International Sound Laboratory

A music workshop in the heart of the Marsica region

The International Sound Laboratory is an educational experience dedicated to young musicians studying wind and percussion instruments. Every summer, it brings life to the town of Collarmele, a small village in the Marsica area of the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. Established in 2023, the workshop has quickly become a highly anticipated event for students from music schools and conservatories across Central Italy, who find here a stimulating environment for study, exchange, and collaboration.

High-level training and expert mentors

The project gathers approximately fifty young musicians from all over Central Italy for several days of intensive work, including individual lessons, sectionals, and ensemble rehearsals. The artistic direction is entrusted to Maestro Corrado Lambona, while Maestro Giovanni Ieie serves as the lead instructor. Each edition also hosts a prominent figure from the Italian band and symphonic world, capable of passing on technical expertise and a passion for ensemble music to the participants.

The organizers

The workshop is promoted by the Associazione Musicale Armelis of Collarmele, a historic local organization linked to the activities of the band and wind orchestra of the same name, together with the Società Aquilana dei Concerti "Bonaventura Barattelli", one of the most important concert institutions in Abruzzo. The initiative is supported by the Fondazione Carispaq and the municipalities of Collarmele and Gioia dei Marsi, which host the activities and the final concerts.

The final concerts

The most anticipated moment is the series of free final concerts, which allow the young musicians to put the work done during the workshop into practice before an audience. The programs feature music from the wind and percussion repertoire by great composers, in a sort of musical "world tour" designed to engage listeners of all ages. The concerts are traditionally held in the picturesque Piazza dell'Orologio in Collarmele and in the church of Santa Maria Assunta in Gioia dei Marsi.

An opportunity for the region

Beyond its educational value, the International Sound Laboratory represents an important cultural event for the Marsica region and the entire province of L'Aquila. The presence of dozens of young musicians brings life and music to the squares of these small Abruzzese villages, strengthening the bond between the local band tradition and new generations of instrumentalists.