Cecilia Academia is producing a wonderful series of short Instagrams showing its soloists at home.

First there was a heart felt thanks from its music director Antonio Pappano, who was talking from London, to all the S.Cecilia season ticket holders who have donated their ticket money from their unused concerts to keep the orchestra and chorus going rather than ask for refunds.

Then came Instagrams of the first violinist, the flautist, the cellist and the head of the programme for children. In addition to the snippets of music they play and suggest, it is a real cheer-up call to see and hear these musicians talking to us from their homes, with little insights into how they are coping with the lockdown.

These are the people of the orchestra and chorus we seldom see and often take for granted. They are bringing S. Cecilia home to us in an unexpected and imaginative way.

Cecilia and the national broadcaster Rai Cultura, are also providing recordings of a selection of the orchestra's previously televised concerts on the RaiPlay platform every Thursday (19.30), Friday (20.30) and Saturday 18.00. See Santa Cecilia for the concerts planned. 

On 22 March the documentary Il Carattere Italiano by Angelo Bozzolini about the S.Cecilia orchestra and chorus, and the Italian character as the title would suggest, will be available on streaming for a month.

Thank you S. Cecilia.