Sounds of solidarity: how music can help Save the Olives

Summer. The word itself invites daydreams of balmy afternoons, sparkling cocktails, and a slinky poolside playlist. Of open-air concerts and returning home with a blissful soundtrack to memories well made. It also presents a unique opportunity to leverage the energy of the warmer months for a greater good. And what better way to do this than through music and art? 

This summer, Masseria Torre Maizza turns up the volume on a cause that needs our attention. Save the Olives, a non-profit organisation championed by Dame Helen Mirren, whose mission is to raise awareness of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium devastating Puglia’s olive trees and impacting the local economy and ecosystem. In support, we have devised an incredible calendar of music and art amidst our Masseria’s olive groves – a poignant setting, grounded in the cause.

Rooted in nature  

Masseria Torre Maizza commands long, leisurely lunches, sunset dinners, and sipping cocktails in smart yet serene surroundings. With its Irene Forte spa, nine-hole golf course, and idyllic beach club, it’s the perfect spot for a romantic Puglian getaway. The sixteenth-century masseria’s own love story is with the landscape. It is inseparable from its surrounding untouched countryside, sparkling azure waters, and ancient olive groves, nurtured by locals for whom hospitality is second nature. This deep connection with the natural world is brought into sharp relief by the threat of its loss - a rallying call to bring people together in solidarity through music and art.

Concerts for conservation

Balmy Mediterranean evenings were made for unwinding to sultry sounds. With actress and philanthropist Dame Helen Mirren as patron, Masseria Torre Maizza will host a spectacular series of musical fundraising events for Save the Olives, including a collaboration with the Bari In Jazz Festival. Ray Gelato, the undisputed king of swing, will grace the masseria’s open-air stage with his band on 6 July. Beloved at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's, Ray Gelato and the Giants are renowned for their infectious energy and genre-bending live shows that pack the house every time. 

Later that month, 26 July, internationally acclaimed Brazilian pianist and composer Amaro Freitas will bring his own incredible, unique sounds to the gardens of Masseria Torre Maizza with an exclusive concert in the grounds. 

Meanwhile, those with an ear for classical music will be thrilled by a preview of Festival della Valle d'Itria as it commences its 50th-anniversary celebration, with a piano and vocal concert on 12 July, featuring stunning arias from the festival’s history as well as a sample of this year’s exciting line-up from Bellini to Beethoven.

For art’s sake

Alongside the musical calendar, a partnership with Deodato Arte, one of Italy’s most prestigious contemporary art galleries, will transform the masseria’s whitewashed walls into a gallery hung with unique works by internationally renowned contemporary artists, such as Daniele Fortuna and Romero Britto. Popping with vibrancy, each music and food-inspired piece will be available to buy, with a percentage of sales supporting a sustainable future for Puglia’s cherished olive trees, which beautifully populate the land and contribute to a rich culinary heritage and climate protection.

Immerse yourself in music at Masseria Torre Maizza and make solidarity the soundtrack to your summer.