Willem Stam, cello (Canada/Netherlands)
Unique Performance “Shades of Reality” for Helsinki Park Art, summer 2014
I find it enormously difficult to find the necessary poetry to describe Giorgia Ghizzoni. A truly unbelievable combination of sensitivity, intelligence, enthusiasm, creativity, energy, generosity, and so much more packed into an incredibly professional package that works at lightning speed with brilliant results of the likes I have never encountered anywhere. Giorgia is capable of getting the best out of anyone she works with. With her incredible ability to understand, support and encourage those around her, she creates an environment in which anything is possible and boundaries become possibilities. Years of traveling and collaborating with all manner of musicians, artists, businesspeople and politicians leave me with no doubt that Giorgia is a uniquely gifted young woman. With almost superhuman energy, she spreads positive energy around her wherever she goes and is able to creatively influence everyone and everything around her. I can only hope she travels far and meets many, she has a gift that the world cannot afford to live without.
Mia Cojbasic, Accordionist (Croatia)
Unique Performance Lab at Sibelius Academy, March 2014
With the help of Giorgia I discovered that I am a spontaneous person who can become completely self-confident on stage, who knows what she wants from music, art and life. ALP Hands-On Unique Performance is a life changing experience. It made me understand who I am, how I should behave and even what should I wear to put my personality out.
In my career I will apply all the things that I learned, because I am now closest to my real self and inner me. I got many ideas about how and where my career should head to and the understanding that I have tools to get myself there. Before the course I was different — I was blocked, and now I am confident, unblocked, motivated to go further and further with this and develop until who knows where: there are no limits. This is the future of musicians and our careers.
Giorgia is an amazing person and professionally she is an inspiration to me. All her channels are completely open and she has all the talent, skills and ability for being a leader and a coach. She is able to pull our essence out and to create art from any starting point; she always knows how everything can make sense and she sees the big picture. As a human being I am amazed and impressed how much patience Giorgia has for all of us; her organizing abilities, creativity and intelligence are unbelievable.
Outi Markkula, Contemporary Dance (Finland)
Unique Performance “Connection” for Summer Day Concerts at the Helsinki Music Centre, summer 2013
Unique Performance “Shades of Reality” for Helsinki Park Art, summer 2014
I have worked on Holistic Concert Experiences for ExClaM!’s seasons already for two years. The concept is a true artistic challenge: how to bring together two art forms that communicate at such different levels, without one overruling the other, in a way that results in coherence?From a dancer’s point of view, I feel that with Giorgia and each interdisciplinary team we have always found creative ways to bind the two ”worlds” — classical music and dance — together. Approaching the repertoire usually starts with finding some underlying themes, outside of the musical score. We gather inspiration from the historical and cultural origins of the piece, from its atmosphere, rhythm, abstract structures or social connotations.It’s not at all about illustrating a music piece — that is actually already “full” as it is. Instead, we try to give it more meanings. There are abstract dimensions in the music, that we’re trying to reach from another angle. We make these themes more visible: invite people to pay attention to more than what they just hear. We create a logic of our own to make this performative event ”make sense” and feel right, more than a classical concert or a dance performance alone.Having worked with this cross-disciplinary concept for two seasons, I have learned to say yes and to stay strong with my view, to explain and to understand, to sensitize myself to listening, to perceive big pictures and small details. I have learned how to solve problems fast, to make decisions and stand behind them, to understand reality’s limits and also possibilities.
Johannes Ylipää, Music Technology
Unique Performance Lab at Sibelius Academy, March 2014
During this course, I learned about my own predispositions, found my inner limitations, found happiness and confidence in playing and being on stage with fellow musicians. I also found my role and personality in a group situation, how I approach things, how I react and how I contribute most naturally. All of these things will have a major impact not only on my future career, but also on my personal life! I feel much freer to do, to try and to think of all what’s possibile, no matter how small or grandiose.This program in general has broadened my self-confidence and given me tools to create, design and organize interesting and more engaging concert performances! Before the course I was very tense, carrying all the possible worries of the world within me. In the end, I feel satisfaction and I am finally content: I do not feel pressure about things that much anymore, I feel relieved, more open and I’ve gained trust in others and myself. I feel that the future is now possible! In this course I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere for trying out things, for being able to fail and having a group of talented people to work with for a common goal – and having professional contribution to that. I honestly think that Sibelius Academy and the art community would benefit for having this course annually, possibly couple of times a year. The importance of this kind of course could not be overstated. It creates confidence for artists, appreciation towards diversity, interest in performance and carefully tailored experience for an audience, which should be one of the main reasons for taking part in performing arts! As working with the artists, Giorgia Ghizzoni has an excellent touch of appropriate sensitivity towards our possibly complicated minds, encouraging us and giving truthful insights and suggestions in a friendly way. She successfully organized the course and fit together 7 musicians’ calendars. She also helped to keep up the spirit, acting as an emotional buffer and caretaker, making the journey through the course continuous.
Jenny Metsälä, Flutist (Finland)
Unique Performance Lab at Sibelius Academy, March 2014
Giorgia helped us discover our hidden dreams and forgotten inspiration sources and amazingly lead us to finding a lot of combining things, words, links and stories that eventually became a concert length of holistic unity – a whole performance full of meaning and everything belonging together.
Giorgia taught me how to express more clearly to the audience the hidden messages written between the lines in the music and in my own emotions and dreams. The program gave time, place and intelligent work to the artistic opportunities on stage and between performers, that nobody really thinks about.
Classical musicians are creative and they need this kind of training as an eye opener on how to use creativity also outside the world of sound. The program is practical and full of new approaches that are fun, relaxing, exciting, inspiring, giving a safer and more playful feeling on stage at the same time.
I especially enjoyed Giorgia’s inspiring enthusiasm and her trust in our talent, which we discovered thanks to her!
Before the program I didn’t have many ideas on how to develop a more ”audience friendly” performance. Now I feel like a huge freedom of expression and as Giorgia says ”the stage is a comfortable sofa” –feeling!
I will never again see a concert only as a concert after this experience. After many years of performing and studying with numerous teachers, I still managed to learn and experience totally new things starting from the first day of the course. I learned to apply improvisation skills and my earlier classical music background skills into producing a holistic concert situation: Giorgia taught me how to create explorative and creative connections between the world, the music/musicians and the audience. I want to continue being open to surprises and actively recreate the spell of holistic experiences for new audiences.
Alicia Burns, Alto (U.S.A.)
Unique Performance Lab at Sibelius Academy, March 2014
At the end of the program, in the final performance, I was able to feel more comfortable on stage than I have ever felt in the past, and to overcome terrible stage fright. I was told by audience members afterward that they experienced my performance as ‘honest’, ‘convincing’, ‘moving’, ‘free, like singing in a field of flowers’, all of which point at something I have felt unable to fully convey in performance for the past years.
Before the course, I had difficulties with myself, and with my confidence, which represent years of stage fright. During the course, because I felt safe and completely accepted by Giorgia, Keren and all other course members, I was able to be open about all of my doubts and difficult emotions, through which I transformed my 10 year struggle with severe stage fright, and turn it into something artistic. I gained confidence in myself, and was able to connect to a place of creativity and freedom which has been separated from my singing and performance for the past years. My way of thinking about myself and singing changed, which opened up possibilities for the future. I am excited to see where all of this will lead!
I think all musicians should have the opportunity to be guided through a process like this. Understanding the meaning behind what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how we are doing it will become increasingly important for everyone –especially creative performers.
I definitely felt that Giorgia truly believed in me. I am always impressed by the way in which she manages to create a working framework in which artists feel safe to be themselves and to share and work together in an honest way. I feel I have formed meaningful friendships, and potentially working relationships in this course. Thank you!
Josip Nemet, Accordion (Croatia)
Unique Performance Lab at Sibelius Academy, March 2014
“I cannot express how happy I am that I was a part of this project. Now I feel very connected to each of the other participants as well as the ALP Coach, and personally I would perform this concert anywhere, anytime again and again. I am still impressed with the fact that our different personalities melted so naturally in an beautiful interactive frame of unity. While each participant was-were performing, I felt like I was on stage with them. With them I shared fears, worries, relaxation, openings, expressions, spontaneity, surprises and honesty. I thank them all for this experience”