SAXO MATTO – Checkmate in Music

SAXO MATTO – Chess in Music An original project that blends music and chess in a fascinating stage experience.

Two saxophone orchestras under 35 – one Italian and one Slovenian – reinterpret the legendary “game of the century” of 1972 between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, through an unpublished composition by Alessio Domini and Maria Beatrice Orlando. On stage, a giant chessboard comes to life, where two players re-enact the historic moves, reflected and amplified by the music. A symbol of cross-border cooperation through art, conceived on the occasion of GO!2025.

SAXO MATTO – Chess in music “SAXO MATTO – Chess in music” is a multidisciplinary project that combines music and chess, in line with the objectives of Art Connection FVG: to promote and implement innovative cultural initiatives that bring different arts and disciplines into dialogue.

The main events will be held in Gorizia on July 20, 2025, on the occasion of the International Chess Day, and in Nova Gorica on July 21.

The heart of the project is the composition “Saxo matto”, commissioned to the Friulian composers Alessio Domini and Maria Beatrice Orlando, who reinterpret a chess game through music for two saxophone orchestras.

Each instrument represents a piece of the chessboard and performs its moves. Two actors will accompany the orchestras, physically interpreting the game, while the real moves will be projected in the background.

The strong symbolic value of the work translates into a concrete opportunity for cross-border cultural cooperation between Italy and Slovenia.

The project includes two concerts with orchestras under 35 – one Italian and one Slovenian, each composed of 8 musicians – conducted by Alex Sebastianutto (ITA) and Lev Pupis (SLO), with the stage supervision of Massimo Somaglino (ITA) and the orchestral direction of Stefano Pecci (ITA). The collaboration with the Italian Chess Federation (FSI) is fundamental, as it will provide the giant chessboard for the scenography.

“SAXO MATTO – Scacco in musica” is a virtuous example of cross-border cultural collaboration and social inclusion, fully consistent with the objectives of GO!2025.

The union of performing arts and a universal language like chess makes it a relevant, accessible and impactful project for the entire community.