Classic and More – Bassa Atesina Festival (concert in Vadena)

Classic and More in Vadena: Chamber Music in the Unterland

Classic and More is an inter-municipal classical and chamber music festival that brings life every summer to the towns of the Bassa Atesina (Unterland), the southernmost part of the autonomous province of Bolzano, in Trentino-Alto Adige. Born with the vision of taking great music beyond traditional concert halls, the festival transforms civic halls, churches, courtyards, and outdoor spaces into unique listening venues. The Municipality of Vadena/Pfatten is one of the participating locations and, as per tradition, hosts one of the festival's concerts.

A Traveling Festival Across the Bassa Atesina

The hallmark of Classic and More is its itinerant and inter-municipal nature: every evening the venue changes, moving between the towns of the Unterland. Each edition typically visits Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, Cortaccia, Ora, Montagna, Trodena, Egna, Salorno, Termeno, Bronzolo, and Vadena, allowing the audience to discover a different corner of the territory each time. The event is managed by the Music Club Egna, which coordinates the stops with the support of the Italian Culture Department and local associations of the Bolzano province.

"Barrier-Free" Classical Music

The festival presents itself as barrier-free classical music—open, relaxed, and surprising. Alongside evening concerts of major repertoire, the program includes educational events, crossover nights blending jazz, swing, and gypsy music, concerts designed for families and children, moments dedicated to the elderly in nursing homes, and projects ranging from 18th-century repertoire to contemporary music. At its heart remains chamber music: string quartets, wind ensembles, duos, and soloists, with an artistic standard that has brought South Tyrolean musicians and European guests to the Bassa Atesina over the years.

Free Admission and Community Spirit

One of the defining traits of Classic and More is that it is free of charge: concerts have no entry fee, often offering the possibility of a voluntary donation to support charitable initiatives. This choice makes the festival an accessible way for everyone—from families to young people—to engage with classical music, making it a beloved fixture for the communities of the various Unterland towns.

Vadena and the Bassa Atesina

Nestled along the Adige River between Bolzano and the Wine Road, Vadena/Pfatten is a small bilingual town in the Bassa Atesina, surrounded by vineyards, apple orchards, and wetlands of great natural value. Attending a Classic and More concert in Vadena means experiencing the most authentic side of South Tyrol: a territory where Central European musical tradition meets Italian cultural vibrancy, set against a landscape of rare beauty.