The Heart Behind

Musica Viva Kentlands

Meet the internationally acclaimed musicians who continue to share world-class music with the community they call home.

Maestro Simeone Tartaglione

Every September, hundreds of neighbors gather on the Kentlands Clubhouse Lawn with lawn chairs, picnic blankets, family, and friends for one of the community's favorite traditions. Few realize that the musicians leading the evening have performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages yet choose to return each year to share that same artistry with the community they now call home.

Music Director Simeone Tartaglione and violinist Alessandra Cuffaro have devoted their lives to performing, teaching, and sharing classical music at the highest level. Both grew up in Italy, where they received rigorous musical training before continuing distinguished careers in the United States. Today, they serve on the faculty of The Catholic University of America while maintaining active international performing and conducting careers.

Simeone has conducted orchestras throughout Europe, North America, South America, and South Africa and currently serves as one of the conductors at Strathmore while teaching the next generation of musicians. His career has included performances at the Kennedy Center, Disney Hall, and conducting the orchestra and chorus for Pope Francis' visit to Washington, D.C.

For Simeone, however, Musica Viva Kentlands is about something far more personal.

He wanted to bring professional live orchestral music to the community his family has grown to love and now proudly calls home. His vision has always been to make exceptional music accessible to everyone, including those who might never attend a traditional concert hall because of cost, distance, or unfamiliarity with classical music.

"When people experience a live orchestra for the first time, something changes," he says. "For those who already love classical music, it fills the soul. For those discovering it for the first time, it opens a new world."

Alessandra shares that same philosophy. Internationally recognized as the first Italian woman to perform all 24 of Paganini's legendary Capricci in a single concert, a remarkable achievement she has repeated more than twenty times around the world, she has built an acclaimed career as both a performer and educator. She teaches violin at The Catholic University of America while continuing to perform internationally.

Yet some of her favorite performances take place just minutes from home.

"I've performed outdoors many times," she says, "but performing where we live, surrounded by friends, neighbors, students, and their families, makes Musica Viva especially meaningful."

As a teacher, she especially enjoys seeing young people in the audience.

"They may be sitting with their families, running on the lawn, or playing at the edge of the park," she says. "They're still hearing a live orchestra. That exposure matters."

She believes experiencing professional musicians perform live is an education in itself, and every year she enjoys seeing many of her own students in attendance.

Together, Simeone and Alessandra have built Musica Viva Kentlands around a simple idea. World class classical music should be welcoming, accessible, and part of community life.

Their hope is that every audience member leaves with a wonderful memory of music, community, and a deeper appreciation for classical music than they had before.

On Saturday, September 19, they will once again welcome neighbors, families, and friends to the Kentlands Clubhouse Lawn for Gallop to Glory, continuing a tradition that proves world class artistry and a close-knit community are a perfect harmony.