In 2015, when southern Italian world music was dominated by ecstatic dances and fiery rhythms, the Neapolitan Ilaria Graziano and Francesco Forni turned against the wind and came out with a début album of unusual sensitivity. Both had already proved themselves separately, chiefly to fans of cinematic music: Francesco as a composer, and Ilaria as a captivating singer who sang a duet with Marianne Faithful in the film The Girl from Nagasaki. Their joint album From Bedlam to Lenane, however, surpassed everything that had come before it. This is because this record incorporating folk, blues and country sounds showed how they are able to perform songs accompanied by only a single guitar (or ukulele) that are not only heart-wrenching: they are also amazingly varied. These are jaw-dropping songs from a wondrous realm. This marvel was repeated in the autumn of 2016 with their second record, Come 2 Me, reinforcing their position on the cutting edge of Italian world music.

Invited to perform all over the world, they spent two years nearly continuously touring all over Europe and North America. This left them just enough time in the meanwhile to record their third album. Released in the spring of 2018, Twinkle Twinkle further expanded the duo’s musical horizons: emotionally, linguistically, geographically and stylistically. From one moment to the next, Ilaria and Francesco amaze listeners with Neapolitan songs, French chansons or Argentine tangos, all without losing any of their personality or flagging from the peak of their careers. They stick with the wondrousness.

Admission is free of charge.

Bridging Europe festival is the joint production of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Müpa Budapest.