CANZONI
WHEN SONGS TRAVEL.
A musical journey through Italy where recognizable international artists leave their familiar world behind and enter a song, a place, and a culture — guided by an Italian-German artist couple — until a new way of listening, feeling, and creating begins to emerge.
Pilot Trailer / Proof of Concept
Rome - Raphael Thoene - La Donna Cannone
WATCH THE
PROOF OF CONCEPT TRAILER
THIS IS A PROOF OF CONCEPT. THE SERIES IS DESIGNED TO SCALE WITH RECOGNIZABLE GUEST ARTISTS, EACH ENTERING A DIFFERENT ITALIAN SONG, PLACE, AND ENCOUNTER.
A FIRST JOURNEY.
A FORMAT DESIGNED TO SCALE.
In this proof-of-concept, we tested the core idea of CANZONI and discovered how effectively the mechanism can work: German film composer Raphael Thöne arrives in Rome to discover La Donna Cannone, a hidden jewel of Italian songwriting, alongside Alessandro and Hanna Rinella, the Italian-German host artists of CANZONI.
Through their immersive guidance into the song’s places, lyrics, and emotional world, Raphael is pushed beyond his cinematic sound. The trailer captures a clear emotional and musical shift: the journey changes the way he listens, creates, and reveals the man behind the music.
Raphael Thöne appears here as the format test. Future episodes are conceived for recognizable guest artists.
REIMAGINES
THE FORMAT
05
Encounters, translation and creative exchange challenge the artist's familiar world and open a new perspective.
ARRIVES
A recognizable guest artist arrives in Italy and enters our world.
01
A hidden jewel of Italiansongwriting is revealed
LISTENS
02
03
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TRAVELS
The journey leads to a new interpretation shaped together with the host artists.
Guided by Alessandro & Hanna, the artist enters the places, people and culture behind the song.
TRANFORMS
HOW EACH EPISODE UNFOLDS
THE REASON WHY
Italy is not only a place people visit.
It is something they want to feel, understand, and bring home.
CANZONI turns that desire into a musical journey: through one song, one artist enters a world of places, people, memory, and emotion — and the audience is invited to enter with them.
A HUMAN JOURNEY. A MUSICAL DISCOVERY.
Each episode opens a song — and with it, a piece of Italy.
THE HOST ARTIST
Alessandro & Hanna Rinella
ITALIAN GERMAN VOCAL DUO
CANZONI was born from their own story: an Italian artist sharing the emotional world of Italian songs with a German artist discovering them from the outside. That personal bridge became the format. Alessandro and Hanna do not simply present the journey. They host it from within — translating language, context, and emotion, welcoming each guest artist into Italy, and guiding the creative encounter behind the song. Their role is the human engine of CANZONI.
WATCH HOST ARTISTS EPK
MORE THAN A
DOCUMENTARY
CANZONI is a cross-media music format.
Each journey can live beyond the screen, creating value across content, music, and live experiences.
DOCU - SERIES
A premium music travel format built around artists, songs, Italy and creative encounters.
MUSIC RELEASES
Each episode can generate a new interpretation with potential for streaming, album release and promotion.
LIVE CONCERT PROJECT
The songs can move from screen to stage through concerts, premieres, and special events.
THIS MAKES CANZONI NOT ONLY A SERIES,
BUT A SCALABLE CULTURAL AND MUSICAL PLATFORM.
Our Team.
CANZONI is entering its next development phase with the support of an experienced international advisory team in broadcasting, production, storytelling, and visual direction.
Current Status & Next steps
Developing the series with recognizable guest artists and the right production, broadcast, and cultural partners.
NEXT STEP
Development Support
CANZONI received development support through Culture Moves Europe, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
This support helped enable the project’s first research phase in Rome, including artistic exploration, local collaborations, and the development of the first narrative and musical foundations.
Funding Acknowledgement
Funded by the European Union.
Implemented by the Goethe-Institut through Culture Moves Europe.
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.
The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.