Capo di Leuca Festival - International Chamber Music Review

A widespread festival in the heart of Capo di Leuca

The Capo di Leuca Festival - International Chamber Music Review is an itinerant musical event held during the summer, typically between July and September, spanning sixteen municipalities of lower Salento at the southern tip of Puglia. Among its most characteristic stops is the Municipality of Salve, in the Province of Lecce, a village overlooking the coastline of the Maldives of Salento, which hosts one or more concerts of the festival every year.

The festival's format transforms the Capo di Leuca territory into a large, widespread stage: concerts are held in churches, chapels, historic palaces, squares, and open-air theaters of various towns, enhancing the artistic and landscape heritage of Salento and bringing great chamber music even to small centers. In Salve, the events find a home primarily in the Le Trappite Open-Air Theater and in historic residences such as Palazzo Carida-Ramirez.

Artistic direction and format

The festival is directed by the young pianist Alessandro Licchetta, originally from Corsano, who has turned it into an event of international scope. Each edition brings together dozens of artists from all over the world for a series of itinerant chamber, classical, and opera concerts, promoted by the Eleusi APS association. Over the years, musicians from the United States, New Zealand, Spain, Austria, Germany, England, Romania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and other countries have participated.

Alongside evening concerts, the festival dedicates ample space to the training of young instrumentalists through free masterclasses held by internationally renowned teachers and performers. Salve has also hosted course venues over the years, such as the trombone and tuba masterclasses in the 2025 edition.

The sixteen participating municipalities

The itinerant nature is one of the festival's distinctive traits, which over the years has touched municipalities such as Alessano, Andrano, Castrignano del Capo, Corsano, Diso, Gagliano del Capo, Matino, Morciano di Leuca, Poggiardo, Presicce-Acquarica, Salve, Specchia, Taurisano, Taviano, Tricase, and Ugento. In Salve, concerts are often accompanied by food and wine tastings of local products, turning the evening into a multisensory experience between music and the flavors of the territory.

Support and collaborations

The event is promoted by Eleusi APS with the support of the Regional Council of Puglia and the Province of Lecce, and in collaboration with local entities such as the "T. Schipa" Conservatory of Lecce. Concerts are free of charge, as are the masterclasses aimed at young musicians.

With its widespread and international format, the Capo di Leuca Festival represents one of the most characteristic summer musical events in Salento, capable of combining the quality of great chamber music with the discovery of the villages and treasures of the Capo di Leuca. In Salve, the festival is now a fixed appointment of the town's cultural summer, included in the "Salvestate" calendar.