The San Giovanni Isle (nowadays called Toscanini Isle) on Lake Maggiore, where the Maestro used to spend his holidays with his family, was such a special place to him that he had even tried to recreate it in his own American residence in Riverdale, a suburb of New York. For this reason the Toscanini Symphony Orchestra asked the town of Verbania to set here a spectacular event, its grand finale ending the international tour, conducted by Lorin Maazel, as part of the "Symphony of the air” project.
Three concerts staged on the artificial island set up between the Isle and the Grand Hotel Majestic, the Aida in concert form with the participation of the Coro del Maggio musicale Fiorentino and the Requiem Mass by Giuseppe Verdi
The floating platform hosted a 1,000-seat theatre and a stage for the 200-piece orchestra. Adding to the atmosphere of the musical execution were video projections and light effects created by taking advantage of the suggestive setting.
