In a city where the echoes of the Renaissance still reverberate through ancient stone corridors, a revolutionary music residency program is bridging centuries of artistic innovation. The Vintage Audio Institute and C/O BARDI have joined forces to create a unique creative sanctuary where selected musicians can immerse themselves in the rare confluence of historical space and vintage technology.

The program’s inaugural artist, Neuf-Voix, will work within the same walls where, 450 years ago, the influential Camerata Bardi gathered — a collective of humanists whose radical experiments in composition eventually gave birth to opera. Neuf-Voix, the experimental electronic composer known for blending avant-garde sound design with classical influences, has garnered critical acclaim for creating immersive sonic landscapes that challenge conventional genre boundaries. With three critically acclaimed albums and collaborations with contemporary dance companies across Europe, Neuf-Voix’s approach to composition makes them an ideal inaugural artist for a program that connects historical innovation with modern experimentation.

The resonance between past and present is deliberate, with Marina Montresor at the helm as artistic director of C/O BARDI since its foundation in 2023.

The residency grants artists rare access to the Vintage Audio Institute’s extraordinary collection of Italian synthesizers, drum machines, and effect units from the 1970s and 1980s. Housed in the hills of Florence, the collection represents one of the world’s most comprehensive assemblages of Italian electronic music equipment.

“Italy has a fascinating but often overlooked history of electronic instrument production,” said Pontus Berghe, the Swedish musician and producer behind V.A.I. “These machines have a unique character that can unlock creativity in ways modern equipment simply cannot.”

Berghe brings over two decades of industry experience to the project. His career includes performances with Thieves Like Us and Lykke Li, as well as creating remixes for bands such as The Drums and Miss Kittin & the Hacker. He has also scored commercials for major brands including Prada, H&M, and Sony.

The collection ranges from sought-after classics like the Crumar and Elka string machines to extreme rarities such as the Logan Vocal Synthesizer and the Steelphon S900 — with only a handful of the latter still existing worldwide. This catalog of sound-making tools continues to expand, with new acquisitions planned throughout 2025.

What distinguishes this residency from conventional studio environments is its integration of domestic intimacy, exceptional acoustics, and sophisticated technology. The program aims to provide an alternative to the sterile environment of traditional recording studios and the pressure of looming deadlines.

The music residency program represents just one facet of C/O BARDI’s multidisciplinary approach, which encompasses photography, painting, and other art forms. The organization also maintains an in-house publishing platform, EDIZIONI C/O BARDI, which produces artist editions and printed materials documenting the creative output generated within these historic walls. Following the release of two books already, a third publication is scheduled for June.

For Neuf-Voix, whose previous work has explored the intersection of historical compositional techniques and contemporary electronic production, the residency offers an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of those who redefined artistic expression in their time. Neuf-Voix plans to develop a site-specific audio installation that responds to both the acoustic properties of the space and its historical significance. Working with instruments like the Farfisa Polychrome or the tube-powered Farfisa Clavioline means engaging with tools that possess distinctive character and limitations — qualities that often spark unexpected creative directions.

As Florence continues to balance its storied past with contemporary cultural relevance, initiatives like this residency program demonstrate how historical preservation and cutting-edge artistic experimentation can coexist and mutually enhance each other. In the very rooms where opera was conceived, new sonic landscapes are now taking shape, ensuring that Florence remains at the vanguard of artistic innovation across centuries.