Maestro Enzo Campagnoli recounts his Sanremo, marked by Neapolitan pride

Fresh from his twentieth Sanremo Festival, Maestro Enzo Campagnoli confirms himself as one of the most beloved and charismatic conductors of the Ariston stage. This year he led artists with wildly different musical identities — Dargen D’Amico, Elettra Lamborghini and Samurai Jay — showcasing extraordinary versatility. But Sanremo 2026 was also the Festival of Neapolitan triumph, crowned by Sal Da Vinci’s victory and celebrated in recent days at the Maschio Angioino with an institutional commendation honoring local excellence. Between emotional tributes to his longtime friend Peppe Vessicchio and unwavering pride in his roots, we interviewed the Maestro to relive the emotions of this unforgettable edition.

Maestro, this Sanremo 2026 marked your twentieth participation. An edition you dedicated to Peppe Vessicchio, with whom you shared 37 years of career. What was it like stepping onto that stage with this awareness, and what did it mean to “feel him close” while conducting?

I shared some of the most wonderful moments of my life with Peppe. I owe him so much, because when I was 20 he put an orchestra in my hands. I used to write arrangements for the TV programs he directed, and in Milan he would tell me to rehearse them with the orchestra. That was an extraordinary moment of artistic growth for me: checking the effectiveness of what I had written on the score is the greatest school one can have. I will always be grateful to him.

We worked on so many productions together. Peppe was a container of culture — a researcher, a curious mind. We were always searching for something interesting, musically and beyond.

This year you led three Big Artists with very different musical souls: Dargen D’Amico, Elettra Lamborghini and Samurai Jay. How does a conductor tune into and enhance such different energies — from rap to urban to explosive pop — while maintaining your unmistakable signature?

Just think that a few years ago I was conducting Orietta Berti with Quando ti sei innamorato. Her voice, as enchanting as a nightingale, represents the purest expression of Italian bel canto, with its open melismas and broad melodies. And then I moved on to conduct Cenere by Lazza, Damme ’na mano by Tony Effe, Ai ai by Dargen D’Amico…

The challenge lies in dressing the song in an evening gown — which is the Ariston orchestra — while preserving its essence, its root, the core it needs to continue playing on the radio exactly as it was born.

During the first night of the Festival, hosted by Can Yaman, your gesture didn’t go unnoticed: your hand over your heart and that “4” shown to honor Napoli’s victories. How important is it for you to bring your “Neapolitan spirit” and your visceral bond with your land even into an institutional setting like the Ariston?

I’ve always believed that without Naples you can’t go anywhere. The first Festival of Naples was held at the Sanremo Casino Theatre in 1931 thanks to Neapolitans. There is a deep bond between Naples and world music — not just Italian music — because Neapolitan song is Italian song around the world. The greatest singers in history traveled the globe performing works by classical composers like Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti… but they could not leave the stage without singing Neapolitan classics: ’A vucchella, Core ’ngrato, Torna a Surriento, ’O sole mio, ’O surdato ’nnammurato, Funiculì funiculà.

Neapolitan identity is an added value. Our land has given us incredible strength, a unique energy, and the ability to connect with everyone with simplicity, substance, grace and courtesy — because that is Naples.

In recent days, at the Maschio Angioino, you received a special recognition from the city of Naples, during a collective celebration that also honored Sal Da Vinci’s victory. After the media whirlwind of Sanremo, what does it feel like to return home and be celebrated by your own people?

It’s an extraordinary feeling. March 11 is a special day that I will always carry in my heart: the mayor wanted to honor the Neapolitans who took part in the Sanremo Festival, recognizing their professionalism, commitment, tenacity, courage, passion, strength, patience… so I am very happy about all of this.

This year Sanremo spoke the language of Naples loud and clear — not only thanks to Sal Da Vinci’s victory, but also because of the strong presence of artists and professionals from Campania who, like you, are dominating the scene. In your opinion, what is the secret of today’s Neapolitan music?

The secret of Neapolitan music is not something new: it has always played an important role in the international music scene, because our roots contain everything. There is emotion, culture, melisma, harmony. In our songs, you can perceive the harmony even just by listening to the melody. And that is extraordinary.

Thank you for being with us!

Photo credits: Instagram @enzocampagnolireal