UniON, Italy's very first National University Orchestra: 60 young people under the age of 25 join forces to play together.

Behind the name UniON, Orchestra Nazionale Universitaria, lies an idea that overturns traditional musical training schemes: to bring together students from different universities and disciplines, with parallel life paths, united by a single passion: music.

The project, the brainchild of Gianluca Scandola,was born to ensure that the transition to university did not result in young, already highly qualified musicians abandoning their instruments.

The orchestra brings together some 60 young musicians under the age of 25, selected from all over Italy: from the violinist enrolled at Rome's Sapienza University, to the cellist from Bologna University, via the flutist from Salerno University and the horn player from Turin Polytechnic University. A heterogeneous ensemble that transforms academic diversity into musical energy, transcending geographical and disciplinary boundaries.

Official debut in Pavia under a very young conductor

The first major event is set for June 3, 2026 at Pavia's Teatro Fraschini, where the orchestra will make its debut under the direction of young maestro Nicolò Jacopo Suppa. Violinist Giuseppe Gibboni will also be on stage, symbolizing a generation already in dialogue with established excellence.

A project supported by institutions and major cultural players

UniON has been made possible thanks to the support of leading institutional and cultural players, including Intesa Sanpaolo, the Ministry of University and Research, the CRUI (Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities) and the Lombardy Region. IULM University is also playing a central role, making its spaces, residences and audiovisual skills available for the production of a documentary film by director Michele Mally.

Music as a social network and a lever for personal development

The project is not just artistic, it's also educational and social: the aim is to keep musical practice alive during students' university years, by creating a national network of young people who continue to play despite their studies and other commitments. The orchestra thus becomes a laboratory of inclusion, where different disciplines meet and mutate into mutual listening and concrete collaboration.

An experience open to the public and looking to the future

UniON concerts will also be accessible to younger audiences, with free admission for students and open rehearsals. A model designed to bring new generations closer to classical music and make the orchestra a lasting reference point in the Italian cultural landscape.