Friends of the Festival Concert — Stresa Festival

An off-program concert in the hills of Lake Maggiore

The Friends of the Festival Concert is the special "off-program" event that the Stresa Festival dedicates every summer to its supporters and all organ music enthusiasts. The setting is the Parish Church of San Maurizio, in the small village of Gignese, in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (VB), nestled in the hills overlooking Stresa and Lake Maggiore, in Piedmont. While the main festival brings life to the Borromean Islands and the historic palaces along the Piedmontese shore of the lake, this concert offers a more intimate and quiet moment, far from the crowds, inside a charming village church.

An organ of cultural significance

The heart of the evening is the church's organ, an instrument of great historical and symbolic value. Built by the Mascioni workshop in Varese and inaugurated in 1944, in the midst of the Second World War, it stands as a testament to a courageous act of faith in the future during extremely difficult times. To honor the memory of this bold endeavor, organist Emanuele Carlo Vianelli—who served as principal organist of the Milan Cathedral from 2004 to 2024—returns every year to make the Gignese instrument resonate.

A high-profile program

Each edition features a unique program, built around a theme that connects Italian organ music to the great European traditions. The repertoire ranges from sacred music to the great composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting the tonal characteristics of a vintage instrument within the church's acoustics. The choice of the Church of San Maurizio is no coincidence: the intimate environment and the quality of the organ allow for a listening experience of rare intensity.

The Stresa Festival

The Stresa Festival is one of the most prestigious musical events in Piedmont and Northern Italy, active for over sixty years. Held between July and September, it alternates sections dedicated to jazz and world music with a grand season of classical and operatic music, featuring concerts in the most evocative locations of Lake Maggiore, from the Borromean Islands to historic palaces. The Friends of the Festival Concert represents one of its most characteristic appointments, blending artistic quality, historical memory, and accessibility: admission is, in fact, free.

Why it is worth visiting Gignese

• A free organ concert in a historic church.
• A performance by an internationally renowned artist like Emanuele Carlo Vianelli.
• A vintage instrument of great cultural value, a symbol of resilience and hope.
• The opportunity to discover Gignese, a village also known for its Umbrella and Parasol Museum, and to enjoy the panoramic views of Lake Maggiore.