Concert and Recital Season – Teatro Massimo Bellini
The symphonic and chamber music season at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania
About Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals
Great music in the heart of Catania
The Concert and Recital Season at the Teatro Massimo Bellini is a cornerstone of cultural life in Catania and across Sicily. Every year, from October to June, the historic theater named after Vincenzo Bellini offers a program that complements its opera and ballet seasons with a calendar dedicated entirely to symphonic and chamber music. The Teatro Massimo Bellini Orchestra takes center stage, led by guest conductors and accompanied by world-class soloists.
A program of symphonies, recitals, and special events
The season is divided into three main strands. Symphonic concerts, usually held at 8:30 PM, explore the grand repertoire: from the symphonies of Mahler and Beethoven to 20th-century masterpieces and thematic programs that bridge the classical and contemporary. Chamber recitals, held in the afternoon, offer more intimate listening experiences featuring quintets, chamber ensembles, and renowned pianists. The program is completed by special concerts outside the subscription series, tied to local traditions: the New Year's Concert, the concert in honor of Saint Agatha (patron saint of Catania), Republic Day, and various Bellini and city anniversaries.
Internationally renowned performers
Over the years, the series has hosted top-tier conductors and soloists. Notable names include cellists Giovanni Sollima and Mario Brunello, pianists such as Elisso Bolkvadze and Dmitry Shishkin, trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso with his jazz orchestra, as well as ensembles like the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet and traditional Sicilian groups like I Lautari with Mario Incudine.
A historic theater, the identity of Catania
Inaugurated in 1890, the Teatro Massimo Bellini is one of Italy's most important opera houses and a symbol of the City of Catania, a metropolitan city in Sicily. Its auditorium, celebrated for its acoustics, provides the perfect setting for a concert season that attracts music lovers from across the island and beyond, cementing its status as a landmark for musical culture in Southern Italy.
Subscriptions and access
The season offers subscription packages that include both symphonic concerts and recitals, as well as individual ticket sales. Discounts are available for seniors over 60 and other categories. Dates and programs are announced by the theater at the start of the subscription campaign in early autumn.
Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals — edition 2026
2025/26 Concert and Recital Season
The season at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania offers 18 subscription events—12 symphonic concerts and 6 chamber recitals—plus 5 special concerts outside the subscription series, under the motto 'The freedom to choose Beauty'.
Symphonic concerts
The season opens on October 31, 2025, with Mahler's Fifth Symphony conducted by Marcus Bosch. Highlights include violinist Jinzhu Li (December 5-6), a tribute to Aretha Franklin with Simona Molinari and the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana The Brass Group (January 3-4, 2026), 'Vienna 1808' with pianist Elisso Bolkvadze (March 20-21), 'The Magic of Cellos' with Giovanni Sollima and Mario Brunello (April 24 and 26), and Piazzolla's tangos with bandoneonist Massimiliano Pitocco (June 12-13).
Recitals and special concerts
Notable recitals include the 'Cantata dei pastori' with I Lautari and Mario Incudine (December 23), the Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet (February 15), a piano recital by Dmitry Shishkin (March 15), and 'Trumpet and Jazz' with Fabrizio Bosso (April 19). Special concerts celebrate New Year's, Saint Agatha (patron saint of Catania), Republic Day, and various Bellini and city anniversaries.
Programme Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals 2026
Symphonic concerts (8:30 PM)
- October 31 – November 2, 2025: 'Mahler, flashes of the Secession' (Symphony No. 5), cond. Marcus Bosch
- December 5-6, 2025: 'Violin and Virtuosity', cond. Nayden Todorov, Jinzhu Li (violin)
- January 3-4, 2026: 'Tribute to Aretha Franklin', cond. Domenico Riina, Simona Molinari (vocals)
- February 7-8, 2026: 'Waiting for the Divine Light', cond. Lü Jia
- February 13-14, 2026: 'Red Forest', cond. Gianluca Marcianò, Lisa Gerrard (vocals)
- March 20-21, 2026: 'Vienna 1808', cond. Marcus Bosch, Elisso Bolkvadze (piano)
- April 24 and 26, 2026: 'The Magic of Cellos', Giovanni Sollima and Mario Brunello
- May 2-3, 2026: 'The Creation', cond. Fabrizio Maria Carminati
- May 8-9, 2026: 'Caprices, Variations and Suites', cond. Daye Lin, Dmitry Ishkhanov (piano)
- May 15-16, 2026: 'The Thaw in Russia', cond. Sergio Alapont, Sabrina Messina (mezzo-soprano)
- June 6-7, 2026: 'Magic, Dreams and Awakenings', cond. Mārtiņš Ozoliņš
- June 12-13, 2026: Piazzolla's Tangos, cond. Francesco Di Mauro, Massimiliano Pitocco (bandoneon)
Chamber recitals (5:30 PM)
- December 23, 2025: 'Cantata dei pastori – E scinniu la notti', I Lautari, Mario Incudine, Antonio Vasta
- February 15, 2026: 'Opera and Cinema', Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet and Tonhalle Zurich
- March 15, 2026: Piano recital by Dmitry Shishkin
- March 22, 2026: 'Frau Mama', Francesco Nicolosi (piano), Ludovica Rana (cello)
- April 19, 2026: 'Trumpet and Jazz', HJO Jazz Orchestra, Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet)
- May 31, 2026: 'Pulcinella and the Game of Time', Orchestra Barocca Siciliana
Special concerts (non-subscription)
- November 3, 2025: 225th Bellini Anniversary, cond. Antonino Manuli
- January 1, 2026: New Year's Concert, cond. Andrea Sanguineti
- February 1, 2026: Concert for Saint Agatha, cond. Giulio Prandi
- June 1, 2026: Republic Day Concert, cond. Salvatore Percacciolo
- October 4, 2026: 2755th Anniversary of the founding of Catania, cond. Eckehard Stier
Highlights Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals 2026
- Opening with Mahler's Fifth conducted by Marcus Bosch
- 'The Magic of Cellos' with Giovanni Sollima and Mario Brunello
- Fabrizio Bosso and the encounter between trumpet and jazz
- Pianist Dmitry Shishkin in recital
- Astor Piazzolla's tangos with bandoneonist Massimiliano Pitocco
Prices Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals 2026
Practical information — Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals
How to get there
The Teatro Massimo Bellini is located at Via Giuseppe Perrotta 12, overlooking Piazza Vincenzo Bellini in the historic center of Catania. By train: Catania Centrale station is approximately 1.5 km away. By plane: Catania-Fontanarossa Airport is about 7 km away, connected by AMTS buses. By car: paid parking is available nearby; please note the limited traffic zone in the city center.
Tickets
Box office in Piazza Vincenzo Bellini, tel. +39 095 316150, email [email protected]. Subscriptions start from approximately 99 euros for the concert season; a 30% discount is available for those over 60. Individual tickets and subscriptions can also be purchased online via the official website.
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Where does it take place — Teatro Bellini Concerts and Recitals
Teatro Massimo Bellini
Via Giuseppe Perrotta 12, 95131 Catania