AGP Executive Report

Celine Dion’s Comeback: The singer returned to the stage in Paris for her first full concert in over six years after stiff person syndrome, delivering a 25-song, emotion-heavy set to a packed arena. Harry Styles Tour Update: Styles expanded his “Together, Together” run with 25 new stadium dates for 2027, adding stops including Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Dublin and London, with city-by-city presales via Ticketmaster. New Music Poll: Dove Cameron’s “When in Rome” topped Billboard’s favorite new music vote, a bright preview of her long-awaited debut album. Italian Music on the Move: Italian studio Two Little Mice is behind “Twilight Sword,” a new tabletop RPG inspired by classics like Zelda, and it’s getting pre-orders now. Classical Spotlight: A trio of young soloists (including Malaysian violinist Low Zi Yang) will perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Malaysian Philharmonic in Malaysia this October. Thrash Picks: Dave Mustaine named his dream “Big Four” for thrash—Testament, Overkill, Exodus and maybe Trivium.

Venice Film Festival Wrap: May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown” took the Golden Lion, with Mathilde Arcel winning best actress and John Malkovich picking up best actor for “Wild Horse Nine”; Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” won the Silver Lion grand jury prize, keeping Italy’s festival spotlight firmly on screen-and-sound storytelling. Italian Music in the Spotlight: Andrea Bocelli is set for two Indonesia shows to mark 30 years since “Romanza,” including “Con Te Partirò” in the setlist—another reminder of how Italian pop-classical still travels worldwide. Live Music, Italian Touch: Opera Italiana Is in the Air returns to Central Park on Sept. 21 with Rossini and Puccini highlights plus a world premiere by Juilliard Pre-College composer Ethan Hsu, led by Alvise Casellati. New Album News: Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares says Tony Campos will handle all bass on the band’s upcoming album—plus the record marks a new era with Milo Silvestro and Pete Webber in the lineup. Indie Folk Dates: Ranagri bring their “Say Hello” tour to Grayshott Folk Club on Sept. 19, promoting a new album about migration, identity, and “home.”

Opera in the City: Opera Italiana Is in the Air returns to Central Park on Sept. 21 with “Harmonies of Peace,” led by Alvise Casellati and featuring Daniela Machado and Alessio Borraggine plus musicians from major New York institutions, with Rossini and Puccini highlights and a new orchestral premiere. Venice Spotlight: Venice Film Festival prizes keep rolling, with John Malkovich winning Best Actor for “Wild Horse Nine,” “Possible Love” taking the Silver Lion grand jury prize, and “NAZA” earning a special jury prize. Italian Music on Screen: Venice Critics’ Week closes with “Rider,” an urban rap-driven film where music is used as storytelling rather than a traditional musical break-in. Touring Talk: Charli XCX hits back at backlash over limited 2027 European dates, saying touring is “emotionally and physically hard” for her. Live Music Buzz: Judas Priest’s “Faithkeepers” tour lands in Bern with a full setlist circulating online, including “Painkiller” and “Living After Midnight.”

Italian Music in the Spotlight: A new 3D animated musical trilogy, “The Francis Chronicles,” is being built around St. Francis of Assisi, with creators in Singapore choosing human-led animation over AI and featuring composer Ethan Hsu’s music direction. Festival Watch: Green Rock Fest in Ruse will open with Bulgarian and Italian rock and metal acts, including Italian band WakeUpCall headlining the first night. Film & Music Crossover: Venice Film Festival audiences turned out for Russell Crowe’s bio-doc concert film “What Love Builds,” while another Venice premiere, “Nino – A Film about Nino Rota,” spotlights the Italian composer’s legacy. Classical & Opera: The Met: Live in HD season is announced for 2026/27, bringing major opera titles to local cinemas. Tech Meets Culture: Zhou Shen’s 9.29Hz World Tour by B’in Live wins a Gold A’ Design Award for stage design, highlighting sustainability and reusable touring elements.

Music & Opera in Italy: Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari hosts the Italian premiere of Zygmunt Krauze’s two-act opera “Bona Sforza” on Sept. 14, running through Sept. 20, with Piotr Sułkowski conducting and a cast led by Anna Maria Chiuri. Italian Pop on Tour: Emeli Sandé announces a 2027 UK & mainland Europe tour celebrating 15 years since “Our Version of Events,” performing the album in full plus hits, with dates including Milan and Paris. Italian-leaning Live Music Buzz: English-Italian singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti and James Morrison confirm co-headline UK shows for 2027, with additional dates rolling out across the UK and Europe. Culture Tech: Experts meet in Beijing to push international cooperation on cultural heritage digitization, blending history and arts with new digital tools. Food as Soundtrack: A new “biggest Italian restaurant” opens in London Olympia on Oct. 16, complete with a DJ booth and live-music-style atmosphere.

Streaming & Music TV: Stingray has launched 17 localized, free ad-supported music channels on Rakuten TV across Europe, including an Italy-focused “Italia Disco” lineup alongside Total Hits and genre stations for multiple countries. Classical Spotlight: Acclaimed singer Bárbara Padilla returns for a weekend performance with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, singing Verdi and pop-classics like “Con te partiro,” with orchestra members also featuring solos and a Piazzolla “Libertango” arrangement. Italian Culture on Stage: Theatre Aurora’s fall season includes Over the River and Through the Woods, a comedy centered on Italian-American grandparents, plus a 1960s/70s hits revue opening Sept. 18. Music for 9/11 Remembrance: The Bogmen and Vapors of Morphine team up for a special 25th-anniversary show at Webster Hall honoring those lost on Sept. 11. Music Industry Tech: Apple Music veteran Ian Rogers is now at Ledger, pushing security and AI strategy—another reminder that music platforms keep feeding the broader tech ecosystem.

Fontaines D.C. (Italy-relevant music): The Dublin post-punk band has mapped out a big 2027 run across the UK and Europe, with support from Little Simz and Viagra Boys, plus headline slots at Rock In Roma and I-Days; their next album, Dopamine Chamber, lands Oct. 16. Venice Film Festival (music-adjacent Italy spotlight): Bollywood actress-producer Niharica Raizada debuted at the 83rd Venice Film Festival with Amos Gitai’s The Road to Jericho, a hybrid film mixing documentary and narrative fiction around displacement and memory. Italian dining + live culture (Italy’s food-music vibe): Incipio Group is set to open “Juno,” an Italian dining concept with a dedicated Pizza Napoletana counter and aperitivo-to-dessert menu, while Putnam’s Feast of San Gennaro kicks off with a statue procession and food plus music. Jazz from Italy (scene): Italian pianist Rita Marcotulli and bassist Michel Benita join Andy Sheppard for the trio Salt Catchers, blending originals with a Carla Bley piece. Design for live events (Italy tie-in): OCT Entertainment’s Mai Meng won a Gold A’ Design Award for event design.

Venice Film Festival Music Spotlight: Edoardo De Angelis’ “The Fire Within You” (based on Antonio Franchina’s memoir “Il fuoco che ti porti dentro”) is in the Golden Lion race, turning a Christmas Eve family day into a sharp, funny drama about rage and identity. Jazz Club Season: In the Mood opens its third season with “Beyond Borders,” stacking Bulgarian and international jazz dates from Sept. 16 (Olvido Ruiz) through Oct. 9 (Cenk Esen). New Releases: Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch announce the double-album “Bocca di Lupo/Mouth Of The Wolf,” recorded in Bologna, with the single “Never Like You Said” featuring Courtney Barnett. Italian Music on Screen: “La La Land” returns to Venice with “La La Land in Concert,” pairing the 10th anniversary screening with a live orchestra led by Justin Hurwitz. Live Music in Italy: Washington deathcore Enterprise Earth drops “Neo-Promethean” and hits Milan on Oct. 2 as part of its European run. Tech + Audio: Apple unveils AirPods 5 with open-ear ANC and new sound features.

Music on TV & streaming: Stingray is expanding across Europe with 20 FAST channels on LG Channels, including Italy-focused picks like Italo Disco and local Total Hits, plus concert-film brand Qello. Italian music industry: Key Production Group says its EU physical-music division has surged since 2024 and is opening a new Hamburg office to support clients across countries including Italy. Tours & live dates: Signs Of The Swarm announce a Europe/UK headline run that includes Milan (Feb 21, 2027). Italian concert culture: Monte-Carlo’s New Moods returns Oct 1 with a tribute-act lineup that also spotlights French and Italian chanson, including Eros Ramazzotti. Opera & theatre: A Puccini production, “The Girl of the Golden West,” is getting a contemporary English translation with camp and profanity, with performances set for Sept 11 and 13. Festival vibe: Plantasia returns Sept 10-11 at Garfield Park Conservatory, celebrating ambient and electronic music with a jazz headliner.

Festival Spotlight (Italy): Ripatransone is gearing up for the first annual Ripa International Festival of Sound (Sept. 24–27), a non-profit bringing international record producers, engineers, and software innovators for English masterclasses (100€), plus Le Marche culture like pasta-making and wine tastings. Music & Community (Italy-adjacent): The STARS Community Center in Howard Beach marks 30 years with expanded fall/winter programming, including a 9/11 candlelight vigil and a Sept. 20 ice cream social. Classical Access: The Piatigorsky Foundation Tour brings free pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion to the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs on Sept. 15. Studio Milestone: Mix-O-Lydian Studios celebrates 50 years, now operating from The Castle Inn’s artist collective in Delaware Water Gap. New Releases: Thrash band Havok drops “The Ultimate Weapon” with an official video and tees up major Europe/UK and North American tours.

Fontaines D.C.: The Irish post-punk band has added a second Manchester date at Heaton Park for next summer, citing pre-sale demand, with support from Little Simz and Viagra Boys and more guests on the Slane Castle nights; their fifth album Dopamine Chamber lands Oct. 16. Touring in Italy: Hayley Williams has confirmed an Italy stop—Milan on June 7—plus Rome and a run of UK dates, with tickets for the UK leg going on sale Sept. 11. Classical in the spotlight: The Madras Musical Association brings Purcell’s baroque opera Dido and Aeneas to Chennai’s Museum Theatre, with a focus on why Purcell remains the “opera star” in English-language repertoire. International training with an Italy link: Hong Kong’s Lydia Wong is expanding Strings Camerata’s global work, including a 2027 Italy masterclass and concert in Lake Como. Jazz on the move: Gregory Porter announces new UK summer dates, including three nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall, with tickets on sale Sept. 11. Fashion-meets-music buzz: Tomorrow X Together’s Soobin is named Dolce&Gabbana’s global ambassador.

Venice Film Festival Music Spotlight: Andrea Pallaoro’s The Echo Chamber—based on Bernardo Bertolucci’s final unproduced screenplay—has split critics with its slow-burn pace, even as Luca Marinelli, Alicia Vikander, and Susan Sarandon’s performances draw praise; Sarandon plays a celebrated folk singer. Theatre & Performance: Swiss-Italian artist Daniele Finzi Pasca brings his hope-filled solo Icaro to Cairo for CIFET’s 33rd edition, marking 35 years since its Milan premiere. Italian Music Industry Buzz: ENHYPEN adds extra London and Berlin dates to its Blood Saga tour, with Europe starting in Milan in February 2027. Live Music Calendar: Cage the Elephant announce UK and European Dying In Reverse shows for early 2027, with tickets going on sale Sept. 11. Cultural Anthem Watch: A deep dive into Bella ciao explains why the antifascist song keeps resurfacing—from protests to pop culture—across countries and conflicts.

Venice Film Festival Buzz: Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher shared a rare off-stage moment at the premiere of their documentary “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” drawing an eight-minute standing ovation and fresh headlines about their long-awaited reconciliation. Italian Music Spotlight: Italian-Bosnian rapper Doppeltata scored a win in Sarajevo with a concert backed by the Italian Embassy, blending contemporary rap and Balkan sounds. Pop Culture Meets Respect: Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh won major goodwill in Milan after gently correcting a fan who wore an “Ik Onkar” T-shirt next to his name—explaining the symbol’s sacred meaning and asking the crowd to forgive the mistake. Live Music Releases: Laura Misch released “Lithic (Live at the Barbican),” turning her stone-themed album into a ritual-like live experience with sax, harp, strings and drums. Tour News: Jack Savoretti and James Morrison announced a co-headlining UK run for summer 2027, with Savoretti’s Italian roots and Morrison’s latest album “Fight Another Day” in the mix. Korn Update: Korn’s drummer Ray Luzier has recorded drums for their long-awaited 15th studio album, with progress teased via a recent studio setup reveal. AI & Rights: Screen industry bodies and rights groups at the Lumière Summit adopted five thematic declarations covering AI, piracy, education, gender and the environment.

Venice Film Festival Buzz: Oscar winner Susan Sarandon says she’s still losing work after speaking out for Palestinians, telling reporters at “The Echo Chamber” premiere that agencies are “telling people not to hire me,” even as public opinion shifts. Italian Cinema Spotlight: Andrea Pallaoro’s “The Echo Chamber,” adapted from Bernardo Bertolucci’s last screenplay, is being screened in Venice and opens in Italy Sept. 10, with critics noting its claustrophobic, music-producer-centered romance/addiction setup. Music & Pop Culture: Phoebe Bridgers made a splash at Venice with a big standing ovation for her A24 role in “Primetime,” while also turning heads with her Gucci look and visible leg tattoos. Global Music Events: Macao’s 38th International Music Festival (Oct 2–Nov 29) announced a Puccini “Turandot – Three-Act Italian Opera” and ticket sales starting Sept. 13. Local Italian-heritage Fest: The Italian Heritage Festival in Clarksburg wrapped with Mass, performances, and a meatball contest, ending a strong weekend run.

Italian Music on the Move: Diljit Dosanjh brought his comic charm to Milan on his Aura World Tour, posting a breakfast gag that ends with “No ham, no cheese, no beef… only vegetable, salt & pepper.” Opera in Italy’s orbit: Donizetti’s bel canto classic “Lucia di Lammermoor” opened the 34th Maria Biesu International Opera and Ballet Festival in Chisinau, with the Naples premiere noted as the work’s 1835 origin. Rock & screen in Venice: Oasis’ reunion documentary “Don’t Look Back in Anger” premiered at the Venice Film Festival, with Liam and Noel Gallagher showing unity—until a red-carpet moment where Liam snapped at photographers. Album buzz: Korn’s drummer Ray Luzier says the band has finished laying down parts for their next album, with 40+ songs already gathered. Music beyond pop: Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso spoke on why hope matters, while a “Summertime Classics” concert in Malta’s Secret Garden highlighted Vivaldi and Bach. Emmy spotlight: Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show dominated Creative Arts Emmys Night 1 with seven wins.

Venice Film Festival Buzz: Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher turned the spotlight into a rock concert vibe as their documentary Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger premiered in Venice, with an eight-minute standing ovation and fans singing along to “Champagne Supernova.” Opera Oddity: The Met in New York is auditioning snakes for Mozart’s Così fan tutte—a carnival performer-turned-opera actor, Zoe Ziegfeld, tested boa constrictors, with “Princess” winning the role and “Nala” as understudy. Italian Screen Spotlight: Nanni Moretti’s It Will Happen Tonight hit Venice competition, adapting Eshkol Nevo with a fast-moving romantic melodrama that mixes joy and melancholy. Arts & Culture (Israel/Italy link): Jerusalem of Gold brought five Israeli artists to the Jerusalem Theatre, aiming for a more accessible space for creators and audiences.