Australian maestro Daniel Smith names Europe’s best music destinations

When Rome-based Australian conductor Daniel Smith travels, he’s always seeking destinations that have inspired music. He shares his favourite locations to embrace the rhythm of a location.

A destination only comes alive when you smell it, taste it, feel it and tune in to its rhythm,” says Daniel Smith. “It’s not just about notes on a page, it’s about walking through the streets, forests, or by the seaside that gave rise to those sounds. It feels like stepping into a living story.”

The Rome-based Australian maestro is conducting The Barber of Sevilleat the Sydney Opera House until February 28.

“When I was younger, I attended the free Domain Series concerts in Sydney and was struck by how many different people had come together… Everyone was there to be inspired by the music,” he says.

“Seeing that unity opened my eyes to the power of music in bringing people together, and I’ve been chasing music ever since.

“Visiting the birthplace of a piece of music adds layers to how I hear it.”

Rome-based Australian Maestro Daniel Smith.

Here, Daniel shares his favourite music-inspired destinations: 

Rome, Italy

One spot stands out in Rome: the Janiculum Hill pines that inspired Respighi’s Pines of Rome. He also composed Fountains of Rome, evoking the Triton Fountain in the morning, the Trevi Fountain at midday, and Villa Medici at sunset. Strolling among those very pines and fountains with the music in my headphones, overlooking terracotta rooftops and church domes felt like stepping into Respighi’s imagination.

The Janiculum Hill monument in Rome.

Doolin, Ireland

Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, Ireland, is a simple place near the Atlantic, but at night the fiddles, bodhráns and voices swirl together in a celebration of life and local culture. Strangers and friends sit shoulder to shoulder, sharing a moment that feels entirely about the here and now. No one cares where you’re from, only that you join in the music. That sense of warmth and openness stays with you long after you’ve left.

Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin.

Eastbourne, England

I stayed in the same room at the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, England, where Debussy composed La Mer. But unlike his dramatic masterpiece, the sea was flat and calm. Black clouds gathered and I finally saw the swirling drama he must have imagined. That moment gave me a deeper appreciation for La Mer, knowing I was witnessing it from Debussy’s own perspective.

The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne.

Pesaro, Italy

Pesaro is the birthplace of Rossini (who composed The Barber of Seville) on Italy’s Adriatic coast, and during the Rossini Opera Festival, the entire city seems to pulse with his music. In the main square, Piazza del Popolo, I stumbled upon buskers performing his overtures. Later, from the balcony of Rossini’s own home above a cobblestone street, a local launched into the famous “Figaro Cavatina” from The Barber of Seville. The thrill of the spontaneous street performances, paired with Prosecco flowing in the summer air, made Rossini’s spirit feel very much alive. It’s so infectious that there’s even a pizza named after him.

Fair Day in Pesaro, Italy. Picture: Flickr/Pedro

HIGHS AND LOWS

Team work

My best travel memory isn’t a famous landmark or luxury hotel, but moments of humanity. When I’ve been in a tight spot, people from different backgrounds have come together to help – friends, family, even strangers who barely knew me.

Border woes

When Covid-19 hit I was in Poland, and learned the border would close that very night. I faced 14 flight cancellations back-to-back as airlines shut down. In desperation, I maxed out all my credit cards rebooking flights. It was the most intense, nerve-racking journey I’ve encountered.

Originally published as Australian maestro Daniel Smith names Europe’s best music destinations