Danteum Immersive Performance

DANTEUM IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE transcends the boundaries of disciplines, space and time. This avant-garde event seamlessly blends classical and contemporary music with architectural projections to discover the wonderful DANTEUM building conceived by Italian architect Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943) never finalized due to political and personal issues. The poet Dante Alighieri, and his allegorical poem Divine Comedy, constitutes the cornerstone of this building and this performance, which will offer a unique opportunity to experience with the subtle music and architecture relations through the interactive dialogue between pianist Giusy Caruso and architect Mario Aloe.

The monumental piano work Après une lecture du Dante. Fantasia quasi Sonata by Franz Liszt, to whom the Hungarian Institute in Brussels is dedicated, will end the performance and recapitulate all the meaningful symbolic connections between literature, music, space, time and architecture.

Dr. Giusy Caruso, concert pianist and postdoctoral artist-researcher, is the chairwoman of the research group CREATIE at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp. Her research and aesthetic is oriented to conceive multidisciplinary and futuristic multimedia performances that combine music from the West and East, science-technology, performing arts, visuals and architecture. Renowned performer and interpreter of contemporary music, she is pursuing her concert activity in Europe, Asia, Russia and America, taking part into Radio and TV shows. She released CDs acclaimed in worldwide music reviews. She obtained her PhD in Arts: Music at IPEM-University & Royal Conservatoire of Ghent 2018. Affiliated researcher at IPEM-Ghent University and Official Music Advisor of LWT3 Society Milan, she won in 2023 the first S+T+Arts prize Honorary Mention by the European Commission for her research that connects Art-Science-Technology and her project of a performance in the metaverse.

Mario Aloe, is an Italian architect and tour leader. He lives between Lille and Brussels where he is also working as a tourist guide in collaboration with different cultural associations. Lecturer on architecture, urbanism and tourism in universities and cultural institutions, he is committee member of the Italian Association "Il Caffè" based in Ghent. Engaged in theatre and music, he conceived and took part in different multidisciplinary performances which link architecture, music, movies and tourism.

Dr. Zhenzhen Zhang is a dynamic composer and pianist in contemporary music and research. During her earlier music career she achieved numerous worldwide prizes, Including first place in The 8th International Composition Competition in Luxembourg, second Place in 18th International Composition competition “ 2 Agosto ” in Bologna, fourth place in The Molinari Quartet's 4th International Composition Competition in Montréal and The 4th Palatino International Composition Competition in Beijing. Later, she conducted research on Chinese diaspora composers (i.e. Dun Tan, Chou Wen-Chung, Xiaoyong Chen…). China National Art Fund and SCAA Fund have rewarded her First prizes in outstanding artists 2012 & 2010.