Fanny Mendelssohn International Music Festival (MusikArte Festival)

The 13th edition of the Fanny Mendelssohn Festival presented fifteen classical and chamber music concerts over two months, from March 27 to May 21, 2026, connecting the capital and the surrounding Pisan towns. The central theme was once again the promotion of female composers, combined with the discovery of the area's artistic and architectural heritage.

The edition confirmed the festival's strong international calling, with performers from eight countries and a great variety of ensembles: duos, trios, piano recitals, and chamber groups. Each event combined the concert with a guided tour of the host venue and, in many cases, social moments featuring local product tastings.

March 27 — Inauguration (Pisa, Palazzo Blu Auditorium)

Duo with Cecilia Radic (cello, Croatia) and Luigi Tanganelli (piano, Italy). Featuring music by Luise Adolpha Le Beau, Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, and Amy Beach.

Concerts in Pisa

• Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici — duo Carmina Morellá (violin, Spain) and David Fons (viola, Spain).
• Palazzo Toscanelli — bandoneonist Fabio Furia with Marco Schirru (piano).

San Giuliano Terme

• April 24 — Hotel Bagni di Pisa — the Forte Trio, State Trio of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Villa del Lupo, Metato — Swiss duo Maggiolini-Mottini.

Cascina — "Cascina and its Romanesque Music" project

• May 8 — Pieve di San Casciano — the Smetana Trio (Czech Republic, founded in 1934).
• Church of Santi Andrea e Lucia, Ripoli — violinist Ettore Pellegrino.
• Church of San Miniato, Marcianella — accordionist Gianluca Ciampi.

Vicopisano, Uliveto Terme, Pontedera, and Coltano

• Teatro di Via Verdi (Vicopisano) — Linda Hedlund (violin, Finland) and Floraleda Sacchi (harp, Italy).
• Villa Rita (Uliveto Terme) — piano recital by Roberto Issoglio.
• Museo Piaggio (Pontedera) — Duo Degas: Gala Chistiakova (piano, Russia) and Diego Benocci (piano, Italy).
• Villa Medicea di Coltano — two concerts on the same day (at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM) with the German duo Pakusch-Weitzel.

Closing Concert (Villa di Corliano)

Béla Kovács Duo with Irene Ces (clarinet) and Manuel Tévar (piano). The program also includes a recital by the winner of the 31st G. Rospigliosi International Piano Competition, as part of the Young Talents project.

• Inauguration on March 27 at the Palazzo Blu Auditorium with the duo Cecilia Radic and Luigi Tanganelli.
• The Forte Trio, State Trio of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on April 24 at the Hotel Bagni di Pisa.
• The historic Smetana Trio from the Czech Republic (founded in 1934) on May 8 at the Pieve di San Casciano.
• Musical marathons at the Villa Medicea di Coltano, with two concerts on the same day.

Where

Concerts take place in historic sites across the Pisa area (Province of Pisa, Tuscany): in Pisa at the Palazzo Blu Auditorium, the Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici, and Palazzo Toscanelli; in San Giuliano Terme at the Hotel Bagni di Pisa and Villa del Lupo in Metato; in Cascina at the Romanesque churches; in Vicopisano at the Teatro di Via Verdi; in Pontedera at the Museo Piaggio; as well as at the villas of Coltano, Uliveto Terme, and Corliano.

How to get there

Pisa is accessible by train (Pisa Centrale station, on lines to Florence, Rome, Genoa, and La Spezia) and by air via the Galileo Galilei International Airport. By car, it can be reached via the A11/A12 motorways and the SGC FI-PI-LI expressway; the surrounding towns (San Giuliano Terme, Cascina, Vicopisano, Pontedera) are well-connected by local roads and rail.

Tickets and Reservations

Each concert is preceded by a guided tour. For tickets, season passes, free entry, and reservations, it is recommended to visit the official website www.fannymendelssohn.eu or contact the organization directly.

Contacts

Fanny Mendelssohn Music Association — tel. +39 347 6371189 / +39 347 8509620 — email [email protected]