Sergio Ricciardone strongly advocated for Avant-pop and other experimental electronic music, especially through C2C Festival.
Electronic music fans in Turin, Italy and throughout the globe are mourning the passing of C2C Festival Founder Sergio Ricciardone this week. He was 53. No cause of death has been disclosed at the time of writing.
News of Ricciardone’s death was made public by C2C (which stands for Club to Club) via Instagram. “In this moment of grief, our thoughts are with Christel and Marcello, his family, his friends and all who had the privilege of sharing in his life and work,” it reads. “Sergio’s vision will continue to light our path, his presence will guide us in difficult times.”
Sergio Ricciardone was born in 1971. He founded Club to Club in 2002 under the umbrella of the Situazione Xplosiva Cultural Association, initially as a multi-venue festival a la Amsterdam Dance Event. The festival eventually moved to Lingotto Fiere, a complex of historic buildings in Turin.
According to FQ Magazine, Marco Grimaldi of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra said of Ricciardone, “You made many generations dance in unthinkable places. You made people understand that our music is art as much as classical music. You gave density and creativity, made a small idea international and unique, which then became an idea of a city.”
Throughout its lifetime, C2C Festival has provided a platform for performances by artists like Caribou, Laurent Garnier, Aphex Twin, Autechre, and Flume. In 2017, Ricciardone was also commissioned to curate the musical program for the Officine Grandi Riparazioni launch events by the CRT Foundation.
We here at EDM Identity express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Sergio Ricciardone during what can only be a difficult time.