International Festival "Homage to the Piano Art of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli"

An international piano festival in Val di Rabbi

The International Festival "Homage to the Piano Art of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" is one of the most important classical music events in Trentino. Dedicated to the memory of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995), one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, the festival brings high-level concerts to numerous Trentino valleys every summer. In the municipality of Rabbi, in the Province of Trento, the evenings are held in the evocative church of San Bernardo, located in the village of the same name in Val di Rabbi, within the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park.

The church of San Bernardo, a historic venue

The church of San Bernardo in Rabbi is one of the festival's most beloved venues: an intimate space with a serene atmosphere, where the sound of the piano blends with the silence of the mountains. Over the years, some of the most famous pianists on the international scene have performed here, drawing enthusiasts and tourists from across the valley and beyond.

A widespread festival across Trentino

The festival is organized by the "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" Documentation Centre, with the support of the Tourist Board of the Valli di Sole, Peio and Rabbi and the involved municipalities. Each edition offers a broad program of about seventeen concerts, distributed between Val di Rabbi, Val di Peio, Val di Sole, Val di Non, the Paganella Plateau, Vallagarina, and Alta Valsugana, between late July and late August. Over the years, the event has brought legendary piano names to Trentino such as Grigory Sokolov, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Joaquín Achúcarro, alongside emerging young talents from conservatories around the world.

Free admission and charity evenings

One of the festival's distinctive features is its accessibility: almost all concerts are free of charge, with the aim of bringing the great piano repertoire closer to both residents and the many tourists who visit Val di Rabbi during the summer. The exceptions are a few charity evenings featuring great performers, such as the recitals by Grigory Sokolov, for which a donation-based entry with mandatory reservation is required.

Why it is worth attending

Attending a festival concert in Rabbi means combining excellent musical culture with the beauty of the mountains. After a day of hiking along the trails and waterfalls of Val di Rabbi, the piano evenings in the church of San Bernardo offer a unique atmospheric finale in one of the most authentic and pristine valleys of western Trentino.