We are pleased to announce the concert performance debut of Nocturne No. 2: Stars Over the Sleeping City by composer Mahmoud Abuwarda, interpreted by acclaimed pianist Alberto Nones at the 7th edition of the Montecassiano Music Festival in Italy.
This evocative work will be featured in the opening event, Viaggio al Termine dei Notturni, on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at Auditorium San Marco (Montecassiano, MC). The program pairs Chopin’s beloved nocturnes with Abuwarda’s contemporary reflection on silence and memory, set against the literary backdrop of Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline.
About the Piece
“In the quiet embrace of night, a city breathes in stillness, unaware of the coming storm.”
Stars Over the Sleeping City was first introduced to the public as a sound recording performed by Alberto Nones, and shared across major digital platforms. Now, it reaches the concert stage for the first time—inviting audiences into a live, intimate experience of its delicate textures and emotional depth.
The nocturne captures the last calm evening in Gaza before conflict, unfolding with introspective melodies, soft arpeggios, and a bittersweet sense of fragility. It is not a work about war, but about the silence that comes before it—an ode to stillness, memory, and the beauty that persists in uncertain times.
