Fiori Musicali - Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti in Scampia

Great symphonic music arrives in Scampia

Fiori Musicali is the concert series through which the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti takes its performances out of the concert halls in the center of Naples and brings them to the public parks of the northern suburbs. In Scampia, the stage is the Parco Corto Maltese, one of the neighborhood's most popular green spaces, where the audience gathers outdoors on a summer evening to listen to a full symphonic orchestra. Admission is free and no reservation is required: this is a deliberate choice, not just an organizational detail.

A project supported by the Ministry of Culture

The series is promoted and supported by the Ministry of Culture as part of an urban regeneration and social-cultural outreach project dedicated to the areas of Scampia, Secondigliano, and Caivano, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania. Each program is replicated in all three locations, ensuring the same concert reaches three different communities: in Scampia at Parco Corto Maltese, in Secondigliano at Parco San Gaetano Errico, and in Caivano in the Town Hall courtyard.

As explained by Maestro Gaetano Russo, founder and director of the orchestra, this project is deeply aligned with the mission of the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti, which has been working for over thirty years outside traditional circuits, in neighborhoods and schools.

Two distinct programs

The lineup is divided into two cycles, both conducted by Gaetano Russo and Bruno Persico:

• From Rossini to PeppOh — a journey starting from the cornerstones of the classical repertoire, with excerpts from Rossini's Barber of Seville, Verdi's Nabucco, and Beethoven, leading into Neapolitan rap with the participation of PeppOh, a rapper and performer from Secondigliano, whose tracks are rewritten in a symphonic key by Bruno Persico.
• Carosonando — an orchestral tribute to Renato Carosone and the great Neapolitan musical tradition, with orchestral arrangements by Bruno Persico. In the Secondigliano and Caivano legs, the program is enriched by the presence of Daniele Sepe, one of the most beloved Neapolitan musicians for his fusion of folk, world music, jazz, rock, and classical styles.

What to expect

Concerts begin at 7:30 PM, when the July heat begins to fade and the park fills with families, children, local residents, and music lovers from other parts of the city. There is none of the formality of a dark-suit concert hall: you listen while sitting outdoors, you applaud when you recognize a melody, and the juxtaposition of an opera aria and a rap song works precisely because the audience is diverse in age and taste. It is one of the most interesting events of the Neapolitan summer for those who want to see Scampia from a perspective beyond the usual clichés.

The Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti

Founded in 1993 following the dissolution of the RAI Scarlatti Orchestra, the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti debuted on March 21st of that year at the RAI Auditorium in Naples. Its repertoire spans from Baroque to contemporary, with a particular focus on promoting the heritage of the Neapolitan musical school. Alongside its concert season, it has carried out training and audience-engagement projects for years, such as Scarlatti Junior and Scarlatti for All, of which Fiori Musicali is the natural local extension.

It doesn't end in July

The series does not conclude with the summer concerts: the program resumes in September with new symphonic events open to everyone, concert-meetings aimed at school students and families, and musical, educational, and creative workshops designed for the neighborhood's youth. Admission remains free for these events as well.