The Association Culture Ticino Network of Lugano is pleased to invite you to the Solidarity Concert for Peace, which will take place on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 8:30 PM at the beautiful Church of S. Antonio Abate in Lugano.

The concert aims to be a special moment of meeting, reflection, and sharing, where music becomes a universal instrument of dialogue and hope, capable of uniting different cultures and spreading a message of peace, giving a voice to those who no longer have one because of war and poverty.

The evening will feature artists of great sensitivity and talent: the women’s choir “Giovani Cantori di Pura”, the talented musician Elena Varaniuk with the evocative sound of the cimbalom, a rare and fascinating instrument, and the Mendrisio Opera Choir, conducted by Maestro Massimiliano Di Fino.

The evening will also provide a special opportunity for the president and founder of the Association Culture Ticino Network of Lugano, Margherita Maffeis-Natale, to present the upcoming peace initiatives and events that will take place throughout 2026. This event will officially open a series of initiatives dedicated to peace that will accompany the year 2026, in collaboration and partnership with the 4th World March for Peace and Nonviolence, further strengthening the Association’s commitment to promoting a culture of peace and solidarity.

Volontary contributions. The funds raised will benefit projects of the Association Culture Ticino Network of Lugano in Ticino and the Philippines.

To download the event poster, click HERE.

WOMEN’S CHOIR OF THE “GIOVANI CANTORI DI PURA”

The Women’s Choir of the “Giovani Cantori di Pura” is the concert ensemble of the Singing School founded in 1992 by Maestro Christian Barella, who still directs it today with passion.

Composed of girls between the ages of 13 and 23, the choir performs a three-part polyphonic repertoire ranging from sacred music to gospel and contemporary compositions.

The choir regularly performs in Switzerland and abroad, receiving important recognition and acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Among its most significant experiences are performances in prestigious European venues, including St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and La Madeleine Church in Paris.

ELENA VARANIUK

Fresh from the great success achieved with the Italian award “Bravissima,” created by Valerio Merola and broadcast on Canale Italia and Sky, the artist boasts an international career with performances at prestigious events, from the Flower Village of Sanremo to the Arena dello Stretto in Reggio Calabria, as well as the Cannes Festival and the Ballet Icons Gala in London.

Her musical education, completed in Minsk, Belarus, in orchestral arrangement and conducting, accompanies an artistic journey that continues to evolve.

Her repertoire spans different eras and styles, featuring original transcriptions adapted for the cimbalom. Her work has attracted attention from numerous international television broadcasters, including MediaSud TV, which also broadcasts in Australia.

CORO OPERISTICO DI MENDRISIO (OPERA CHOIR)

Founded in 1985, the Mendrisio Opera Choir has built over the years a broad and prestigious operatic repertoire, performing in Switzerland and neighboring Lombardy with important works including Mozart’s, Fauré’s, and Verdi’s Requiems, as well as famous operas such as Aida, Nabucco, La Traviata, and Tosca.

Leading the choir is Maestro Massimiliano Di Fino, who has an outstanding academic background and a career enriched by collaborations with important artists and institutions. He has worked as a rehearsal pianist and opera coach in prestigious theaters and is recognized for his interpretative sensitivity and profound knowledge of the operatic and organ repertoire.

Admission is by voluntary donation: with your support, we can continue carrying out awareness projects in schools, educating younger generations about the values of peace, and giving a voice to those who no longer have one. Every contribution, even a small one, is a concrete gesture that can become hope, understanding, and a future for those living in difficult situations.

We look forward to welcoming many of you to share together an evening of music, emotion, and solidarity, united by the desire to contribute, even through small gestures, to building a more just and peaceful world.