Easter Festival

A festival bringing great chamber music to Lecce

The Easter Festival is a spring event that transforms Lecce, the capital of the Salento region in the province of Lecce (Apulia), into a vibrant hub for chamber music. Launched in 2024, the festival is organized by the Opera Prima Musical Association and curated by artistic director and cellist Ludovica Rana, a chamber music professor at the Bari Conservatory and a driving force behind musical projects rooted in the Salento area.

"Chamber music is young"

The festival's motto speaks volumes about its identity: pairing the great masters of the repertoire with talented young performers in a setting that enhances the listening experience. Each edition features three consecutive evenings spanning different eras and styles, from Viennese classicism to Nordic and Central European romanticism, right up to the most precious gems of the Italian 20th century.

The L'Appassionata Chamber Orchestra and soloists

The musical heart of the festival is the L'Appassionata Chamber Orchestra, a string ensemble that engages in dialogue with internationally acclaimed soloists. Pianists, flautists, and instrumentalists revolve around this core, tackling a program designed as a cohesive journey where each piece illuminates the next.

Iconic city venues

The evenings are held in spaces that reflect the identity of Lecce: from the Teatrino of the former Convitto Palmieri to the evocative Church of San Francesco della Scarpa in the Baroque historic center. The intimate acoustics of these venues capture all the finesse of chamber music, creating a dialogue between artistic heritage and classical repertoire.

Why it's worth attending

• A program that combines immortal masterpieces with rare, lesser-performed, yet surprising works.
• The presence of international soloists alongside emerging young talents.
• Affordable prices with discounts for students and those under 30.
• A unique setting among the churches and historic sites of Baroque Lecce.

For those who love classical music and want to discover Salento during a quiet time of the year, the Easter Festival is a precious opportunity to combine a weekend in Lecce with three evenings of high artistic quality.