Estate Musicale Frentana

A musical tradition spanning half a century

Established in 1972, the Estate Musicale Frentana is one of the longest-running and most prestigious concert series in Abruzzo. It takes place in Lanciano, an art city in the province of Chieti in the heart of the Frentano territory, and is organized by the Associazione Amici della Musica Fedele Fenaroli, a non-profit organization recognized by the Abruzzo Region in 1990 and named after the great Lanciano-born composer Fedele Fenaroli. Today, the festival is a cornerstone of the national music scene, with a program that extends well beyond the summer, from June through to the New Year's concert.

A rich and multidisciplinary program

Each edition offers dozens of events spanning various genres: symphonic concerts with the Orchestra dell'Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese, chamber music, jazz with the popular EMF Jazz Week, sacred and baroque music, singer-songwriter performances, and original musical theater productions. The educational project is an integral part of the festival: the Fedele Fenaroli international youth orchestra, specialized masterclasses, and the Lanciano International Guitar Seminar, in collaboration with Hunter College in New York, bring young musicians from all over the world to Lanciano.

Concert venues

• Teatro Fenaroli — the city's 19th-century jewel, the heart of the season
• Torri Montanare — an evocative outdoor setting for major summer concerts
• Chiostro del Parco delle Arti Musicali — the association's headquarters and home to chamber music events
• Chiesa del Purgatorio and other historic churches — for sacred music and inaugural concerts

A festival rooted in the territory

The Estate Musicale Frentana is much more than just a series of concerts: it is a cultural institution that, for over fifty years, has combined high artistic quality, youth training, and the promotion of Lanciano's historic heritage. Collaborations with the Gioventù Musicale d'Italia, the Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese, and international institutions confirm the festival's leading role in the musical calendar of Abruzzo and the entire peninsula.