2024 is a year of many significant anniversaries and milestones. 

The third of February marked the 120th anniversary of the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola who was no stranger to political turmoil and deserves serious reflection in terms of how artists can respond to national and international events. 

Born in Pisino d’Istra, Dallapiccola grew up in political uncertainty. His father, who was a headmaster of the local school, had been deemed politically suspect and his whole family had been imprisoned at Graz in Styria for about two years. After this turmoil, Dallapiccola went onto study composition and was notably influenced by the musical discoveries of Schoenberg.