Celebrating Earth Day: a glimpse into Theresia’s carbon offset initiatives

By Emilia Campagna - April 22, 2024

Today is Earth Day! It's a special day to mark the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. As we celebrate this day, we're would like to share what kind of actions we have taken to offset or reduce the carbon emissions resulting from our orchestra's activities.
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Today is Earth Day! It’s a special day to mark the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. As we celebrate this day, we’re would like to share what kind of actions we have taken to offset or reduce the carbon emissions resulting from our orchestra’s activities. We’ve connected with Matteo Molteni, Sustainability consultant at Up2You, the specialized company that has collaborated with us to device a custom carbon offset strategy for our orchestra.

Matteo Molteni, what does Theresia’s carbon offsetting activity involve?

The carbon offsetting activity spans three years, during which we quantify the emissions stemming from musicians’ travel and consumption associated with residencies and concerts. With accurate data provided by Theresia’s management, we determine the CO2 emissions and their resulting climate impact. Using this data, we compensate by supporting natural and technological projects around the world that are certified for their high CO2 sequestration capacity.

What nature projects are part of Theresia’s offset activities?

Theresia’s offset activities include two significant projects. Firstly, the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project safeguards a buffer forest on Borneo Island, Indonesia. Positioned between a nature park and an industrial zone, it effectively limits the expansion of the industrial area. This project holds international recognition, certified by the non-profit organization Verra. Rimba Raya has garnered two additional certifications from Verra beyond the basic one: the first, CBB (Climate Community and Biodiversity), acknowledges its positive impact on the local community and the protection of endangered species, in this case orangutans. The second certification, ESD VISTA, assesses its contribution to the objectives outlined in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Development: Rimba Raya aligns with all seventeen goals!

Rimba Raya protects 422 animal species including one of the last populations of wild orangutans in the world.

The second nature project is located in Uruguay and involves the restoration of the Guanarè Forest, formerly degraded pastureland that has been converted into a forest area. The ecosystem has not only been preserved but also revitalized. The project has earned CBB certification from Verra for its significant positive impact on biodiversity and the local community.

Guanaré Forest Plantation. The project is located in the north central region of Uruguay covering an area of 20,000 hectares, annually 127 thousand tons of CO₂ are captured.

What are the technology projects?

The first projects is situated in Brazil and involves the support for constructing a hydroelectric power plant. Given that Brazil, like many other South American countries, predominantly generates electricity from coal-fired power plants, establishing a facility for producing clean energy is not economically feasible without external support. In the complete absence of national public incentives for such initiatives, obtaining international certification has facilitated access to capital, enabling the coverage of construction costs.

Clean energy: inside the power hydroelectric plant

Finally, in China, the Heqing Solar Cooker Project supplies local communities with solar-powered cookers as alternatives to coal-fired ones. This initiative enables the production of clean thermal energy for heating, hot water, and cooking.

Up to the boiling point… The Solar Cooker allows residents to efficiently replace coal with solar energy

How long have you been working on this activity?

Up2You was founded in 2020 and has experienced rapid growth since then. I’ve been with the company since 2022, initially joining a team of 20 people. Now, we have expanded to a team of 50, marking significant growth both for Up2You and the industry as a whole. Our portfolio of projects and clients continues to expand, partly because of the willingness of some companies to integrate sustainable practices, and partly driven by a growing recognition of future regulatory obligations.

Do you have individual customers?

We operate primarily as a business-to-business intermediary, focusing on companies interested in implementing carbon offsetting strategies, such as the ICONS Foundation. BHowever, we’ve observed an increasing number of individuals seeking information and advice from us. As part of our future plans, we are planning to develop software that would enable you as an individual to measure your own carbon footprint.

Do you have other clients in the music industry?

We have previously provided consulting services to measure the environmental impact of music events and concerts, but this is the first time we have worked with an orchestra on an ongoing basis.

How did you quantify the orchestra’s emissions, and what advice do you give Theresia’s musicians to actively reduce their carbon footprint?

Theresia produced 40 tons of CO2 in 2022 and 34 tons of CO2 in 2023: these values are not particularly high because virtuous behaviours such as using buses and trains for transportation were already in place. If trips were made by plane, the numbers would be much higher! However, there is always room for improvement and the advice is always to carefully consider the logistical aspect, such as combining several concerts in close proximity on the same tour, to minimize travel. Additionally, we recommend the use of trains as much as possible, and if car trips are necessary, to opt for car sharing as much as possible.

Get an overview of Theresia Orchestra’s ongoing offsetting activities.

Ecos Festival: music and sustainability in the heart of Spain

By Emilia Campagna - August 24, 2022

Our wind ensemble will be at Ecos Festival, a dynamic project set in Spain, where music and sustainability meet. Let's find more in this interview with Ecos Festival's artistic director, Jorge Losada
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For the first time, Theresia will perform in Alhama (Murcia region, Spain) as part of Ecos Festival. That is an honour for us, as Ecos Festival is among Europe’s most dynamic and interesting artistic projects. We have spoken about this musical initiative with its Artistic Director, Jorge Losana: a baroque singer (he mostly performs with the vocal ensemble La Cantoria), he’s from Murcia himself, and he was the soul of the project from its very beginning.

When and how did Ecos Festival start?

“In 2016, with a group of colleagues musicians from the University, we wanted to rehearse Monteverdi and needed a place where to do it. We met in Aledo, rehearsed for ten days, experimenting with a different way of doing things: we involved local people, and invited them to listen to our performances. They were very welcoming, and the outcome was really nice: so, the idea to make a treasure of this experience came naturally. The next year, thanks to the support of Sierra Espuña and six different villages that had decided to support forms of sustainable and natural tourism, we were able to make a series of concerts in some of the most emblematic places of the area.”

You started with early music: did you stick to the original artistic project during these years?

“Yes, we went on hosting chamber music and little ensemble who perform according to the historically informed practice. What we really focused on are young musicians: we tend to organize residencies, like the one Theresia is involved in, with workshops and situations where musicians can share their experience and learn from their peers and other guests.”

Which kind of audience do you have? Do you have a specific target?

“Audience mainly consists of local people, tourists, and English and German people who live on the coast. We have “professional concerts” which are meant to be for a general audience and “familiar concerts” especially designed for families and children.”

Ecos Festival is set in Murcia, and it appears to be closely related to the area: how is this part of Spain?

“Murcia is a small region between Alicante and Granada, always famous for the seaside, the good weather, the food and very different climate and landscape from other parts of Spain. People find especially exotic some semi desert-like landscapes and the singular forest from Sierra Espuña, which has geology caves and lakes. With its Castles and historical place, it is a very fascinating area, with the sea only one hour and a half far away.”

Together with the artistic value of the concerts, sustainability is one of the missions of Ecos Festival: how do you pursue it?

“Firstly, we chose to focus on chamber music because we perform in small venues and when it comes to the audience a limited number of people is definitely more sustainable. Then, apart from the implementation of ecological habits (we have no plastic going around, and we encourage the use of electric cars) we also organize three conferences involving ensembles and other festivals where participants can discuss and share ideas about how to deal with sustainability diversity and demographic challenge. In short, we try to be sustainable as we can, to give conscience to our audience, and we also try to develop new ideas.”

Theresia will be at Ecos Festival with its wind ensemble, prepared by tutor Javier Zafra. Two concerts are scheduled on 26th August at 9 pm and 11 pm at Patio del Museo Arqueológico de Los Baños: Theresia wind ensemble will perform an all-Mozart program (Divertimento in F major K. 213, Divertimento in F major K. 253, and Divertimento in B flat major K. 270). The day after at 10.30 am the ensemble will perform in a family concert.

These concerts end our summer concert season. But autumn is just around the corner, and we have some good news in store, so stay tuned!

Discovering EMPOWER

By Emilia Campagna - June 16, 2022

Let's get into the heart of EMPOWER and discover the five different skills that we want our musicians to improve
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How do you empower a musician? Traditionally, masterclasses and workshops are the places where young talented musicians improve their technique, deepen their knowledge of the repertoire, and challenge themselves in playing in front of an audience and with colleagues. Music, though, is not a musician’s entire life, not even when you think only of their work life. One has to manage the business side of the whole thing, take care of one’s physical health, and even promote oneself. That’s a lot.

We kept this kind of complexity in mind when we found ourselves planning the training modules of the capacity-building activity, a program at the very core of the European funded project EMPOWER. We defined five different competences that we want our musicians to improve: artistic performance, naturally, but also organisational, economic and managerial skills; digital and technological skills for marketing and communication; personal development and well-being; ecological transition.

As Silvia Raimondi, project manager at ICONS pointed out, we aim to “give young musicians the skills to manage themselves by the means of business management, communication, by coping with stress and also by acting sustainably”.

Eleven seminars are planned to cover all five areas: the seminars are going to be held mainly online and initially they will be intended for Theresia musicians only, but the plan is to expand our audience in the future including Theresia’s alumni and Theresia’s partners that may be interested.

In this first phase of the project, the formative offer will be tailored according to the specific need of every musician, through a preliminary interview that will state the needs; the plan will be then adjourned every six months.

Teachers involved are Simone Laghi, Artistic Secretary of Theresia Orchestra, who will discuss specific aspects of organology of the classical period, providing information about the development of the Orchestra as a musical entity during the period between 1750 and 1800; conductor Vanni Moretto, who will provide musicians with the tools to understand and interpret eighteenth-century music, through the precious information provided by 18th century’s essayists; musicologist Bertil Van Boer, Professor Emeritus of Musicology-Theory at Western Washington University, who will deepen the general historical context and the question research of sources and references in archives. Looking at the managerial side of a musician’s life, Claudia Crippa, Senior business analyst at ICONS, will hold a two-part seminar focused firstly on improving knowledge about the musical “sector” and their economics, the way economics impact a musician’s career and secondly to improving knowledge about self-resources to cope with the “market”. Charlotte Michi, Director of the Innovation Farm Unit and Project Manager at ICONS will help musicians to strengthen personal digital communication skills, by giving an overview of the different online channels and providing musicians with the basic digital skills to promote their work on them. A second seminar will focus on the creation of content to be shared online. Soprano and performer Laura Catrani will guide musicians to experiment with the beneficial effects of postural techniques and GYROKINESIS® specifically designed for musicians. Speaking of well-being, Alessandra Calzarossa, professional coach and senior HR expert, will address the area of the “inner game” and emotional impact on performance and results to improve the musician’s performance and professionalism. Last but not least, Veronica Meneghello, Project coordinator for national and international projects on sustainability in ICONS, will help musicians to understand how to improve their knowledge of the environmental impact of their lifestyle choices, especially those connected to their work and travels, and thus lower it.

The series of seminars will start during the next residency and will be focused on well-being through the practice of postural techniques and GYROKINESIS®. Stay tuned to read further details on both the residency and the seminar on our blog!

Download our catalogue and find more about the capacity building program