SIENA, Italy, November 2023 – Siena’s “Concerto per l’Italia” is an annual classical music event that takes place in the city’s iconic ‘Piazza del Campo’ each July. With its 102-metre-tall bell tower, and 2,500 seat-capacity, Piazza del Campo hosts various events, from seasonal initiatives to music festivals, throughout the year. The Piazza is an essential cultural hub in Siena and the wider Tuscan region, attracting visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy the square’s historical and architectural beauty, and to experience the vibrant energy of the city’s public life.
Over the course of three consecutive summers, the square has been the chosen outdoor setting for the ‘Concerto per l’Italia’, featuring classical orchestras and soloists from around the world. In 2023, the concert was directed by Daniele Gatti, and featured renowned musicians such as pianist Lilya Zilberstein, and the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, who opened the show.
Considering the open-air setting of the concert and the wide area to cover, it was essential to design a sound system capable of providing comprehensive coverage. Sound D-Light, a recent addition to L-Acoustics L-ISA Rental Network, were trusted with the responsibility to design and install the sound system. This assignment was facilitated by Sound D-Light’s existing professional relationship with Sisme, L-Acoustics’ long-standing Certified Provider Distributor in Italy.
The primary objective was to deliver clear sound all along the 333-metre, U-shaped square, not only for the 2,500 seated audience, but also for the patrons in nearby bars and restaurants. According to Sound D-Light, L-ISA spatial sound technology was the ideal choice to provide a more realistic listening experience, while maintaining the highest possible quality, and at the same time, minimising sound reflections from the surrounding buildings.
The L-ISA immersive sound design called for over 100 Kara II loudspeakers. A Scene system of seven hangs of 12 Kara II was spread above the stage area, with two hangs of four KS28 subwoofers flown in the centre. An additional two hangs of 12 Kara II provided out-fill. Spatial fill was accomplished via five 12XT coaxial loudspeakers spread across the stage lip and providing detailed immersive sound to the front rows. The system was powered by eight LA-RAKII Milan AVB amplifier racks.
“We achieved an impressive sound image, offering the audience genuine and natural spatial sound,” says Davide “Red” Battistelli, the FOH Engineer who managed the spatial sound mix via L-ISA Controller, supporting Production Sound Engineer, Giacomo De Caterini during the symphony orchestra performance.
L-ISA immersive audio technology enabled Sound D-Light to deliver outstanding coverage throughout the square, while managing to solve several potential difficulties normally encountered with a classic LR or LCR system such as interference, and visual-to-audio mis-localisation of the real sources on stage,” commented Andrea Flamini PA Engineer. “It was a challenging and rewarding experience with an outstanding result, achieved through the collaboration between Sound D-Light engineers and L-Acoustics application engineers Tom Laveuf and Martin Wurmnest.
About L-Acoustics
L-Acoustics is renowned for developing innovative sound systems and technologies that elevate the listening experience. Founded in France in 1984, L-Acoustics currently employs 500 team members worldwide, with headquarters in Paris, London, Los Angeles, and Singapore. Recognized for pioneering the line source array, L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of sound with solutions such as L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology offering multi-dimensional audio. In recognition of introducing ground-breaking creative technologies, L-Acoustics was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2020 and 2023.
L-Acoustics sound systems can be heard around the globe in venues like the Hollywood Bowl and the Philharmonie de Paris, at the world’s top-grossing festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland, and on tour with world-class artists such as Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Foo Fighters, and Jacky Cheung.
