Austin Florence Songwriters Summit
The Austin Florence Alliance is excited to expand our Music Ambassadors Initiative to support the talented artists in Austin and Italy, and continue to celebrate the great music from our cultures through creative exchange.
Our efforts thus far have involved:
September 2023 - Inaugural concert in Florence featuring Texas legend Ian Moore.
July 2024 - Sponsorship of a great concert series in Florence called “Live on the River”, which featured Austin artist Giulia Millanta, set under the Ponte Vecchio on the banks of the Arno River.
In September, 2024 we ramped up our efforts and expanded our Austin-Florence Music Ambassadors Initiative in collaboration with the renowned “House of Songs” and hosted at the incredible “Camp Tribol” music studios in hills outside of Florence. Austin Musicians included mentor/artist Charlie Sexton, with Jane Ellen Bryant and Calder Allen; here is a little video of the experience: https://vimeo.com/1040800939
Going forward in 2025 and beyond, our aim is to build a long-term bridge to foster musical connections between Austin and Italy, opening opportunities for both up-and-coming and established musicians to share their craft and inspiration through creative and cultural exchange.
With an international platform set in the same Florentine hills that inspired the great artists of the Renaissance, a select group of talented individuals from Austin and Italy spend a week together in a writing workshop that brings together the two creative worlds.
The Austin Florence Alliance and House of Songs bring the musicians and mentors together at a well-known music studio Camp Triboli, an award-winning music studio and organic farm 30-minutes from Florence’s historical city center, to accomplish the following goals each year:
1. Enable the musicians to collaborate in writing and recording music together over one week.
2. Organize up to two (2) concerts in Florence for the musicians to showcase their new and existing music and to highlight Austin as a musical “mecca” and creative force in the world.
3. Create a documentary capturing the entire effort to publish and further promote the Austin music scene.
4. Open a channel and invitation for Italian artists to come to Austin to help support their careers and showcase their music in the Austin music scene and at SWSW.
5. Establish this as an annual event and songwriter’s festival in Florence and Austin, carried out each year at the same time as the grape harvest in Tuscany and SXSW in Austin.
The initiative is a long-term effort poised to benefit both cities and creative cultures, focused on launching a high level musical project each year. Therefore, we are reaching out to potential sponsors to help fund the project.
We invite interested individuals and organizations to participate in sponsoring this opportunity to support Austin and Italian artists and deepen our ties with Florence, Italy. Our total budget for the project is $50,000.
Donor Benefits
1. LIVELLO ARGENTO (SILVER): $5,000
a. Name recognition on AF Alliance Website and House of Songs Italy production material
2. LIVELLO ORO (GOLD): $10,000
a. Name recognition on AF Alliance Website and House of Songs Italy production material
b. Invitation to shows in Italy
c. Invitation to Italian artist shows during SXSW Austin 2026
3. LIVELLO PLATINO (PLATINUM): $15,000
a. Assistant executive producer designation on all House of Songs Italy production material
b. Invitation to shows in Italy and behind the scenes dinners and events
c. Invitation to Italian artist shows during SXSW Austin 2026
d. VIP access to the secret show, held for a select group of friends in the valley of Impruneta, with a private meet-and-greet following the performance. VIP acces to special The House of Songs Austin event during SWSW 2026.
All supporters will be recognized as contributors and lifetime ambassadors to the Austin Florence project, and will receive an “Insider Florence” connection with the organizations we work and the City of Florence.
Here is a list of the talented musicians from 2024 — Our line-up for 2025 will be posted ASAP:
USA
· Charlie Sexton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Sexton
· Jane Ellen Bryant: https://janeellenbryantmusic.com
· Calder Allen: https://www.calderallen.com
ITALY
· Luca Chiaravalli: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luca_Chiaravalli
· Janie Price: https://www.birdofficial.com
