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The a cantu a tenore was proclaimed by the UNESCO in 2005 "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity"
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The
canto a tenore represents one of the most extraordinary forms of traditional polyphony in the world. Widespread across the central-northern regions of Sardinia, it is performed by four male voices standing in a circle, creating a powerful and enveloping sound that blends individual identity with perfect vocal cohesion. Recognized by UNESCO in 2005 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, this style of singing constitutes a living tradition, deeply rooted in the island's pastoral culture. Its origins remain uncertain: some scholars place them in relatively recent eras, while others hypothesize much more ancient roots. A compelling poetic interpretation connects its sound to the natural world of shepherds—the lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, and the blowing of the wind—highlighting the deep bond between the human voice and nature. The group Tenore di Bitti "Mialinu Pira", formed in 1995 and named after the writer and intellectual
Michelangelo Pira, has brought
canto a tenore to the entire world, touring across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. Furthermore, they have featured in numerous documentaries and broadcasts by major international radio and television networks, including Rai, Arte, NHK, France 2, ORF, Deutschlandfunk, and many others. Among their most significant performances are the Christmas Concert at the Vatican (2001), which included a private audience with John Paul II, the 2009 season at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and performances at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Agnelli Auditorium in Tokyo, the Sesc in Săo Paulo (Brazil), and the Sava Centar in Belgrade. Alongside promoting tradition, the group has pursued paths of innovation by collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds. Key projects include those with Asturian bagpipe player Hevia, the Mediterranean Orchestra of Săo Paulo (producing both a CD and a DVD), their contribution to the soundtrack of the German film
Meine Schöne Bescherung, and collaborations with Serbian singer Bilja Krstić, Czech violinist and singer Iva Bittová, and the Orchestra della Magna Grecia. Notably, their collaboration with musician Enzo Favata in an innovative project combines
canto a tenore, jazz, and electronics, and has been presented at prestigious international festivals and musical institutions, including Expo 2025 Osaka. In 2025, Tenore di Bitti "Mialinu Pira" performed the Sardinian soul of Antonio Gramsci in the contemporary opera
Gramsci by composer Cord Meijering, staged at the Gerhart Hauptmann Theater in Görlitz (Saxony) alongside the theater's choir and orchestra.
Despite its traditional roots, the group has developed several musical arrangement projects aimed at promoting and incorporating the Tenore style into pop, contemporary classical music, and theater, recording various CDs both in Italy and abroad. Additionally, the group frequently engages in educational activities at schools and universities to spread and safeguard the local musical heritage.
Since 1995, they have successfully performed in France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands (Concertgebouw), Austria, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Ireland, Croatia, Lituania, Hungary, Tunisia, Serbia, Albania, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Brazil, and Japan. Truly memorable milestones include their participation in 2001 in the 9th Christmas Concert at the Vatican, broadcast on Canale5, where they had the opportunity to be received in a private audience by Pope John Paul II and sing traditional sacred chants from Bitti for him; their performance in 2009 at the Concertgebouw theater in Amsterdam, and their concert in Bethlehem at the Basilica of the Nativity.
The
vocal group consists of Below find a list of our main performances in concerts or event form 1996.
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2014
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Tournée in Catalogna e Maiorca: Banyoles, Barcellona e Palma di
Maiorca
2013
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29 Settembre concerto a Varsavia al Warsaw Cross Culture Festival
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novembre Tournée in Estonia
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Irlanda
2012
- 21 Luglio, Concerto con Iva Bittova:
Bittova & Bitti . Festival Folkové prázdniny a Náměšti nad
Oslavo (Czech Repubblic)
- 13 Agosto Festival
LA NOTTE DELLA TARANTA
concerto a Soleto con gli Arakne Mediterranea
- 14-15 Settembre
Festival del Taravo
a Sollacaro in Corsica
2011
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16 Giugno, Festival "I
luoghi sacri del Suono", chiesa di San Domenico,
Modena
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17-18 Dicembre, Concerto a Parma presso la chiesa di Santa
Cristina e la chiesa di San Giovanni.
Circolo dei sardi Grazia
Deledda di Parma
2010
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11 Marzo, concerto a Palermo per la stagione
Antonio il Verso,
presso il Rettorato dell'Universitŕ
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12 Marzo,
lezione concerto al
Dipartimento "Aglaia" di
Etnomusicologia dell'Universitŕ di Palermo
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23
Aprile, ospiti del Festival
"Los sonidos de la
biodiversidad" a Castellon de la Plana (Valencia)
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18 Settembre, Belgrado (Serbia) al Sava Center, special guest al
concerto della cantante serba
Bilja Krstic
2009
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18 Aprile Concerto a Milazzo (Messina)
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Tournée
in Belgio, Olanda e Lussemburgo (sei concerti)
leggi...:
-
01
Agosto, concerto al
Festival Parco di Vulci
(vt)
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08
Agosto, concerto in
Abruzzo
nelle zone terremotate per la premiazione della Protezione Civile
Sarda
-
10
Dicembre, concerto a
Betlemme nella Basilica
della Nativitŕ
2008
- 10
Aprile Concerto al
Teatro Sangiorgi
di Catania stagione concertistica dell'Ame.
- 11 Aprile Concerto al
Teatro Annibale di Francia
di Messina
- 5 Maggio concerto nella Cattedrale di
Vieste
- 24-25 Maggio Festival Polifonico
Bylisfonia di Bylis in Albania (Shqiptare)
- 03-06 Luglio Festival
Volkskulturfest OBWALD,Svizzera
- 8 settembre Cagliari concerto in occasione della visita in
Sardegna di S.S. il
Papa Benedetto XVI° Joseph
Ratzinger
- Novembre Cocerto a Terranuova Bracciolini (Arezzo)
2007
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31 Marzo, Belgrado (Serbia) al Sava Center, special guest al
concerto della cantante serba
Bilja Krstic
- dal 30 Maggio
al 7 Giugno
Tournée in Giappone.
1 Giugno Tokyo, 3 Giugno Mishima, 5 Giugno Kyoto
- 8-10 Giugno al XXI Festival corale di
Savigliano (Cn).
Concerti a Savigliano, Cuneo e Saluzzo
- 14 Luglio concerto al Festival
Stiryarte di
Graz (Austria)
- 15 Luglio concerto al
Festival Petra Matrix
di Matera
- Luglio registrazione della colonna sonora del film tedesco
Meine schöne Bescherung
2006
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6 Gennaio Concerto in
Belgio ad Anversa,
nella cattedrale di Saint Pau
2006
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6 Gennaio Concerto in
Belgio ad Anversa,
nella cattedrale di Saint Paul
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dal 12 al 15 Marzo, 2 concerti in
Tunisia a Tunisi
al teatro nazionale
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1 Aprile concerto a Lille in Francia , nella cattedrale.
Collaborazione con Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Lille
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dal 23 al 27 Luglio, concerto al
Festival Bartok di
Debrecem in Ungheria
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dal 20 al 23 Settembre, invito al
Festival “Pax et Bonum” a
Vilnius in Lituania-
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23
Giugno ,
Salisburgo,
Austria ospiti della Societŕ Dante Alighieri
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9 settembre al
Festival Internazionale di
Organo e Strumenti antichi di Orte (vt)
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dal 15 al 20 Settembre, partecipazione al festival “Musikale
'06” di Bilbao nei Paesi Baschi in Spagna
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14 Ottobre, Belluno
Teatro Comunale
al festival Oltre le Vette
2005
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6 Gennaio Ospiti della trasmissione AFFARI TUOI di Paolo Bonolis
su RAI UNO, abbinata alla Lotteria Italia. La canzone "Milia
Vattu sa trotta" č diventato l'Inno Sardo per
eccellenza della trasmissione
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27-28-29 Aprile concerto a Cork (Irlanda) in occasione dell'
International Choral Festival 2005.
link
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2-3-4 Giugno concerto a Graz (Austria) in occasione
dell'esposizione di prodotti sardi con la collaborazione della
prosciutteria Dall'Ava di San Daniele
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5 Agosto Concerto a Pola (Croazia) al
Festival Etnojazz Istrionika
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dal 22 al 30 Agosto 4 concerti a
San Paolo in Brasile e partecipazione
assieme a 21 musicisti al progetto Orchestra Mediterranea.
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Sarmeola
di Rubano 22 ottobre concerto a
Sarmeola di Rubano (PD) teatro “Opera della Provvidenza”
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dal 28 Maggio al 2 Giugno ospiti del
Festival Musica Sacra
International in Germania, che dal
1992 ospita i piů importanti esponenti della musica sacra mondiale.
I Tenores di Bitti "Mialinu Pira"sono stato chiamati a rappresentare
la musica della religione Cristiana Cattolica assieme ad altri
musicisti appartenenti alle maggiori religioni monoteiste del mondo:
Induismo, Buddismo, Islamismo, Ebraismo. Tournče nelle piů
importanti chiese delle cittŕ della Baviera. Informazioni sul
festival
www.modmusik.de
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10
Settembre concerto a Lussemburgo in collaborazione con L'Ambasciata
Italiana e l'Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Lussemburgo
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8 Ottobre concerto n Slovenia a Liubljana al teatro
Cankariev Dom, in collaborazione con l'Istituto Italiano di Cultura
di Ljubljana
- July 2003 -- Participation in two important international festival in
two towns next to Brno, in the Czech Republic, Namest nad Oslavou and
Uherskč Hradiste. - September
2003 - Really
interesting collaboration with Hevia, the famous Asturian Bagpipes
player who involved the Sardinian group in his concert in Avilčs ( In the same month the group received good reviews from the important
foundation named after the greatest Sardinian
In
the musical event a careful and expert jury awarded the group and
performance for the section "traditions". - November 2003 -They participate in the Festival
Europalia.
Italia
2003 28 july concert in Namest nad Oslavou
(Moravia), Word Music festival Folkové prázdniny Cech Republic
2003 29 july
concert in Uherske Hradiste (Brno), Festival Summer Film School
Cech Republic
2003 The 7 September they were invited by the
well known spanish player of the Asturian Pipes Hevia, met at the
Christmas Concert, to partecipate as special guest in the event ‘Dia
de Asturias, in the town of Aviles, near Oviedo. The Tenores
performed with Hevia, the flamenco guitar player Juan Manuel
Canizares and the traditional singer M Luz Cristobal Caunedo.
2003 On 21 Septe3mber the group received the
award “Premio Maria Carta” as best performance within the section
“Traditions of Sardinia”. The foundation “Maria Carta” is set in
Siligo ,the town where Maria Carta, one of the best voices in
Sardinia, was born. The organization was founded to promote musical
traditions of Sardinia. More information can be found in the link
www.fondazionemariacarta.it 2003 19 november
Concert Utrecht (Olanda) Teatro RASA. 2003 20 november,
Anversa DeSingel 2003 21 november,
Mons chiesa di San Nicola 2003 22 november,
Bruxelles Espace Senghor 2003 23 november,
Eeklo Villa N9
This concerts were performed within the Festival
Europalia Italia 2003.
This event is organised every second year since
1969 to celebrate and promote the culture of a country which is
everytime different. That’s why this year, in coincidence with the
Italian semester at European Parlament, exibitions, performances
and other events in many cities in Belgium were celebrating Italian
culture, History and art. Among many guests, the Orchestra
Filarmonica La Scala with iuts director Riccardo Muti. The Tenores
and Nuova Compagnia di canto popolare were the only Italian
delegates for the traditional music. 2002
2002 In december they partecipated in the
festival Olavsfestdagene in Trondheim, Norway. In this occasion they
performed their own concert in the Nidaros Cathedral, but also
togheter with the band “Enzo Favata Quintet” in Our Ladiy’s
Church.The concert was broadcasted by Norwegian Broadcasting, the
national radio. 2002 17 august
Tagliacozzo (AQ) Chiostro S.Francesco “festival di mezza estate”
2002 18 august
Pontremoli (MS) teatro della rosa 2002 12
december Moncalieri (TO) teatro civico matteoti 2001 2001 Umbertide
(PG) “teatro dei riuniti”
2001 from 6 to 16 June they sing in Abu Dhabi
(Emirates) at the theatre of the ‘Cultural Foundation”. The
performance was recorded and broadcast by the National TV “Abu Dhabi
TV SAT”.
2001 in August is the only Italian group to
partecipate in the project “world of voices” during the the
‘Cultural Olympiad” in Naestved, Danemark. The result of this event
was an extraordinary cohoperation of voices and instruments from
many parts of the world : Maryam Mursal(Somalia), Maria Leshkova´s
Choir il mistero delle voci bulgare (Bulgaria), Irene Becker, Sille
Gromberg, Martin Seeberg, Morten Carlsen (Danimarca), Yu Jun (Cina),
Dawda Jobateh (Gambia), Ayi Solomon (Ghana);
2001 in December partecipate in the traditional
Christmas Concert in the Hall Paolo VI at the Vatican in the
presence of the Pope Giovanni Paolo II with many other artists of
international fame as Hevia,. , Randy Crawford, Terence Trent
d’Arby, Russel Watson, per l’Italia Elisa,. Edoardo Bennato, Massimo
Ranieri.The event was broadcasted in Italy by Canale 5 and RTL102.5,
it was also in worldvision.
1996
1996 october Monchengladbach Germany in the
circolo “Eleonora d’Arborea”
1996 10 december Lecco
1996 11 december Bergamo “blob house”
1996 12 december Clusone (BG) 1996 13
december Longiano (FC) (teatro petrella)
1996 december concert “ a Cuncordu” Montreal
Canada
1999 from
september ‘till december of this years the Tenores di Bitti “Mialinu
Pira” kept courses
in schools to teach people how to sing ‘a
tenore’.
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Management and Booking:
Omar Bandinu
via Brescia n° 17, 08021 Bitti (Nu)
tel. +39 3_4_7_8_5_2_9_5_8_4
tel. +39 0784/415042
fax. +39 02 700 314 73
Sardegna Italy
