Summer is finally here and Rome is celebrating with a slew of great events. Pick your favorites and mark your calendar!
Rome Chamber Music Festival – Monday 12 to Thursday 15
Chamber music lovers, rejoice! The 20th annual edition of the Rome Chamber Music Festival hits the city this month, with world-class instrumentalists as well as rising young stars taking the stage to interpret both well-loved and lesser-known pieces. Performances take place in the sumptuous setting of Teatro Argentina, Rome’s first opera house, which dates all the way back to 1732. Each night of the four-day festival will feature a unique musical program, featuring some of the most exquisite works of chamber music by composers such as Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, and John Adams. Find out more and book tickets at romechamberfestival.org.
Infiorata di Genzano – Saturday 10 to Monday 12
For over two centuries the nearby town of Genzano Romano has held an unforgettable festival on the occasion of the Feast of Corpus Domini that celebrates art, nature, and above all, tradition. For one delightful weekend in June, Genzano’s Via Belardi is decorated with petals and seeds from over half a million flowers to form a breathtaking flower “carpet,” recreating intricate works of art. Visit early Sunday morning to see the petals being arranged, then stop back in late afternoon when the designs are finished to reveal a gorgeous patchwork of religious designs. The festival is capped off with a parade down the floral carpet, which is finally destroyed when the children of the town are invited to race down it with abandon. infioratadigenzano.it
Four Hands Are Better than Two – Thursday 1 to Sunday 4
It’s not every day that classical music enthusiasts get to hear not one but two world-class pianists perform on the same stage at the same time. Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo takes the podium for this much-anticipated concert at the magnificent Sala Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. The Orchestra and Chorus of the Santa Cecilia National Academy accompany pianists Stefano Bollani and Hyung-ki Joo in Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor, a work that has come to be considered the apex of the composer’s early period and one of his crowning achievements. Also on the bill is Ravel’s sublime Daphnis et Chloé, one of the most widely loved pieces in the classical music canon.
The Gardens of the Philharmonic – Friday 16 to Thursday 29
Live classical music, a breezy summer night, an enchanted garden: if the combination sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. Every summer, the Accademia Filarmonica Romana moves its stage to the lush, tranquil oasis of the Giardini della Filarmonica, just a stone’s throw from Piazza del Popolo. Thanks to the collaboration of cultural institutes, embassies, and foreign associations in Rome, the event features musicians from around the world who come together to represent their nation’s musical heritage. In this year’s edition, artists from countries as far flung as Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Lithuania, Austria, and Iran will be performing on the outdoor stage. filarmonicaromana.org
Paolo Conte – Tuesday 6
Widely considered one of the greatest Italian singer-songwriters of all time, Paolo Conte returns to the outdoor venue of the Auditorium PDM again this year to kick off their summer concert series. This unmissable show provides all the irresistible charm and unmistakable vocal timbre of the legendary musician, accompanied by an orchestral ensemble of eleven exceptional artists on guitars, oboe, bassoon, saxophones, flute, accordion, keyboards, percussion, marimba, cello, bandoneon, violin, double bass, and clarinet. You’ll have a hard time resisting the urge to hum along to Conte’s many hits, such as Hemingway, Sotto Le Stelle del Jazz, Come Di, Aguaplano, Max, Gioco d’Azzardo, Dancing, Madeleine, Genova per Noi, Via con Me, Reveries, Gli Impermeabili, Le Chic et le Charme, and many more. Book tickets at auditorium.com.
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