In May 2025 Tokyo was once again transformed into one of the international centres of classical music thanks to La Folle Journée Tokyo 2025, the Japanese edition of the celebrated festival born in Nantes that has for years also been held in the Japanese capital. The festival, which ran from 3 to 5 May at the Tokyo International Forum, brought to the heart of the city hundreds of concerts, events, and moments of encounter between audiences, artists, and specialists, with a theme dedicated to memories and journeys through time via music (Mémoires – music in time and space).
La Folle Journée is an event where audiences can attend dozens of concerts in a single venue, often with short programmes designed to engage even those unaccustomed to classical music. For this very reason the festival has a unique appeal: it combines a festive atmosphere with a musical offering of the highest calibre, thanks to the participation of international artists, orchestras, ensembles, and soloists.
In this international context, Alberto Giordano participated as curator of the most significant historic instruments, including some great Italian violins of exceptional value. His presence enriched the festival with moments of in-depth exploration dedicated to the histories, constructional features, and cultural significance of bowed string instruments from the Italian school, meeting the interest of an audience of enthusiasts, musicians, and cultural professionals.
The role of curator in such a prestigious context is not merely technical, but above all educational and cultural: explaining how instruments were built, how they fit into the history of music, and what it means for a performer to engage with historic instruments of great value is a fundamental part of the educational and artistic offering of the Folle Journée.
During the festival days, concerts, masterclasses, and encounters interweaved different repertoires — from the Baroque through Romanticism and beyond — offering the Japanese audience a map of Western music across the ages. Audiences were able to hear programmes dedicated to landmark pages of musical history and discover the sonic evolution of the bowed string instrument.
Participation in La Folle Journée Tokyo 2025 also represented for Giordano a moment of exchange with international luthiers, musicologists, and performers, in keeping with his activity of promoting and preserving the Italian violin-making tradition, and an opportunity to bring the story of Italian lutherie to the context of one of the world’s greatest classical music festivals.
