Gloria in D Major
by Antonio Vivaldi
Alpen Adria Choir Villach / Coro Alpen Adria di Villaco / Zbor Alpen Adria Beljak
Gloria in D Major by Antonio Vivaldi
Gloria in D Major by Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, RV 589 is one of the best-known sacred works of the Baroque period. With its festive choral movements, expressive arias and richly varied orchestral accompaniment, the work combines powerful musical expression with moments of profound intimacy.
Vivaldi’s Gloria takes on a particularly special character during the Christmas season. The text of the hymn of praise and the festive music evoke the joy and message of Christmas, making the work a particularly fitting part of the Advent and Christmas season.
The Alpen-Adria-Chor Villach is preparing Vivaldi’s Gloria under the direction of Alberto Bussetini, together with soprano Benedetta Zanotto, mezzo-soprano Sofie Kenda, and the Accademia d’archi Arrigoni conducted by Alessandro Cappelletto.
This joint project brings together musicians from the Alpine-Adriatic region and presents Vivaldi’s festive music during the Christmas season.
Performance in Villach
Where: St. James’ Parish Church, Villach
When: 8 December 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: Available from the choir members and via oeticket.at
Benedetta Zanotto
Soprano Benedetta Zanotto is returning to the Junges Musikpodium Dresden-Venice. She was already involved in the project as a violinist, gaining valuable musical experience there. After completing her violin studies, she turned to Baroque singing and developed into an internationally sought-after soprano.
Her warm, flexible voice and effortless upper register make her a distinctive interpreter of the Baroque repertoire. She studied with Monica Piccinini at the conservatories in Verona and Rovigo and attended masterclasses with renowned specialists in historically informed performance.
Benedetta Zanotto now regularly performs as a soloist and with historically informed performance ensembles in Italy and internationally. Appearances at renowned festivals and collaborations with leading ensembles testify to her successful artistic development.
With her return to the Junges Musikpodium, a circle is coming full circle: the young violinist of those days has become an internationally active singer. Her participation also demonstrates the lasting impact that the Junges Musikpodium can have on the musical development of young artists.
Sofia Kenda
Austrian mezzo-soprano Sofie Kenda (born 2001) is pursuing a Master’s degree in Solo Singing at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, studying with Uta Schwabe. Her musical interests encompass opera, Lied and sacred music alike. Her versatile musical education is complemented by extensive experience in concert and oratorio repertoire.
Her previous stage engagements include, among others, the role of the Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Stadttheater Bad Hall. She has also performed in numerous concerts and oratorio productions. Among other works, she sang the alto part in Handel’s ** Messiah ** and Bach’s ** Christmas Oratorio ** with the Kantorei Oberschützen, and took part in Buxtehude’s ** Membra Jesu Nostri ** with the Ulmer Kantorei.
Alongside her solo work, Sofie Kenda has extensive experience in professional choral singing. From February 2025 to March 2026, she was engaged as a maternity-leave replacement with the Vienna State Opera Chorus, where she gained valuable experience in the international opera world.
Combining solo performance, operatic experience and an intensive engagement with sacred music, Sofie Kenda is a versatile young singer who brings together different areas of classical vocal music.
Alessandro Cappelletto
Alessandro Cappelletto (born 1992) is a violinist, composer and conductor. He studied violin at the Agostino Steffani Conservatory in Castelfranco Veneto with Marina Sarni and continued his studies with Dimitri Chichlov, Giovanni Guglielmo and at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Giuliano Carmignola.
Since 2012, he has been a section leader of the second violins at the Teatro La Fenice Orchestra in Venice. He has also served as concertmaster in various productions, including Ariadne auf Naxos. As a guest musician, he has worked with major orchestras and institutions including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro Carlo Felice, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, and the Orchestra and Filarmonica della Scala. He has also served as concertmaster of the Filarmonica ’900 of Teatro Regio di Torino and at Teatro Verdi di Trieste.
As a soloist, he has performed, among other works, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza. His long-standing involvement with the European youth project Junges Musikpodium Dresden-Venice, where he served as a tutor from 2013 to 2023, has given him a particular connection to historically informed performance. In this context, he performed in Italy and Germany as a soloist and concertmaster.
Alongside his career as a violinist, Cappelletto is deeply involved in composition and conducting. He also obtained his diploma in composition from the Agostino Steffani Conservatory. In 2019, he received an honourable mention at the international composition competition Premio Valentino Bucchi. As a conductor, he studied with Donato Renzetti and has conducted, among other productions, new stagings of Histoire du soldat and Satyricon at Teatro La Fenice, as well as Pierrot Lunaire in Rome. He has also conducted the Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto.
Alberto Busettini
Alberto Busettini (Udine, 1978) is a harpsichordist and musician with an international concert career. He studied with Christophe Rousset at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, graduating with distinction, and has performed as a soloist and continuo player at renowned early-music festivals in Europe, Asia and the United States, including in Berlin, Bayreuth, Buenos Aires, Ljubljana, San Diego and Singapore.
He has collaborated with artists such as Stefano Montanari, Sara Mingardo, Alfredo Bernardini and Sergey Malov, as well as with the Venice Baroque Orchestra under Andrea Marcon. He has also worked with the ContrArco Baroque Ensemble and the Accademia d’archi Arrigoni, including the world-premiere recording of violin concertos by J. G. Graun.
Since 2023, he has been director of the Coro del Friuli Venezia Giulia. He has also been involved for 20 years in the European educational project Junges MusikPodium Dresden–Venice.
Recent highlights include performing as harpsichordist in Vivaldi’s Bajazet at Teatro La Fenice in Venice (2024), his debut as a guest conductor in Singapore, and an invitation to perform a recital in Tokyo (2025). He is the artistic director of the Risonanze festival.
We are delighted that, since autumn 2025, Alberto Busettini has been the new conductor of the Alpen-Adria-Chor Villach, and we look forward to the new musical impulses he brings to our choir.
Accademia d’archi Arrigoni
Since 2009, the Accademia d’archi Gian Giacomo Arrigoni has been dedicated to the education and development of young musicians in the fields of chamber and orchestral music. Internationally renowned teachers share their experience and work with young musicians on a broad musical repertoire.
A particular focus is placed on the academy’s youth ensemble, which regularly performs concerts at prestigious venues and collaborates with internationally renowned artists such as Enrico Bronzi, Enrico Dindo, Natalia Gutman, Fabrizio Meloni, Dmitry Smirnov, Giovanni Sollima and Alessandro Taverna.
Since 2013, the academy has also organised the concert series “San Vito Musica”, which explores music history through distinctive programmes and alternative approaches. Renowned soloists, ensembles and conductors from Italy and abroad are regularly invited to take part.
One of the highlights of its activities is the international “Piccolo Violino Magico” competition for young violinists up to the age of 13. Young participants from around the world meet in San Vito al Tagliamento. A special feature of the competition is that the young soloists are always accompanied by an orchestra during their performances. The competition is also broadcast live by New York-based The Violin Channel.
The academy is also active in the field of recording. In 2014, a recording of the violin concertos and Concerti grossi by Federigo Fiorillo was released and selected as CD of the Month by Amadeus. In 2022, the academy produced the world-premiere recording of the violin concertos by Johann Gottlieb Graun. In 2025, Brilliant Classics released the piano concertos of Antonio Salieri, which also received international acclaim and were presented as part of a concert tour.
Alpen Adria Chor Villach
The Kaufmännische Gesangsverein Villach, today known as the Alpen-Adria-Chor Villach, has a long and eventful history deeply rooted in the cultural tradition of the city of Villach. Since its foundation, the choir has continuously evolved and has made an important contribution to the musical life of Villach and the wider Alpine-Adriatic region.
What began as a singing society founded by merchants developed over more than a century into a versatile choir that has repeatedly adapted to changing social and musical circumstances. This evolution continues to shape the choir today and reflects its vitality as well as its close connection to the city and its cultural heritage.
Under the direction of Alberto Busettini, the Alpen-Adria-Chor now focuses on a diverse repertoire, with a particular emphasis on demanding sacred and classical choral music. An important part of the choir’s work is its collaboration with soloists, orchestras and ensembles from Austria, Italy and neighbouring regions.
As an Alpine-Adriatic choir, the ensemble also sees itself as a musical bridge between the cultures and regions of the Alpine-Adriatic area. Concerts and joint projects with partners from Italy, Slovenia and Austria bring together different musical traditions and create opportunities for cultural exchange.
The choir’s history is therefore also a story of constant change and development. From the Kaufmännische Gesangsverein, a choir has emerged that combines the musical traditions of its home region with an openness to new projects and cross-border collaboration.
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