Innamorati della Musica
The concert season by the Igor Stravinsky Association, held between the Sala delle Arti and the castles of Irpinia
About Innamorati della Musica
A musical season in the heart of Irpinia
Innamorati della Musica is the concert series organized by the Igor Stravinsky Musical Association, based in Manocalzati, a small town in the Province of Avellino, Campania, just a few kilometers from the regional capital. This is not a festival compressed into a single weekend; it is a long season that accompanies the audience from winter through summer, with events almost always scheduled on Sunday afternoons or Saturday evenings. The format feels more like a musical salon than a grand event: a few dozen seats, artists just a few meters from the listeners, spoken introductions to the pieces, and a direct connection between the performers and the audience.
The Sala delle Arti and the Terrazza degli Artisti
The heart of the festival is the Sala delle Arti at Via Provinciale 89, a space carved out among the Irpinian hills and designed specifically for chamber music: two grand pianos, highly refined acoustics, about a hundred seats, a dressing room with a digital piano, and a music library with scores and specialized volumes. The venue is accessible to people with disabilities. During the warmer months, concerts move outdoors to the Terrazza degli Artisti, where performances take place literally under the stars, and into the courtyards of local manors: the Castello di San Barbato, in the hamlet of the same name in Manocalzati, and the Castello Pignatelli della Leonessa in San Martino Valle Caudina.
The musical repertoire
The programming is intentionally diverse and shifts its register from one event to the next. Throughout a single season, you might encounter:
- Chamber music and classical repertoire: flute and piano duos, string and wind trios, four-hand piano, and cello recitals.
- Opera and singing: opera galas, tributes to great performers, and evenings dedicated to Italian belcanto.
- Jazz and soundtracks: programs that pair Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota with the suites of Claude Bolling.
- Tango and South American music: the works of Astor Piazzolla are a recurring presence in the series.
- Contemporary experimentation: evenings featuring electric and electronic sounds, as well as intersections between music, painting, and the spoken word.
The 2026 edition
The 2026 season was divided into two parts. From February to June, the winter and spring season, titled "Innamorati della Musica… per Te," occupied the Sala delle Arti with a recital by cellist Luca Provenzani, the "Italian Emotions" concert, the opera evening dedicated to mothers "Un palco all'opera," the "Classical jazz… from Morricone to Bolling" program by the duo Paolo Zampini and Primo Oliva, and the journey "From Europe to South America… Sottovoce" by Andjela Bratic and Diana Nocchiero. The summer season began on July 11, inaugurated on the Terrazza degli Artisti by the Trio Lanzini and continued in the courtyard of the Castello di San Barbato with an accordion recital by Gianluca Campi.
The Igor Stravinsky Association
Founded in Avellino in 1996 and presided over by pianist Nadia Testa, who also serves as the artistic director of the festival, the association is a regionally recognized institution and operates as a non-profit. Its achievements include the international festival "Gli Anniversari della Musica," active since 2001, as well as educational and musicological publications, recordings, masterclasses, and projects in schools across the Province of Avellino. Also in Manocalzati, at the same Via Provinciale location, the association manages the Flute Museum.
Music and conviviality
One of the most recognizable features of Innamorati della Musica is what happens after the final note. Every concert ends with a social moment with the performers, accompanied by small entertainment formats that have become a trademark of the festival, such as "Gratta la Nota" (Scratch the Note), with surprise prizes for the audience, and "sFrutta la Nota" (Enjoy the Note), featuring tastings of fresh seasonal fruit. In summer, on the terrace, the event is called "Note di gusto sotto le stelle" (Notes of taste under the stars).
Why it's worth the trip
For those visiting Irpinia, Innamorati della Musica is an opportunity to hear national and international-level musicians in an intimate setting, far removed from large concert halls. Manocalzati is located about ten minutes from Avellino and Atripalda, in an area known for its white Campanian wines—Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino—and for the hillside villages of the Sabato Valley: a musical evening can easily be combined with a day of sightseeing and tastings.
Innamorati della Musica — edition 2026
A year in two seasons
In 2026, the Igor Stravinsky Association's festival confirmed its well-established structure: a first part indoors, at the Sala delle Arti on Via Provinciale 89 in Manocalzati, and a second part outdoors, between the Terrazza degli Artisti and the courtyards of the castles in the Province of Avellino.
The winter and spring season
From February to June, the "Innamorati della Musica… per Te" cycle brought to the Sala delle Arti a recital by cellist Luca Provenzani, the "Italian Emotions" program, the opera evening "Un palco all'opera" dedicated to mothers, the concert "Classical jazz… from Morricone to Bolling" by the duo of flutist Paolo Zampini and pianist Primo Oliva, and the sound journey "From Europe to South America… Sottovoce" with flutist Andjela Bratic and pianist Diana Nocchiero, featuring works by Dvořák, Debussy, Chaminade, Morricone, and the tangos of Astor Piazzolla.
The summer season
On July 11, the festival moved to the Terrazza degli Artisti with the "Musical Salon under the stars" by the Trio Lanzini — Giovanni Lanzini on clarinet, Michele Lanzini on violin, and Elisa Lanzini on cello — performing music by Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Bizet, and Lehár. On August 1st, the courtyard of the Castello di San Barbato hosted a recital by the Genoese accordionist Gianluca Campi, nicknamed the "Paganini of the accordion," with a program titled "From Vivaldi to Piazzolla." On August 2nd, Spanish guitarist Enrique Muñoz presented the "España" recital in the hall of the Castello Pignatelli della Leonessa in San Martino Valle Caudina.
The extras
As per tradition, every evening concluded with a social moment with the artists: "Note di gusto sotto le stelle" and "Gratta la Nota," with small surprise prizes for the audience present.
Programme Innamorati della Musica 2026
Winter and spring season — Sala delle Arti, Via Provinciale 89, Manocalzati
- February 15 — Recital by cellist Luca Provenzani
- March 22 — "Italian Emotions" concert
- Spring — "Un palco all'opera," opera concert dedicated to mothers
- Sunday, June 7, 7:15 PM — "Classical jazz… from Morricone to Bolling," duo Paolo Zampini (flute) and Primo Oliva (piano): from "Once Upon a Time in the West" to Claude Bolling's Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio
- June 13 — "From Europe to South America… Sottovoce," Andjela Bratic (flute) and Diana Nocchiero (piano): Dvořák, Debussy, Chaminade, Morricone, Piazzolla
Summer season
- Saturday, July 11, 7:45 PM — Terrazza degli Artisti, Manocalzati: "Musical Salon under the stars" with the Trio Lanzini (violin, clarinet, and cello), music by Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Bizet, and Lehár; followed by "Note di gusto sotto le stelle" and "Gratta la Nota"
- Saturday, August 1, 7:45 PM — Courtyard of the Castello di San Barbato, Manocalzati: Accordion recital by Gianluca Campi, "From Vivaldi to Piazzolla" (Vivaldi, Strauss, Paganini Caprices, Morricone, Rota, Piazzolla) — free admission until seats are filled
- August 2 — Hall of the Castello Pignatelli della Leonessa, San Martino Valle Caudina: "España," recital by guitarist Enrique Muñoz
Artistic direction: Nadia Testa. Organization: Igor Stravinsky Musical Association, in collaboration with the Municipality of Manocalzati.
Highlights Innamorati della Musica 2026
- The summer opening on July 11 on the Terrazza degli Artisti with the Trio Lanzini, featuring Mozartian arias, the overture to "The Barber of Seville," and fantasies on "Carmen" and "La Traviata"
- Gianluca Campi's recital in the courtyard of the Castello di San Barbato, taking the accordion from Vivaldi's Seasons to Paganini's Caprices and Piazzolla
- "Classical jazz… from Morricone to Bolling," an evening pairing Italian soundtracks with French chamber jazz
- The tribute to Piazzolla by the Bratic-Nocchiero duo, bridging Europe and South America
- The convivial post-concert ritual with the artists, "Note di gusto sotto le stelle" and "Gratta la Nota"
Prices Innamorati della Musica 2026
Practical information — Innamorati della Musica
Where it takes place
Sala delle Arti and Terrazza degli Artisti, Via Provinciale 89, 83030 Manocalzati (AV). Some summer concerts are held in the courtyard of the Castello di San Barbato, in the hamlet of Manocalzati, and in other Irpinian manors such as the Castello Pignatelli della Leonessa in San Martino Valle Caudina.
How to get there
By car: take the Avellino Est exit on the A16 Naples-Canosa motorway, then follow signs for Atripalda and Manocalzati; the town is about 8 km from the center of Avellino. By train: Avellino station, then local bus or taxi. By plane: Naples-Capodichino airport, about an hour's drive away. Parking is available near the venue.
Tickets and reservations
Some events have free admission until seats are filled, while others require a fee. Since the Sala delle Arti holds about one hundred seats, it is advisable to contact the association in advance: phone +39 0825 622278 or +39 340 5719845, email [email protected], website www.associazionestravinsky.it.
Practical tips
Arrive a few minutes early: concerts start on time and capacity is limited. For summer evening outdoor events on the terrace or in the castle courtyard, bring a light jacket as temperatures in the hills drop quickly after sunset. For overnight stays, it is best to look in Avellino or Atripalda, just a few minutes away.
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Where does it take place — Innamorati della Musica
Sala delle Arti e Terrazza degli Artisti
Via Provinciale 89, 83030 Manocalzati