As every year the appointment of Arezzo has arrived, the historic first stage of the long round of live selections of the Folkest Award – Alberto Cesa 2019 (formerly Suonare@Folkest) the competition in search of new talent who will perform at the next edition of Folkest. 


Historical is the seat of this first stage, the Circolo Aurora in Piazza Sant’Agostino in Arezzo, because right here, in 2004, took place the very first evening of Suonare@Folkest. A lucky start, which was followed by many editions, all with a high musical quality.
On December 7, during a live concert included in the Festival Pipes, Muses and Bagpipes, conducted as every year with great skill by Silvio Trotta, three groups have challenged each other with notes: in the order Allegra Gente, Giuditta Scorcelletti and Four Seasons Trio. The first group is quite large, with Veronica Fascione on singing, Umberto Quattrone on guitar, Fabrizio Desideri on clarinet, Diego Persi Paoli on bass, Lorenzo José Carlo on percussion and Riccardo Neri on drums. Songs of their own composition and ample space for the musicians for a pleasant and very airy sound. Giuditta Scorcelletti then took to the stage, accompanied by Alessandro Bongi on electric and acoustic guitar: a set that confirmed the great quality of his music and impressed those present, even in the absence of the vibraphonist and percussionist Ettore Bonafè. The evening ended with the Four Seasons Trio, the sound of which is based on the beautiful voice and the great interpretative qualities of Sara d’Angelo and the guitar work and arrangement of Luca Cremonini.
The jury, chaired by the director of Folk Bulletin, Nicola Cossar and formed by Dory D’Anzeo, journalist of La Nazione, Loris Bohem of LineaTrad, Andrea Del Favero, artistic director of Folkest and Gianni Martin, organizational director of Folkest, awarded first place of the evening to Giuditta Scorcelletti, also pointing it out for the award.
Alberto Cesa, second place for Allegra Gente, who will then participate in Folkest, and third place for Four Seasons Trio.
It is worth remembering that the objective of the competition and of the Folkest Award- Alberto Cesa is not simply the competition between artists, but rather to be able to evaluate at best, in a live context, the best proposals in the Italian folk, world, authoritative and singer-songwriter scene that can rightly be included within the program of Folkest.