Cusiano Early Music Festival
Early music on period instruments between San Giulio Island and Lake Orta
About Cusiano Festival
The Early Music Festival of Lake Orta
The Cusiano Early Music Festival is one of the longest-running and most prestigious cultural events in Piedmont. Founded in 1983 by Elena Bollatto and promoted by the 'Vittorio Cocito' Friends of Music Association of Novara, it has spent over four decades championing the rediscovery of early repertoire performed on period instruments with historically informed practices. The festival takes place in Orta San Giulio, a picturesque village in the Province of Novara overlooking Lake Orta, and will reach its 43rd edition in 2026.
Festival Venues
The strength of the Cusiano Festival lies in the dialogue between the music and its host venues, all of great historical and scenic value. Concerts are primarily held in the Sala Eleonora Tallone on San Giulio Island, accessible by boat, and the Romanesque Basilica of San Giulio, a jewel of medieval art. The final weeks move to the Palazzo Penotti Ubertini, in the heart of Orta San Giulio. The island's atmosphere, suspended between sky and lake, gives the concerts an almost mystical dimension.
Two Complementary Paths
The program is structured along two parallel tracks. The evening concerts are entrusted to internationally renowned performers and range from Renaissance polyphony to the early 19th century, featuring music by Victoria, Couperin, Monteverdi, Mozart, Beethoven, Händel, Vivaldi, and Bach. The Midday Interludes are short noon appointments dedicated to young European talents, ranging from bel canto to chamber music: a precious opportunity to hear the emerging voices and instrumentalists of the music scene.
Tradition and Training
Beyond the concerts, the festival maintains a commitment to education: the 2026 edition opens with a piano masterclass by Ettore Borri dedicated to Italian piano repertoire, concluding with a student concert. On June 21st, the village also hosts the traditional Music Festival (Festa della Musica), with a series of free concerts open to the public. For early music enthusiasts and those wishing to discover Lake Orta during a particularly charming period, the Cusiano Festival remains an unmissable event of the Piedmontese summer.
Cusiano Festival — edition 2026
The 43rd edition of the Cusiano Early Music Festival is spread over four weekends in June, with a dual path: the Midday Interludes entrusted to young European performers and the concerts dedicated to the repertoire from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century. The festival is preceded by Ettore Borri's piano masterclass (May 30-31) and includes the Music Festival on June 21 with free concerts.
Programme Cusiano Festival 2026
Masterclass — May 30-31
- Piano masterclass by Ettore Borri dedicated to Italian piano repertoire, concluding with a student concert.
First weekend — Saturday, June 6
- Midday Interlude (Sala Eleonora Tallone, San Giulio Island): "Bel canto between Mozart and Puccini", with soprano Chiara Sorce and pianist Leal Rodrigo.
- Concert (Basilica of San Giulio, 5:30 PM): "St. John Passion", the Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae conducted by Monsignor Massimo Palombella with polyphonies by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Sunday, June 7
- Midday Interlude (Sala Tallone): "From Clementi to Rachmaninoff", with pianist Luigi Toma.
- Concert (6:00 PM): "L'Apothéose de Lully" by François Couperin, with soprano Federica Napoletani, flutist Laura Nudo, violinist Francesco Facchini, and harpsichordist Gian Luca Rovelli.
Music Festival — June 21
- Free concerts open to the public in the village of Orta San Giulio.
The program continues in the following weekends at Palazzo Penotti Ubertini, with music by Monteverdi, Mozart, Beethoven, Händel, Vivaldi, and Bach. The complete calendar is published on the official website of the Associazione Amici della Musica "Vittorio Cocito".
Highlights Cusiano Festival 2026
- The "St. John Passion" with the Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae conducted by Monsignor Massimo Palombella in the Basilica of San Giulio.
- "L'Apothéose de Lully" by Couperin performed on period instruments.
- The Midday Interludes featuring young European talents.
- Ettore Borri's piano masterclass.
Prices Cusiano Festival 2026
Practical information — Cusiano Festival
How to get there
Orta San Giulio can be reached by car from the A26 motorway (Borgomanero or Gravellona Toce exit) and by train via the Orta-Miasino station on the Novara-Domodossola line. San Giulio Island is reached by scheduled boats departing from the Orta pier.
Tickets
Evening concerts: 23 euros (full price), 18 euros (reduced, under 25 and over 65). Midday Interludes: 10 euros. Daily pass (interlude + concert on the same day): 30 euros. Tickets can be purchased online via Vivaticket or on-site one hour before the start of the shows.
Information
Associazione Amici della Musica "Vittorio Cocito", via dei Cattaneo 15, Novara. Tel. +39 0321 031518, email [email protected]. Orta San Giulio Tourist Office: 0322 905163.
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Where does it take place — Cusiano Festival
Isola di San Giulio - Sala Eleonora Tallone