It has been a chilly start to 2012 not least with the snow around Felcino Bianco deep enough to prevent us from getting down the mountain to Le Ville but also the freezing of the economy in Italy. As we write at least the snow has melted into the ground and we can get back to planning our activities for the coming year. We are already negotiating the visit of a small group of talented young Russian musicians to join us under the sponsorship of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation. Both Sergey and Elvira have been discussing this with members of the Foundation during their recent visits to Moscow. These young people gave our festival a wonderful boost last year with audiences thrilled to listen to them and they contributed splendidly to our musical atmosphere.

The Masterclass of Music Citerna 2012 season has been agreed with the Comune in Citerna thanks to the generosity of the mayor and her colleagues even though we have to tighten our belts as to expenses, in keeping with the whole of Italy. The season will run from 15th - 27th July inclusive, beginning with the inaugural and first Masterclass concert on Sunday evening 15th devoted to Beethoven and held in the Palazzo Amassi, the restored mediaeval palazzo below the palazzo comunale in Citerna. This first programme will include Beethoven's Cello Sonata, No. 3 in La maggiore,the "Kreuzer" Sonata for violin and pianoforte, as well as the wonderful "Ghost" Piano Trio, Op. 70, No. 1. Elvira, Alfia and Sergey will be performing. The second Masterclass concert will be performed on Wednesday 18th July also in the Palazzo Amassi and will include Franck's Violin Sonata arranged for violoncello and pianoforte, Turina's Fantasia for piano trio "Circolo" and Ravel's Sonata for Violin and pianoforte.

Our now traditional "Cafe de Boheme" evening expanded last year to include not only a programme of Russian music and verse together with a traditional russian meal was such a success that we plan to repeat the format in 2012. This time the Cafe will be third on our order of play and take place on Friday 20th July using the mediaeval walkway laid out as the Cafe and the performances near at hand in the Palazzo Amassi by our maestri. This year's theme will be the French "belle Epoque" and will include verse and music from that era. Discussions on the menu will we starting with Luisa as soon as she opens her La Civette restaurant. Her cooking last year assisted by our dear friend Viktoria was a revelation.

Enrollment in the Masterclass course have already begun with aplications from the USA, Canada and the UK as well as from Italy. We are also beginning a new venture this year, that of holding limited size residential courses at Felcino Bianco to allow the possibilities of intensive studies under Elvira's guidance which can be arranged at any time to suit those who may be interested. We expect our Russian visitors to arrive during the middle weekend of the Masterclass season to participate in the concerts during the second week along with the course participants. We will hold three concerts during the second week, one in Sansepolcro and the second in San Giustino. Discussions have been held with the respective cultural assessors and and we will perform one concert in the library of a newly restored palazzo in Sansepolcro and the second in the Villa Graziani in San Giustino. The third concert will be held in Felcino Bianco, followed by a buffet supper. With those attending the Masterclass we expect the second week to be musically outstanding.

This year will again be a feast for audiences and not just in the musical sense. 2012 is believed to be the Millennium of the founding of Sansepolcro by two pilgrims returning from the Holy Land and who wanted to create an image of Jerusalem in the Alto Tevere and in recognition we are to have a visit from Pope Benedict XVI. This will take place on May 13. This date is also significant as the centenary of the first appearance of the vision of Fatima. Finally we learn that it is likely that the lost painting by Rafael of the Battle of Anghiari has been found behind a paimting by Vasari in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. It is all happening here this year. Alors comme on dit au Cafe de Boheme.... Bon Appetit!