Settimane Musicali di Stresa -- Stresa Music Festival

The Stresa Festival will inaugurate its 48th edition on May 2, 2009 with the Spring Concerts, five open-air events entitled Pentagramme Fioriale, Flowery Staves. Staves are the five-line diagrams on which music is written, and the flowery no doubt refers to the exquisite garden venues which have been chosen for the five concerts in May.

The Settimane Musicali di Stresa, as it is known here, is without question one of the best known European classical music events, each year offering the opportunity to hear internationally famous artists perform in some of the most beautiful settings imaginable.

Here is the schedule for May 2009:

SPRING CONCERTS - May

May
Saturday, May 2 – 5.00 p.m.
Esedra di Villa San Remigio – Verbania
Motion Trio
Euro 25 + Euro 10 reservation fee per person

Sunday, May 3 6.00 p.m.
Rocca Borromeo – Angera
Winds' works between Renaissance and Baroque
Concerto Palatino
Euro 25 + Euro 10 reservation fee per person

Saturday, May 9– 5.00 p.m.
Promenade – Stresa
Draughtsman’s Contract, Prospero’s Books, Memorial, The Piano, Mozart 252
Michael Nyman & Band
Euro 25 + Euro 10 reservation fee per person

Saturday, May 16 - 4.00 p.m.
Villa Pallavicino – Stresa
C. Saint-Saëns, Le Carnaval des animaux
The Israel Philharmonic Brass Quintet
Euro 25 + Euro 10 reservation fee per person

Sunday, May 17 5.00 p.m.
Villa Rusconi Clerici – Verbania
Rag, Blues and other stories...
Trio Pieranunzi-Carbonare-Pieranunzi
Euro 25 + Euro 10 reservation fee per person

To whet your appetite, I leave you with Daniel Muller-Schott performing Bach's Suite for Violincello at the Hermitage Santa Caterina, in August 2008.

The Festival will continue in August with Musical Meditations, five more concerts in five other stunning settings, including the Bach cello suites again performed at Santa Caterina and a string quartet performance in the Hall of Tapestries in the Borromeo Palazzo on Isola Bella. The entire summer concert schedule, as well as a few other videos, can be found by clicking here. Reservations can be made and tickets purchased from this site as well.

And take a look at the festival's new blog! www.stresafestival.eu/blog Here you'll find quick updates to upcoming events, as well as more information, and right now there's a great contest where you can win free tickets!