Festival Urbino Musica Antica
Ten days of early music in the halls of the Ducal Palace
About Urbino Musica Antica
A European benchmark for early music
For over half a century, the Urbino Musica Antica Festival has been a reference point for lovers of repertoire ranging from the Middle Ages to Classicism, performed on period instruments and according to historical performance practice. The event is held in the Municipality of Urbino, in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, and is part of the cultural heritage of the Marche region: the ducal city, birthplace of Raphael and a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers the festival an unparalleled Renaissance setting.
Courses and Festival: an inseparable pairing
The festival is promoted by the Italian Foundation for Early Music (FIMA) and was born as a natural extension of the renowned International Course on Early Music. Every summer, hundreds of students from all over the world come to Urbino to attend individual morning lessons and collective afternoon activities: orchestra, consort, chamber music, polyphony, oratorio workshop, Renaissance and Baroque dance. The teaching staff brings together some of the most acclaimed Italian and international artists, many of whom then perform in the evening concerts.
Concert venues
The pulsating heart of the festival is the Ducal Palace, whose historic halls host most of the events: the Throne Room, the Hall of Angels, the Raphael Hall, and the evocative Courtyard of Honor. Other concerts are held in the oratories of the historic center, such as the Oratory of San Giuseppe and the Oratory of the Grotto, while some evenings extend to the nearby Rocca di Gradara, broadening the experience beyond the city limits.
A high-level program
The artistic direction, entrusted to Alessandro Quarta, builds a program each year that alternates major names on the international scene with emerging young performers. From Baroque violin to harpsichord, from fortepiano to viola da gamba, from Renaissance polyphony to Roman oratorio, the festival traverses centuries of music with a philological attention that makes it unique in Italy.
- Evening concerts in venues of great historical and artistic value
- World-renowned performers alongside young talents from the course
- Historical instruments and original performance practice
- A total immersion in the Renaissance culture of Urbino
Attending the Urbino Musica Antica Festival means experiencing early music in the place that best embodies its spirit: a jewel-city of the Italian Renaissance, where art, architecture, and sound merge into an unforgettable experience.
Urbino Musica Antica โ edition 2026
The 58th edition of the Urbino Musica Antica Festival confirms the formula that has made it a European benchmark: ten days of evening concerts, from July 18 to 27, 2026, held in the historic halls of Urbino's Ducal Palace, the city's oratories, and the Rocca di Gradara. Under the artistic direction of Alessandro Quarta, the program alternates world-renowned performers with young musicians trained in the international course of the Italian Foundation for Early Music.
The repertoire ranges from the Middle Ages to Classicism: Baroque violin, harpsichord, fortepiano, viola da gamba, Renaissance polyphony, Roman oratorio, and 18th-century orchestral music are presented in evenings of strong philological value, performed on historical instruments according to original performance practice.
Programme Urbino Musica Antica 2026
Saturday, July 18
- 9:00 PM โ Bach, Biber, Handel, Jones โ Rachel Podger (violin), Anna Fontana (harpsichord) โ Throne Room, Ducal Palace
Sunday, July 19
- 7:00 PM โ Beethoven, Dussek, Voลรญลกek โ Federico Ercoli (fortepiano) โ Raphael Hall, Ducal Palace
- 9:00 PM โ Fumus โ Andrรฉs Montilla Acurero, Massimo Altieri, William Socolof, Concerto Romano conducted by Alessandro Quarta โ Hall of Angels, Ducal Palace
Monday, July 20
- 7:00 PM โ Bach, Handel, Scarlatti โ Kohei Takeoka (harpsichord and organ) โ Oratory of San Giuseppe
- 9:00 PM โ Verdi prati โ Maite Beaumont (mezzo-soprano), Ensemble FIMA โ Hall of Angels, Ducal Palace
Tuesday, July 21
- 7:00 PM โ A Heavenly Noyse โ Le viole d'Urbino, Paul O'Dette โ Oratory of San Giuseppe
- 9:00 PM โ Arianna in Rome โ Carlotta Colombo (soprano), ensemble Anima&Corpo, Gabriele Pro โ Throne Room, Ducal Palace
Thursday, July 23
- 7:00 PM โ The Bachs in Berlin โ Manuel Granatiero, Marco Ceccato, Yu Yashima โ Raphael Hall, Ducal Palace
- 9:00 PM โ Dufay in Italy โ La fonte musica, Michele Pasotti โ Throne Room, Ducal Palace
Friday, July 24
- 7:00 PM โ A Pilgrim's solace โ Sophie Michaux (mezzo-soprano), Dani Zanuttini-Frank (lute) โ Oratory of the Grotto
- 9:00 PM โ La Follia! โ Ensemble Zefiro, Alfredo Bernardini โ Throne Room, Ducal Palace
Saturday, July 25
- 7:00 PM-9:00 PM โ Roman Oratorios โ Ensemble FIMA, Alessandro Quarta โ Hall of Angels, Ducal Palace
Sunday, July 26
- 9:00 PM โ Purcell, Telemann โ Orchestra FIMA โ Courtyard of Honor, Ducal Palace
Monday, July 27
- 7:00 PM โ 18th-century Naples โ Marta Pacifici (mezzo-soprano), Giulio Petrella (guitar) โ Rocca di Gradara
Highlights Urbino Musica Antica 2026
Prices Urbino Musica Antica 2026
Practical information — Urbino Musica Antica
How to get there
Urbino is not directly served by train: the most convenient station is Pesaro, on the Bologna-Ancona Adriatic line, from which buses depart for Urbino (about 45 minutes). By car, it can be reached from the A14 motorway (Pesaro-Urbino exit) following the SS73bis dual carriageway. The nearest airport is Ancona-Falconara.
Tickets
Tickets for individual concerts are available in advance; the indicative price is โฌ21.50 per concert. It is advisable to purchase tickets in advance for events in the Ducal Palace, where seats are limited.
Tips
The historic center of Urbino is entirely pedestrianized and uphill: wear comfortable shoes. Take the opportunity to visit the National Gallery of the Marche and the Birthplace of Raphael.
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Where does it take place โ Urbino Musica Antica
Palazzo Ducale di Urbino
Piazza Duca Federico, 61029 Urbino