Future Classic Women Awards – 2021 Instrumentalists Winner 300821

Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today is the day where we reveal the winner of the instrumentalist section of the third edition of Future Classic Women Awards, so 2021, and we are in August and I'm very excited to to reveal the winner, but first I'd like you to hear the very first piece that she sent for us to celebrate her winning. Amazing. And so the winner of Future Classic Women Awards 2021 is Renata Latti Guitar. Good Good morning, Renata! Hello! Hi, Stefania! Hi, thank you very much! How are you, Renata? Well, I'm very, very, very well. At the moment I'm on holiday, enjoying last days of holiday. What a way to celebrate your holidays with the winning! I mean, where were you when you received the news? Well, do you really want to know? I'm going to make you very jealous. I am from Sardinia, so at the moment I'm in Sardinia in Costa Smeralda, so I'm in an amazing place. Ah, wow, how beautiful. Okay, well, the first piece that we listened to was Bach from the Partita for Violin Solo No. 1, and that was the double. So question: why did you choose this one as your opening piece of this celebratory episode? Well, I chose this one because classical guitar, well, classical guitar has got a very wide repertoire written just for the classical guitar. But we, I think we should not forget that we have a whole repertoire made of transcriptions from other instruments. And these transcriptions work just beautifully on the guitar. And so this is an example because it's from, it's a partita for the violin. Violin, and we actually normally play the partitas and the sonatas from violin and also the suites for cello on the guitar. And so, yes, I just wanted to give a little idea of what they sound like on the guitar. Absolutely. Well, it is gorgeous as a piece. Now, what do you— how was it, I mean, first of all, to be a finalist and then to win it. I'd like to mention the other 3 finalists for the instrumentalist category: the cellist Karina Giuri, the viola soloist Hanna Gubenko, and the pianist Isabel Dobaro. So it was a very eclectic final, I have to say, hard to choose. As we know, people were voting by listening, of course, to your interview and by liking, sharing the social media and the platform and the SoundCloud episode. So it was a combination of being an amazing performer but also having a story to tell. So did you have a chance to listen to Karina and Hannah and Isabel interviews as well? I did, I did listen to a little bit of the interviews of all of them, yes. And well, they— what can I say? They are amazing people and players. They really sound like amazing people and players. So yeah, well, actually, that is a— it's a great honor actually to be the winner next to them, you know. It's great, it's amazing. And you follow on the winners from the previous editions for the instrumentalist, that was wonderful harpist and pianist. So we are very, very, very excited now. What are you doing apart from being on holiday? I think you've also done some concerts recently. That is correct, yes. I just, yeah, finally I managed to get back on stage given the difficulties that all of us are going through, you know, with the traveling problems and then concerts that cannot be done yet fully. So yeah, I was very happy to go to France and where I took part to a project that is a very special one. It's called Sardinia Moving Arts, and basically is a project that promotes the music, music newly written by composers that were inspired by Sardinia or that decided to, yeah, to write music for Sardinia. So it's a great project and it basically involves 6 artists that are gonna play concerts all over the world. So it's a very nice project. Amazing! And is it just for guitar or other instruments as well? We have some guitarists, we have a duo guitar and flute, and then we have a pianist. So yes, we have different kind of combinations, let's say. And the composer, a role like international composers, or is Italian composer dedicating, or Sardinian composer, for example? No, it is a great mix actually, because we have some of the most important composers for the instrument, for guitar, like Leo Brouwer, like Giuseppe Bocdanović, and we have someone, some composers also from Sardinia, like Roberto Piana, like Francesco Morittu, and yes, so it's both national and international. National, but mostly international actually, because it's really a project that wants to export everything all over the world. So it's a great thing because the organizer, his name is Cristiano Porcueto, managed to put together people from all over the world. And so basically these pieces were played by us, and then they have been published now So then they have been recorded, the CD is going to come out very soon. And there are really a lot of concerts. Actually, the next one is going to be in London. Ah, that's what I was about to ask you. Yeah, are you going to come to the UK? Yes, it's played by some amazing colleagues actually. One concert will be guitar and flute, and the other concert the day after will be guitar and an actress. So an actress that is going to— she's going to act And then the guitar is going to accompany the acting. It's a very particular concept. It's music theater. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Yes. Yes. Yes. Very special thing of music theater is actually the thing that brought me to the women's radio station with the play written by Elena Matzón on Clara Schumann. And the soundtrack of our program is actually Clara Schumann. So she could play by herself on stage. But then, you know, people were asking to hear for the entirety of the piece. And Clara Schumann is a virtuoso composer and pianist, so I had to step in. But so actually, who is the actress who's gonna act? It's not Filomena Campos? No, her name is Stefania Masala, and she's an amazing actress. She lives in Rome. She used to be a classical guitarist, and then— ah, right, yeah— and then, you know, life surprises us, and so she happened to become an actress in the end. Okay, so yes, because we have here in London as well Filomena Campos, who is Sardinian, and she's an amazing actress. She was a very good friend with Franca Rama. She's doing a wonderful research on her and, you know, great women of our theater, of the Italian theater, internationally as well. I follow her on social media. She is simply amazing. Yes, I'm a big fan. And you are gonna meet at the London Performing Academy of Music because you are both professors there. And it would be interesting, maybe we could reproduce that concert with you and Filomena then. And during this— that would be simply amazing. I'll help you, Mom. Yeah, wonderful. Looking forward to it, actually. Can't wait. Well, actually, we can say, so you're gonna start this September with fantastic international students. We have this amazing Ethan Dorian, who is an Australian guitarist that's gonna do a postgraduate with you. So he's gonna be your first student at LPMAM. How excited are you of being as well a professor? I am excited beyond imagination, really. It's amazing. It's great because You know, the students— Ethan, he's a great, uh, great guitarist and great students, and he's really motivated. And, you know, working with people that, uh, want to do this in their lives, uh, has got a completely different meaning because it challenges you more. And, uh, even for the professors, is a chance to grow up and to really give their best. So, uh, is a— is from both sides. So both sides, I believe, uh, grow up and share, and so many things can happen from this union, you know. So I'm really looking forward to helping my students, uh, become what they want to, and at the same time, I'm looking forward to learning from them. So this is exciting thing, I believe. Absolutely. Well, we also have these exciting connections with international academies and universities all around the world, and I'm looking forward that we met your colleague at the University of Colorado in Boulder. And, um, yes, Nicholas And how is it to have this connection with professors from other universities as well, to exchange and to be able to create projects together? Yes, I believe that, uh, on our field, I believe to me music again is about sharing, and music has to do not just with what you personally study Because of course you do learn how to play an instrument, you do learn the rules of music by studying hard, but then this is just, you know, the first step, the very first one. And then what you learn by traveling, by knowing, meeting with people, by listening to them, then this is the real deal, you know. So I think it's great to have friends because we're talking about friends here. In other places, and you can just confront with them and see how they teach to their students, what they can give to you, what you can give to them. So to me, having connections and friends internationally is just vital, simply vital, and it's great. I work constantly on expanding my network and meeting new people. Mm-hmm. Well, music is about that, is about meeting other people. You meet them in the concert hall as an audience, you meet them on stage as a performer. And, you know, any city you go to, there is some friend that you maybe met as well at competition and/or at university. Yes. So, and it's such a joy, isn't it, to be able to share the love and the passion for music and for this this art that is quite unique. Now, the next piece we're going to listen to is again Bach from the Solo Violin Partita. It's actually the Tempo di pure, but before we listen to it, I'd like to ask you, do you think that Bach— because, you know, there is this transcription for other instruments, and there is also some transcription made by the same composer compose them. What do you think is behind the art of the transcription? Well, what I think about transcriptions is that, well, very, very simply, I think they were born from the desire of the player to be able to play such beautiful music on their own instruments. So yes, as a player, exactly, that is one thing. Then from the historical point of view, I believe, well, many times they've been transcribed by composers, as you say, for different instruments. And that might be with the fact that they didn't have availability of one instrument for a concert, so they would transcribe for the instruments they had to work with. So that is the other point. But yes, I think not all transcriptions work, but some of them, like for example these ones from the violin, they do work very, very well on the guitar because we are still stringed instruments, and although we have many differences, we also have many similarities. And then on the other side, there are transcriptions. We do play the suites for the lute, which of course we do play them on the guitar because with the passing of time— The lute is like the grandfather of the— Exactly. Yes, yes. So that's why I do believe in transcriptions if they are made in a very smart way. Yes. And do you make transcription yourself? Yes, I do. I do. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So I try to choose carefully the repertoire that I want to transcribe, and there is a big study behind the transcriptions because of course you have to take into consideration the original and try not to change too much the qualities and what the piece used to be like. So there are many choices that one has to take when decides to transcribe a piece from another instrument. So it's a great work, I think. There's something that really impressed me is when there's a transcription from the piano to the guitar. Because the piano, see, we got 88 keys, we got 10 fingers playing 10 notes at least, if not more, at the same time. I mean, how do you do with the guitar? How is that possible? Because you got one hand that is basically pushing the keys, right? And the other hand, you only got 5 fingers. I mean, actually, how many do you use? 4, not even 5? On the left— On the left— On the right. On the right, we use 5. Yes, on the right, we use 4, yes, except for some flamenco techniques where you use the pinky as well. But, well, funny enough, some of the most played pieces on guitar repertoire are actually were actually written for the piano, like think about Asturias. I know, but it was— It's so much like— And so many notes. And I get so many notes, yes. I personally play the Valses Poéticos by Granados, which again, were— Oh, my goodness. Yeah. And actually, this is possible— well, even if the guitar doesn't have so many keys, we do have this— with these 6 strings, we manage to be a very polyphonic instrument, and that's why we can play solo without being accompanied by piano necessarily, like the violin or the cello. And well, yes, we do have the basses, we do have then the trebles, and with that we can really do many voices. Of course, we have to cut some of them. We can't really keep everything, but, you know, we do have great results, I think, with many pieces transcribed for the piano, by the piano, from the piano. Absolutely. And, you know, also talking about Asturias or the Granados and Alpenes and the flamenco guitar, I mean, have you been to Spain? Yes, yes, I went to Spain, yes. And did you notice, I mean, I remember I was playing some pieces from Iberia, and when I went to study in Spain, they— I had the completely wrong image of what I was doing. I mean, for a few things, like let's say the Corpus Christi in Sevilla, I thought the beginning was a guitar, and so I was playing it very loose like a flamenco guitar. Instead, it was the flamenco heels of the dancer, and those instead are very percussive and very precise. So those are things that I learned only because I went to Spain to study with a student of a student of Albéniz himself. Or like when we were playing, what was, Andalusia, and they were telling me, Almería, they were telling me how hot it gets and it gets so hot that somehow you see the horizon lines getting mixed with the sky and everything gets confused because it's so hot. And I didn't expect it to be that hot. I remember I was in Toledo and at night they would water the streets so that in the morning would be less hot. Yes, gosh, yeah. I mean, that was just unbelievable. And here we are in the UK, we got 19 degrees when we're lucky. Yes, yes, actually I went to— when I went to Spain once, it was summer, it was August, and I went to Extremadura. Yes, oh my gosh, it was so hot, unbelievable. But as you say, yes, many things The thing with us classical musicians is that thanks to the score, we can play so many things. But then, as we know very well, we can't really write everything on the score. So some things one has to know them, like the right accents for a Spanish dance, as you say. So that, that is great because you go to the place and then you learn that they are much less strict on many things where we try to be very accurate, and then on other things they didn't really give importance to some things. Again, the accents on the dance and, and all of that, as you said. Yeah, you learn it from the people that were born there, then, that really have this within their bones, you know. So yes, that's another example, I believe, on how important it is to travel and make connections and listen to other people So yeah, you get the full picture that way. Absolutely. And yeah, classical music, sometimes people think it's just about going to the concert hall and being closed in that traditional environment. Instead, classical music is made by the everyday life as well. Even Bach himself, he had an incredible life. I was talking once in our interview with Petra Adžukova, and she was telling us how Bach ended up in prison because he had a fight with with the priest, and they ended up, you know, with fists at one another. So that was amazing. You wouldn't expect Bach doing that. And so, yeah, sometimes classical music is treated in a way that it's too almost religious, if you like, you know, sacred, holy music, while it is Life, it is passion, it is human beings, and it is something that can belong to anyone, and no matter where you're from and where you've been and what's your everyday life. Yes, well, Bach had 20 children, so I think— Exactly! If nothing, he was a person full of passion. Oh yes, but then of course, yeah, he was, he used to write for people and for churches. So yeah, well, this is how it used to work. They needed to have commissions. But yes, as you say, it's not just— there's much more beyond all of these. And the classical music is alive and is part of the life. It comes from the life of people and is there's much more, you know. Well, let's listen then. This Bach is again from the first violin solo partita, number 1, in B minor, and this is the tempo di bourrée. How beautiful! And this was Bach from Partita for Violin Solo No. 1 in B minor, the Tempo di Bourrée, performed by the winner of Future Classical Awards, Renata Arlotti. Renata, which other pieces from Bach do you like particularly? Oh well, I have to say that I like everything written by Bach, really, literally everything. But what I really feel close to are the Suite for Cello and of course the Suite suites for lute, as I've played them a lot. But yes, I think the suites for cello really, they really take my heart, and maybe because I do love the cello, and it's one of my favorite instruments. And I believe the way they were written, they did really connect deeply with the listener. So if I have to say, yes, I think perhaps the suites for cello. Well, I agree with you, actually. I play plenty of Bach for piano, of course, for keyboards, and the Chaconne for violin as well is phenomenal. There is a transcription for piano that's so difficult too. Yeah, but the cello suites, they have something that is like out of this world, and that's really telling you the genius, isn't it, of Bach? Um, I mean, Bach had an incredible life. He was a very passionate man, as we sad. He had so many children, he even ended up in prison. He had no, you know, no fear to fight for what he thought was right. And that's phenomenal. And then all these, it goes in these suites, and you can see a cello alone performing, and everyone just gets enchanted. I don't know what's in that music. I really don't know, because he wrote so much. But those cello suites, oh my God. Yes, yes. What I really can't believe about Bach is how it doesn't matter which instrument or ensemble he would write for, anyways he would manage to make it work. So this is great. Again, cello suites are something beyond, I believe, but take the concertos or take anything, literally any instrument, he would manage to get into the bottom, into the heart of these instruments. Yeah, that is simply genius. Yeah, I really don't know how he could do that. I know that normally composers, if they don't play the instrument, they work very closely with virtuoso instrumentalists so that they can help them, giving tips on how much they can push the boundaries of technique to achieve a specific effect. So did you have any type of relationship like that with contemporary composers? Oh yes, I was lucky enough to have many collaborations with composers. I've had pieces for solo guitar written for me, concertos for guitar and orchestra written for me, and I had the chance to— yeah, I had the chance to premiere that with the composers. For example, I went to Iran, to Tehran, to take part in a contemporary music festival and, uh, this composer, his name is Ardavan Mossouhi, he wrote for me a solo piece and then a whole concerto that we premiered there. So yes, we worked on the pieces together, and, uh, same thing happened when I went on my tour in Japan. Um, I had this Italian composer, his name is Nadir Garofalo, he wrote for me a he's called the Japan Suite. And I premiered the— yeah, I premiered the suite there. In all my concerts in Japan, I played the suite. And then actually now in November, we're going to record, video record the whole suite. So yes, I was lucky enough to work with many composers. And how is the feeling? I mean, when you play in front of the composers, what he wanted to— or she wanted you to achieve with the instrument, is the pressure higher than when you're performing something that is a standard on the repertoire, for example? Well, yes, on some sides, on a certain way it is, because of course there is an expectation that you have to live up to. You've got the writer there, so you want to make him happy. But on the other side, I think it's just like a relationship, you know. You have to compromise on some things. So of course the composer has an idea of what what they want the piece to be like. But on the other side, I believe that once you wrote the piece, then this piece kind of belongs to the players. And, uh, so you can't— this is like someone that wants to make everybody happy, you know. There will always be someone that is not happy with what you do and, and how you deal with things. But, um, again, at some point you are the one plays the instrument, and so you do know what is it that you can do on the instrument and how this is gonna play, if the things are gonna work. Or many times, you know, the limits of the instrument doesn't allow you, um, doesn't allow you to just do something literally as the composer wants. So again, it's a matter of compromise, I think. Now I have a very big question. Ah, get ready. Talking about composer composing for you, right? And the fact that you're a woman playing the guitar, is there ever been some feelings of difference between the fact that the piece could have been played by a man, for example, So I explain you, like, with the piano in particular, it's very physical. So the weight of the pianist, the weight of the hands, of the arms, is changing the sound that is coming out. So when you want to play fortissimo, the fortissimo comes out in a different— the waves are modeled in a different way. And so you can tell when it's a man or a woman performing. At the same time, I did a test with some piano students students and piano teachers actually all together. We were having this big masterclass and I would make them listen to the same piece performed by different pianists. And I had one of the professors say, oh, I'm sure this is a man, or I'm sure this is a woman. And they were completely wrong. It was a man or a woman, vice versa. So it's not— particularly in the recording, most probably that's something that you can level out. Do you have that? With the guitar? Is it an instrument that feels the difference if it's a man or a woman performing? Well, that's an interesting question actually. I never thought about this before, but if I have to tell from my experience, usually when anybody listens to me, the first thing they say is how much sound I do have. I do to get out of the instrument. So that's, that's one of the things everybody tells me. So on that side, I don't think that, uh, you know, a man, just because, uh, is a man, would take more, more sound out of the instrument. Of course, also there are so many things to take into consideration here, because the instrument, first of all. So I do have personally a very, very, very good guitar that has a beautiful tone, but a very powerful one. And there are different models of instruments that you can build. And according to, of course, the project, you might have more projection, more, more sound, or so many other features. So it depends a lot on that too. So the thing would be to do the test with everybody playing the same instrument. In that case, I think, yeah, it will be a little bit more even. But, uh, I, I absolutely don't think that, um, that there should be a difference. I think that, uh, I know that I'm 100% with you and be not so delicate, and vice versa, men could be very delicate because that's, you know, their way, um, of being. So yeah, no, I don't think that's That you can really hear the huge difference. I think I lost you, Renata. Hello? I can hear you. Can you hear me? Yes, yes, now we're back. Great. Sorry, so you were saying yes, so there is no difference, and so you never felt some discrimination because you were a woman performing instead of a man? Well, that is a bit— that's another story. Yes, yes, but well, it is true that there are more men playing the guitar than women. Yes, it's absolutely true. Like, I think it's a cliché to think that a harp can be played just by a woman, and most of the harpists are women. Instead, we do have amazing are players that are men. Yes, but yeah, what I can say for sure is that yes, there are more men playing the guitar than women. But what I believe is that the women that make it, whatever make it means, you know, let's say the women that play a lot around, they do have, you know, something more. They're really strong women, really, you know, with a lot of determination. They're you're great. So I believe that this is also because you have— you kind of have to fight a little bit more, I think, between all the men that play, yes. Okay. Well, the last piece— the last— the third piece we're going to listen today for your winning interview is the Ascensio, the Suite Valenciana. It's the prelude, so it's the first piece from the suite. Would you like to tell us a little bit about about this suite? Yes, this suite is possibly one of the most played by Vicente Asensio. He wrote beautiful music for guitar, yes, and some pieces are not so played. This recording here comes from my CD, which is called Suites and Homages, and is about Castelnau Tedesco, Mario Castelnau Tedesco. Vicente Asensio's music, because I decided that I really wanted, wanted the people to know more this great composer. So this suite here is, uh, the Suite Valenciana is made of 3 movements. First one is the preludi, the second one is a canzonetta, which is kind of a barcarolle, and then the third one is the dance, is a very lively piece. So yes, this is the Suite Valenciana, is full of Valencian nuances, and you can really feel the Spain in his work. I so miss it, don't tell me. Let's go on our trip to Valencia then with the Sweet Valenciana by Asensio. Beautiful, very beautiful. This was the Suite Valenciana Prelude by Asensio, performed by Renata Arlotti. Really, really beautiful. Um, now the last part, as you know, is the fun part, so What would you like to tell us? Like, let's see, we already asked you if you had any ritual before going on stage. Now, do you have any passion for competitions? Like, not just, of course, the performing competition, but like other things? For example, the lottery, you know, there is always the national lottery or the scratching cards. I don't know, do you play anything else that is in a competition? What I have to say is that I, I'm a little bit black or white, so that means that I go a little bit for the extremes. So in anything I do, so for example, I don't know, when I practice, either I really practice hard, a huge amount of hours, or rather I don't. And that is true for anything I do, which is not necessarily a good thing. But yeah, this would happen also if I like play the lottery and all these things. I believe that the day after I would be bankrupt, you know, because I would play so hard and so much. So what I do, I tend to avoid these things. Yeah, because I know myself. It's a little bit like when I have a box of ice creams, you know, another thing that I try not to buy for myself. Like, so we won, that was really good, let's go for the second one, and then the third, and the box is gone. So yeah, better, better not to. With competition, music competition is a bit of both. I mean, you have to prepare very hard for it, so it's a question of being the best one. But then again, you go to the competition and everyone is amazing, so it's also a question of being lucky, really. I mean, yeah, how can you choose? They're all, uh, amazing, excellent, and phenomenal. So it's a question of taste and being lucky that most people just like you instead of someone else. Yes, especially on, you know, classical guitar. The last decades have brought up guitarists that, you know, the technical level is constantly increasing, has reached really the highest levels. So anybody that goes to a competition, you really listen to these amazing players from a technical point of view. So when everybody is that amazing, then I believe that of course the only thing that can make the difference is your musicality, how much, uh, what do you put within, within the music that you play. So very often you do listen to people that don't even make a wrong note, but then, you know, you, you start asking yourself, how long of this could I listen to, you know? Like, oh, before I fall asleep. So, and this is the direction I think we have to go to, because again, of course, technique is essential, absolutely. But given the fact that now the levels are so high, then you have to remind, I think, the people that there's the music and that the technique is just a mean, you know. It's not the final goal. So this is an important aspect, I believe. Mm-hmm. That you are sharing with us today and you're going to share with the students, that's a fact. Yes. Now, another question. We already know you're going to be performing in this wonderful festival of Sardinian— celebration of Sardinian culture. Composers, and you're gonna record as well for that. Is there anything else where you will be recording, like a second album as a soloist in the pipe? Yes, there is. Uh, yes, there is. There are many projects happening in, uh, in the future, luckily. Let's hope that we will all manage to get back to those after a halt given to the COVID But, um, yes, a very, very big project I'm working on is we mentioned it on the last interview, is the 24 Capriccios de Goya by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Now this is a huge thing in terms of length, yes, of course, because it's almost 2 hours of music. And in terms of difficulty, because these pieces are really hard to be played and that we need a revision, they do need hard work. Technically speaking, they're really And so yes, the goal for the years to come is for sure to record the whole cycle. And this will take really at least a couple of years because it needs very, very hard work. So talking about CDs and recordings, yes, this is the next step. I am also taking them into my concerts. I'm working on this with an amazing group of managers that are promoting this project, and we're working on that. So yes, the recording is fantastic. What's the next step? Beautiful. Okay, so the last piece we're gonna listen to today is Asensio, again the composer from Spain, but the piece is from Collectici intime. Um, la gioia, la gioia in the sense of the happiness, right? The joy. The joy. So let's finish with the joy. How beautiful and joyful this was "La Gioia" from "Collectici in Tempi" by Ascensio, performed by the winner of Future Classic Women Awards 3rd edition for the instrumentalist category, Renata Arlotti. Renata, how are you going to celebrate this winning? Are you going to open a bottle of champagne, or I don't know, are you going to dance all night? Is that possible? Yeah, that's possible. Well, of course I'm going to open a bottle of champagne. Well, actually, to be honest, we did celebrate a little bit yesterday. I'm here with my family when I received your text. Then we happened to be at a restaurant. So yeah, we did a toast. But yeah, maybe another one. Beautiful. When you win things, does it make you want to play more as well, to go and play again and do concerts and things? Does it, or you just have it anyway? No, I, I do think, uh, that's, uh, you know, external, uh, inputs, uh, it really motivates us. So yes, of course, it's, uh, whenever you see, uh, your work, you know, recognized and acknowledged, then yes, it does motivate you. Actually, well, I, I can't wait to go back home and, and play again because here I don't have my guitar, so I'm like, my hands are itching at the moment. Oh, right. Oh yeah, I know that. All right, well, we can't wait either. And also we can tell people that if they want to study with you, they can enroll for even short online courses at LP MOM, so that thanks to this incredible platform, we were able to play together and we can do masterclasses. And it's a unique chance, it's a unique chance, a unique chance to meet with you as well and, and to be able to, to hear your experience, you know, live firsthand. So that's very amazing. And, um, and do you have any, uh, funny episodes? You know, last time we said that you had many, and of course we only had the time for one. Would you have another one to share with us? Because we are at the last end of these. Yes, well, I don't know if it's— it's not a funny one actually, but well, now that everything has passed, it's funny. But, um, I do have two instruments that I use for my, um, work, and they're both from the same luthier. His name is Andrea Tacchi. He lives in Florence, and he does this amazing instrument. So there are some of the things, the dearest things I have in my life. So when I had, uh, uh, just the first one, because the second one is, uh, is pretty recent, I, um, I collected it, uh, maybe 2 years ago. But when I had the first one, I, I really waited for this instrument. I fell in love with these guitars when I was, you know, 13, 13-year-old. And then I waited, yeah, I waited for years, years and years. So when finally I had this guitar made my hymn, and it was a gift, uh, from my parents. And so, you know, this is a— this guitar has a meaning to me that is, uh, really special. So I loved it, uh, and I love it so much. And so you lost it? I was like, no, no, no, I love it. No, basically, when I was, uh, um, I was at the Academy, Royal Academy, and I was, uh, practicing with a string quartet quintet, because we were playing a quintet for guitar and a string quartet. We were having a rehearsal and the guitar was inside its case, and I used to keep the case upright like the cello ones. Yes. And we were in this small room and basically we were moving around the stands, and by mistake someone just slightly touched the guitar, which fell, you know, face down on the Yes, and I was, I was really desperate. Then I took the guitar out of the case and everything seemed to be okay. The day after, when I took it again and I went tuning it, I saw that at the head of the guitar there was this huge crack, and so the guitar was almost, almost broken, you know. I was desperate. I started calling my, my luthier and I said, okay, I'm on the next flight to Florence, you have to fix 'Okay, so then I go back.' He fixes the guitar, and a few months after that, I basically had to go back to Sardinia for a concert, and I was taking the flight with the guitar on one shoulder, and I was jumping down from the bus, but there was a big gap in between the bus and the street. Basically, I, yeah, I took, you know, I calculated wrong the distances, and I fell fell, and the guitar fell with me. Yes. So I had my luggage, and the first thing I did in the middle of the street, I was desperate. The guitar, the guitar, the guitar! Everybody was coming towards me seeing if I was okay, and I was like, no, leave me alone, leave me alone, I have to check the guitar. I opened the case, and the crack in the same spot because of the, you know, the heat just opened up again. So I was so desperate, and I had a concert, but luckily I was going up via Milan where there is another luthier, a dear friend of mine that I know very well. So I called him like, okay, I'm coming for 12 hours in Milan, you have to fix this. And in the end, yes, he managed to fix it. Oh my gosh, what an adventure! Yes, people wouldn't expect it, you know. You see someone with the guitar, they wouldn't think— it's not that common as well to be a classical instrument. Maybe a violin, they would understand better, but the guitar— yeah, yeah, yeah. I have a very question, maybe question. Did you— did they ever exchange the guitar for something else? Like, I had a double bass player that they tell them, oh, you play the guitar, and it was a double bass, it's 3 times the size of guitar. So did they ever ask you, do you play the violin, for example? Gosh, don't even get me started. Every time, like, when I fly, uh, when I take a plane, oh, that, that's the violin, okay, let's put the violin here. And I'm like, oh my the violin, or yes, every— they call it everything, the cello, the violin, the big guitar. Yeah, it's a nightmare, it's a nightmare. Well, we have no more time, unfortunately. It was such a pleasure to have you back on Future Classic Women Awards and to celebrate your victory as the instrumentalist for the 3rd edition of Future Classic Women Awards. There is still time to vote for the opera and the crossover. So the finalists for Opera are Belinda Williams, Chiara Angella, Katerina Mina, and Vivian Ewitt. And for crossover, we got Aliki, Ellen Williams, uh, Lola G, and Natasha Barbieri. To decide the winner for each category, just listen to their interview on the finalist playlist on SoundCloud for Future of Women's Radio Station and share the social media as much as possible. If you have any questions or nominations for the next edition of Future Classic Women Awards, just email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. Again, congratulations, Renata! Thank you, Stefania, and good luck to everybody else taking part in the competition. Absolutely. Well, you've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. Have, have a wonderful day, and thank you for Good listening.