A SHORT CHAT WITH VALENTINA SCHELDHOFEN CIARDELLI

The Ciardelli-Drago-Strano Trio will be performing twice at this year’s Zappanale festival.
Expect compositions by Frank Zappa, but also by other composers, in a baroque, classical setting.
A Short Chat with double bass player, arranger and composer Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli felt necessary.

UniMuta: Hi Valentina,
We’ll be seeing you at Zappanale soon, where you will be performing as part of a trio with Anaïs Drago (violin/ voice) and Riccardo Angelo Strano (countertenor) with whom you recently recorded and released the beautiful “Sheik Your Duty” album (out on the Parco Della Musica record label).
Next to Bad Doberan, you’ve also performed a pre-concert at the St.Katharinenkirche in Hamburg a couple of times. Always with different projects. How do you look back on these? And how does it feel to return to Zappa Town Bad Doberan?

Valentina: Looking back at my performances at the St. Katharinenkirche in Hamburg, I always feel a strong connection with that space. I’ve performed there several times with very different ensembles (like Vibes Duo with the fab Benjamin Boo from Singapore in 2017 and Napoleon Murphy Brock in 2018). Each time I’ve felt artistically free and respected. That church holds a deep, resonant silence that listens with you while you play. And on top of that Hamburg is the city where I have roots, my mother was born and raised there so Hamburg has a special place in my heart.

(Valentina & Benjamin Boo at the St. Katharinenkirche, 2017)

Returning now to Bad Doberan feels like returning to family, to a place where curiosity and bold creativity are welcomed with open arms. Zappanale is unique in its openness to genre-blending and boundary-pushing — and I love that spirit and I hope it will last in the future, we need a festival like that, we need it because we need to keep Frank's legacy!

UniMuta: This year, you will be performing twice. Once on the main stage, but also at the expo. Is there a different approach in playing? Open air and amplified versus an acoustic setting?

Valentina: Playing twice at Zappanale, once on the main stage (One Size Fits All), and once at the expo is exciting because it demands two completely different approaches. On the main stage, the amplification and outdoor setting give you the chance to project powerful gestures and larger-than-life energy. It becomes theatrical and grand: the sound it’s being filtered and carried by a PA system into an open space which is a challenge for an acoustic set-up as ours.

 
At the expo, in contrast, the acoustic setting calls for intimacy and more close listening, the true chamber music experience for me. Every small dynamic detail and expressive breath matters. As performers, we must adapt our phrasing, articulation, and even our mental energy to suit the size of the room and the audience's proximity. Both performances are equally challenging but in opposite ways. I find it enriching to be able to switch between the two and showcase the trio in these two different settings! Can't wait!

(The Ciardelli-Drago-Strano Trio)  

UniMuta: November last year, we saw you in concert in Rotterdam, NL, with Letizia Maulà, with your “From Puccini to Zappa” program. It was a passionate performance. How difficult is it to find like-minded musicians to participate in your projects? Do you meet musicians and then start a project, or do you come up with a project first and then have to search for the other musicians?

Valentina: Your question about how I find musicians really touches the core of my artistic path. I met Letizia Maulà during a festival at Teatro Argentina in Rome, and we immediately started discussing how the double bass and clarinet blend beautifully in a chamber music context. We began rehearsing and seeking out performance opportunities. To me, the dynamics within a chamber group are very similar to those of a friendship, a romantic partnership or a family relationship. There must be mutual respect, trust, and a shared artistic vision. Especially today, with the massive transformations and crises within the music industry, particularly in classical and contemporary fields, it’s increasingly common to find highly skilled virtuosos who are willing to invest time and energy in building something unique and authentic. Artists are carriers of meaning, and now more than ever, despite the effort, the disappointments, and the resilience it requires, we need performers who stand for something on stage. It’s the only way to reconnect with an audience that often feels disillusioned or distanced from classical music. Live music is a treasure, a vital part of human identity that has existed since the dawn of time. Music is a universal language, capable of conveying stories, emotions, and messages. The audience is just as active as the performers. When we play, there is no “us” and “them”, there is only a single community, exchanging something meaningful together. That, for me, is the greatest value of music and performance, and I always seek collaborators who share that same approach.

I’d say that finding the right musicians is a mix of instinct, chance, and vision. I met extraordinary artists and kindred spirits, like Anna Astesano, my partner in The Girls in the Magnesium Dress, and a natural synergy gives birth to a new project. Like in our repertoire Ruutsu or How I Met Puccini, it was our shared love for theatrical storytelling and genre-blending that brought us together almost instantly. Other times, I already have a clear concept in mind, and I actively search for the right musical personalities to embody it. What matters most is curiosity, openness, and a willingness to take risks. I’m drawn to artists who listen deeply and treat music not as a fixed form but as a living, breathing organism. Art is not polite, art is not on-demand, art is our tool of expression, we give voice to human psychological, emotional and social needs. Working with Anaïs Drago and Riccardo Angelo Strano on Sheik Your Duty was exactly that: three strong, unique identities uniting to tell a story — with no compromise, but with deep mutual respect and love for art and performance.

 

("Shake Your Duty", album cover)

UniMuta: Dispite your busy schedule, or should I say: “because of your busy traveling schedule”, you recently started a campaign to capture and to improve the rules for the transportations of musical instruments.
I also learned that you don’t always travel with your double bass. Sometimes you hire or lend an instrument to avoid travelling with it?
People can sign the petition for support, but they can also, voluntarily, show their support by making a donation.
How has the petition been going so far?

Valentina: Yes, the petition is something I care about deeply because I’ve lived the nightmare of traveling with a musical instrument far too many times. Transporting a musical instrument is logistically complex, emotionally stressful, and mostly financially unsustainable. Inconsistent airline policies, oversized baggage fees, damage risks, and a general lack of understanding from travel staff, it's a serious obstacle to our work. Sometimes I’ve had to rent or borrow instruments locally, which always feels like giving up a part of myself. That’s why I launched the petition at the end of May 2025 to advocate for fair, clear, and consistent international rules for traveling with musical instruments. Our instruments are not cargo. They're part of us. They deserve dignity and care. So far, the petition has reached thousands of signatures, and many colleagues and institutions have shared it and supported it. Some have also made donations, which are helping the platform to reach over more people. But it is not enough, we need everyone in this campaign because, Music is for everyone and not a luxury service. We need even more visibility especially from festivals, orchestras, and venues that rely on traveling artists.

Here’s the petition link to sign, share and support:

👉 https://www.change.org/p/rules-for-the-transport-of-musical-instruments

It’s not just a personal cause — it’s about creating a better and fairer future for all professional musicians. For all of us. My instrument is NOT a Luggage. It's an extension of my body, the tool that allows me to express myself and deliver an artistic message to the community.

 
As Frank Zappa said :

Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.

I don't know why, but to me this quote is the most human thing ever written, and it makes me cry all the time.
Thank you, Frank, for everything you brought to this crazy world.

UniMuta: Beautiful words. Thank you very much , Valentina.
We’ll see you soon and we’re extremely looking forward to it.

The Ciardelli-Drago-Strano Trio will perform at the main stage on Friday at 20h30, and at the expo in the centre of town on Saturday, at 11h00.
We’re in for a treat. Don’t miss this !!