Inspired by the sounds and beat of the Pirelli Digital Factory in Settimo Torinese, a new composition entitled “Il Canto della Fabbrica” (The Factory Song)

SALVATORE ACCARDO DIRECTS THE STRING ENSEMBLE OF THE ITALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA FOR THE MITO FESTIVAL PREMIÈRES: IN THE ELFO PUCCINI THEATRE, MILAN, ON SEPTEMBER 7 AND IN THE PIRELLI INDUSTRIAL HUB IN SETTIMO TORINESE ON SEPTEMBER 8

The sounds of the factory, those of the Pirelli industrial hub of Settimo Torinese, inspired Il canto della Fabbrica (The Factory Song), a composition commissioned from composer and violist Francesco Fiore by Fondazione Pirelli and specifically created for maestro Salvatore Accardo’s violin. Maestro Accardo's Italian Chamber Orchestra, accompanied by Laura Gorna on the violin, will be performing the composition in the première at the MITO Festival, with two concerts entitled ‘La Fabbrica tra i Ciliegi’ (The Factory in the Cherry Trees). The name hints to the cherry orchards which surround the Pirelli plant in Settimo, where one of the two events will be staged, and inspired the composer.

Two will be the appointments with the ‘La Fabbrica tra i Ciliegi’ on this year's programme dedicated to the theme of Nature: the first will be in Milan at the Elfo Puccini Theatre on September 7. The second, on September 8, will mark the return of music to the industrial hub in Settimo Torinese, in the wake of the successes of the concerts held there in 2010, 2011 and 2014. It will also be the occasion to hear its own sounds turned into music. The voices of the workers and the noises of the machines – from the mixers to the modern robots of the Pirelli Next Mirs automated tyre production system – inspired the new composition, which will be performed for the first time in the heart of the plant in the tyre packaging department. The packaging machines and the tyres will be the evocative backdrop of a concert characterised by the contemporary nature of the music and the originality of the location inside the most technically advanced Pirelli factory in Europe. Both in Milan and Settimo Torinese, the programme of the two evenings will continue with the The Concerto for Two Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043 by Johann Sebastian Bach and with the Serenade for Strings in C major op. 48 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The 2017 edition consolidates the now one-decade-long partnership between Pirelli and the MITO Settembre Musica Festival which kicked off in 2007. The Factory Song is an expression of the support provided by Pirelli to the events of the Festival held in Milan and Turin and demonstrates the bond that the company has always entertained with the local territories where its plants are located. The combination of this musical piece and the live performance in the factory aims at re-proposing industry as the driver of economy: the Pirelli plant in Settimo witnesses how factories have changed and grown implementing sophisticated technologies based on innovation and industrial automation. And listening to music may help to understand the deeper meaning of the changes underway. Corporations are culture, under the sign of contemporaneity. The Pirelli Industrial Hub of Settimo Torinese The Industrial Hub of Settimo Torinese, where Pirelli has been present for over 60 years, employs over 1,200 people today and was created by merging the two Pirelli plants already present in the district into one single area. The site is also the result of profitable collaboration with local authorities and the Turin Polytechnic for research and innovation. It is the most technologically advanced and efficient Pirelli plant in the world in terms of product innovation, manufacturing processes, care for sustainability and working environment quality. World-renowned architect Renzo Piano was called to overlook the architectural project and design the “Spina”, as the central body is named, which houses the services for employees, the landscaping, the on-site road network and the lighting. The Settimo hub uses the most modern technology resulting from the Pirelli research, such as the most recent development of the Pirelli robotised tyre manufacturing system (Next Mirs) and the new compound production system (PTSM). Production focuses on eco-friendly, High-Performance and Ultra High-Performance tyres and totals approximately 4 million tyres a year, which is expected to grow to approximately 4.5 million at full capacity. Pirelli and Fondazione Pirelli Established in 1872 and one of the major tyre manufacturers today, Pirelli is a leader of the Italian corporate culture founded on scientific research, quality, technological innovation and internationalism: these elements have secured the company's position as leader of important developments in the field of industry, design and corporate communication. The focus of Pirelli on culture and the commitment made to preserve, disseminate and foster it are engrained in the social value creation DNA of the company. On the forefront in this area is Fondazione Pirelli. Established in 2009, its objectives include protecting the cultural, historical and document heritage of the group and promoting its corporate culture on the outside in addition to publications, exhibitions and education, also in collaboration with other cultural organisations. The bond between Pirelli and music is a very tight one. In the 1950s, for example, the Centro Culturale Pirelli hosted live performances of great artists, such as American avant-garde musician John Cage, and in the 1970s the Grattacielo Pirelli hosted the Gianni Basso Quartet. That original recording is known as ‘Jazz al Centro Culturale Pirelli’. The tight bond between Pirelli and music is also reasserted by sponsoring key organisations, such as Fondazione del Teatro Alla Scala di Milano, of which Pirelli is permanent founding partner, and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, in addition to events which consolidate the bond between company and the outside world where is operates. This is the case of ‘Milano Sound Factory’, a music competition for up-and-coming bands, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Italian Rock & Roll. The dedication of Pirelli to culture is also confirmed by the collaborations with Teatro Franco Parenti, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Pinacoteca di Brera, FAI, Fondazione Isec – Istituto per la Storia dell’Età Contemporanea and the promotion of cultural events, such as #ioleggoperchè and BookCity. After having been founding promoting partner of Fondazione HangarBicocca, today Pirelli supports and fully manages Pirelli HangarBicocca, dedicated to contemporary art, contributing to consolidating its identity in a cultural area rooted in the fabric of Milan and open to the most inspiring international dimensions. PDF Version (59 KB)