In Pesaro, music is not treated as a standalone cultural offering. It is part of how the city understands itself, how it invests in community life, and how it imagines its future.
As a fellow UNESCO City of Music, Pesaro has spent the past decade exploring the role creativity can play in civic wellbeing, social connection and sustainable development. The city’s approach positions music not only as performance or entertainment, but as a framework for participation, collaboration and shared experience.
Much of Pesaro’s international identity is shaped by its connection to Gioachino Rossini, one of opera’s most celebrated composers. Born in the city in 1792, Rossini remains central to Pesaro’s cultural life through the internationally acclaimed Rossini Opera Festival, which continues to draw artists, audiences and scholars from across the world.
But contemporary Pesaro tells a much broader musical story.
Across the city, classical music sits alongside independent contemporary practice, experimental performance, education initiatives and community-led cultural programs. More than 80 music festivals, dozens of formal and informal music schools, and a network of ensembles, artists and organisations contribute to a creative environment where participation is embedded into everyday life.
The city’s independent music scene has also developed a strong international reputation over recent decades, with local artists and projects emerging from rock, electronic and alternative music communities to connect with audiences far beyond Italy.
This layered approach to culture became a driving force behind Pesaro’s designation as Italian Capital of Culture 2024. Through its Crescendo: The Nature of Music program, the city has been investigating how music can intersect with environmental thinking, technology, urban planning and community wellbeing.
The initiative reflects a wider shift taking place across many UNESCO Creative Cities — a move towards viewing creativity not simply as a cultural asset, but as a practical tool for shaping healthier, more connected and sustainable cities.
Those ideas resonate strongly in Adelaide, where music also plays an important role in defining how the city presents itself locally and internationally.
At the same time, Pesaro’s musical legacy is currently finding expression on South Australian stages through State Opera South Australia’s production of La Cenerentola.
Directed by Neil Armfield and designed by Stephen Curtis, the production reimagines Rossini’s beloved Cinderella story through a vibrant 1970s lens. Conducted by Stuart Stratford, the cast includes Anna Dowsley, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Helena Dix, alongside South Australian artists Nicholas Lester and Pelham Andrews.
The production offers a timely reminder of how music continues to move between cities, histories and communities. More than two centuries after Rossini’s birth in Pesaro, his work remains part of an ongoing international cultural conversation.
For Adelaide, connections with cities like Pesaro demonstrate the broader value of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Beyond recognition, the network creates opportunities for cities to exchange ideas, learn from different cultural models and consider new ways creativity can contribute to public life.
While the musical histories of Adelaide and Pesaro are distinct, both cities share a belief that culture thrives when it is deeply connected to community, participation and place.