist: in Rome on 20 June, in Taormina on 4 July, in Venice on 8 July and in Florence on 19 July.