Franco Ambrosetti: a dual existence

Successful musician and entrepreneur, Franco Ambrosetti has been able to reconcile two apparently poles apart professions, an experience that he wanted to tell in the book: The choice not to choose. A life spent traveling, which saw him play alongside the great names of jazz, without ever taking him away from Ticino. Husband, father, grandfather, today Franco Ambrosetti shares his life with his wife Silli, surrounded by his grandchildren, art and his inseparable music.

I manage to meet Franco Ambrosetti between one trip and another, at his home. To welcome me my wife Silli, theater actress, beautiful as well as talented.

Have you been to New York for pleasure or for work?

"Both (smiles), New York always gives me great emotions and I love playing there."

In the salon I notice a piece of history of the Ambrosetti family, a car wheel ...

“We had two factories, one here in Ticino and a larger one in Milan. As you can imagine, we produced wheels (he indicates the shiny piece), the Borrani wheels to be precise, the ones they used in Formula 1 until 1966. The patent, originally English, he bought it mine, but then he modified it, introducing the 'aluminum and thus making the rims light and absolutely avant-garde ».

How much history, but the passion for music? Where does it come from?

«To tell it we have to take a step into the past (satisfied), my ancestors were entrepreneurs and musicians, of Calabrian origin, but my father was from Varese and my great-great-grandfather had already come to Ticino to work; he was the head gardener at the Walter hotel in 1800, it makes me laugh because it is difficult to imagine a garden in the center of Lugano today. The entrepreneurial streak belonged to my great-grandfather, who had started producing wheels in his small carpentry. But he was also a great lover of music and was one of the founders of the civic band, he played the bombardino (amused). Then the music skipped a generation, my grandfather didn't play, but he was a successful entrepreneur. However, as often happens, the second generation spoils the work of the previous one and so I found myself saving the companies (now sold) ».

What about his mom?

“This is a chapter of its own. My mom played drums. Can you imagine it? A woman from a noble family, always in a skirt, who played the drums? ».

But then yours was a family sensitive to music, why did your father at some point force you to choose?

“He wanted me to become an entrepreneur, in no uncertain terms. Those were other times and, as often happened in families, the first-born had to follow tradition, manage factories and study engineering. But I must say that the first years of university went well for me (laughs), my father had allowed me to study and make music and I had immediately taken advantage of it. At that time I learned to play the trumpet, I played concerts, I was always around and I was practically never seen in class. Then at a certain point things changed, my father cornered me by saying: “If you want to go to New York or Vienna to play do it, but don't count on my support”. At that point, also as a matter of pride, I decided that I would finish university and so I graduated in economics ».

But without ever stopping to play ...

"Exactly, I was studying and playing, the concerts were during the weekend, so I was able to reconcile the two".

In the end he never managed to be solely a professional musician, because even at the end of the university he immediately started working ...

"For four years I was the Head Hunter (headhunter) for some Zurich companies, a profession at the beginning that I was very passionate about, until the day my dad called me to order (amused tone) and I had to return to Ticino to follow the family's industrial business ».

When he talks about his father, he calls him dad, in a very affectionate tone ...

“For me he was like an older brother, we were just over twenty years apart. I remember him as a very nice person, even if to talk to him you had to deal with very specific topics: sport, music or industry, his industry ... and politics, he was a liberal. If, on the other hand, you wanted to talk about something else, you found an insurmountable wall. My mother, on the other hand, was different, she was very interested in literature, philosophy, esotericism, she was very good at making tarot cards and she did them for me too, albeit unwillingly ».

Excuse me if I allow myself, but when did Silli arrive in his life?

“Twenty-three years ago, even though my mom and Silli's mom, Ketty Fusco, were friends. I had already been married, from my first wife I had two children, and at that moment I was alone, even if I must admit that I don't love solitude, but I never thought I'd fall in love again… ».

So it was love at first sight ...

«Yes, inevitable, love at first sight in the theater. They asked me to collaborate on a play, I had to play the alter ego of a character by playing the trumpet. The direction was handled by Silli, we have never left each other ».

And you are also two splendid grandparents ...

“We care very much for the family, both of us. Silli also had two children before meeting me and the great thing is that our boys have known each other since their studies and have been dating. Not to mention the grandchildren, we have five, I must admit that they are still small ... and that I prefer them a little older, when they start asking you those existential questions with their eyes lit by curiosity ».

You are a man with great passions, who lived, loved, and never moved away from music ...

“I couldn't live without music. Music has helped me to overcome every moment, it is a fantastic life partner ».

Is music talent or is it part of all of us?

“Each of us can listen to music, just find the genre we like, but we are not all made to be musicians, my daughter for example has as much musical talent as my son, but she doesn't play. I, on the other hand, could never stay without playing… just think that at the age of four I recognized the great jazz players after a few notes and that at six I played the piano ».

So if he hadn't had the musical talent he would never have been able to lead the life he led, divided between work and music ...

"Exact. With all the will, but without talent, it is practically impossible for a successful industrialist to even perform concerts. The reverse is true… thanks to my gift, which is not a merit, it must be said, but a genetic question, I was able to pursue my dream without abandoning my career ».

She seems to me a reserved person, who doesn't need to point out what she has done in life, but then she decided to write her biography. Why?

(Smiles). «I have always said that I would never write a biography of myself, but, as often happens when you say never, here I have published it. In the end, it was a challenge, they proposed a journalist to collect my life in a book, then, when I read the draft of the book I realized that it was not good, I could not feel the passion that I had put into tell my life. So I decided to write it myself ».

Didn't reliving all the moments, even the most intense, make you melancholy?

"No, because I have such a beautiful life that I have no melancholy."

In addition to your many travels, you spend a lot of time in Greece, why choosing this country?

«I love the Cyclades, where the sea is intense and there are few trees. But the truth is that it's Silly's fault (laughs), she wanted a house by the sea then we had an offer ... we lived in a house a few meters from the sea and we fell in love with it, but don't you think we're just going to rest (we laugh), Silli spends his days composing paintings and sculptures, I composing… music of course ».

She doesn't feel very Ticino real (nicely)?

(Laughs) "It's true, especially from a musical point of view, I feel more connected to America, but that doesn't mean I don't love Ticino and I'm not fond of it."

What we still have to learn here in Ticino ...

"We are very quarrelsome, this is a canton still made up of factions, one against the other ... we should instead actively collaborate".

As for the industry ...

«We must stop penalizing those who are well and make the big taxpayers flee. We have to stop being jealous of what others have ”.

And in the artistic field?

“Unfortunately, even in this case, excellences too often flee from Ticino. With the University things have changed a bit, but we are not fighting enough. But I must add that the symphonic is an excellent symphonic, it is one of the few excellences and also the Conservatory in classical music is excellent, even the modern music school works and I am proud of it ».

It is difficult to tell the life of Franco Ambrosetti in a simple chat, perhaps it should be added that for over twenty years he was president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Canton of Ticino and was the founder of the School of Modern Music of Italian Switzerland.