Palermo, Italy — August 21, 2026
The historic Steri Concert Hall in Palermo became the setting for an evening devoted to the music of George Gershwin, as the Palermo Classica Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Roberto Beltrán-Zavala, presented La Notte di Gershwin as part of the 16th edition of the Palermo Classica International Festival.
The programme brought together the different worlds that define Gershwin’s musical language: the concert hall, Broadway, jazz and the American songbook. From the opening bars of the Strike Up the Band Overture and the Girl Crazy Suite to the unmistakable sounds of Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, the evening explored the extraordinary ability of Gershwin to move freely between musical traditions.
At the centre of the first half was Rhapsody in Blue, performed by Palermo pianist Bepi Garsia. Garsia has a particularly significant relationship with Gershwin’s music. In 2010, he gave the world premiere in Palermo of a new orchestration of Rhapsody in Blue for the Sicilian Jazz Orchestra, and in 2021 he presented the world premiere of Gershwin’s Concerto in F with the same ensemble. His return to Rhapsody in Blue at Palermo Classica therefore represented a continuation of a long-standing artistic connection with the composer’s work.
The second half moved toward Gershwin’s celebrated songs, with soprano Mariam Battistelli performing some of the composer’s most enduring melodies, including Summertime, The Man I Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, Embraceable You and I Got Rhythm. The programme revealed another side of Gershwin’s musical identity, where orchestral sophistication meets the intimacy and immediacy of the American popular song.
For Roberto Beltrán-Zavala, the evening marked another chapter in his long-standing relationship with Palermo Classica. The Mexican-Dutch conductor has served as Principal Conductor of the festival since 2018, and Palermo Classica recently announced the continuation of his appointment for another four seasons. His work with the festival has been characterized by ambitious programming and a commitment to bringing major orchestral repertoire to Palermo audiences.
An internationally active conductor, Beltrán-Zavala has worked with orchestras across Europe, Latin America and Mexico, conducting repertoire ranging from the symphonies of Mahler and Shostakovich to major works of the twentieth century. He has also served as Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica dell’Università di Guanajuato (OSUG) since 2015 and as Artistic Director of re in Rotterdam.
La Notte di Gershwin brought together these different artistic trajectories in a single evening: the long connection between Bepi Garsia and Gershwin, the expressive voice of Mariam Battistelli, and the orchestral direction of Roberto Beltrán-Zavala, all within the historic setting of Palermo Classica.
More than a celebration of one composer, the concert offered a portrait of the musical world Gershwin helped create — a world in which classical tradition, jazz, theatre and popular song could exist together.
At Steri, that world came alive once again.