June of Notes

A month of music in the heart of Parma

June of Notes is the festival that every year, for the entire month of June, lights up Piazzale San Francesco in Parma, the capital of Emilia-Romagna and a UNESCO Creative City of Music. Promoted by the Municipality of Parma through the Casa della Musica (House of Music), the event brings together multiple city festivals under a single, widespread program, creating a lineup that spans different genres and styles: from opera to jazz, from classical music to electronic and contemporary sounds.

Numbers and format

June of Notes presents itself as a true extended Celebration of Music, capable of extending well beyond the summer solstice. The program is divided into 5 festivals, with a schedule exceeding 250 hours and featuring dozens of concerts, meetings, and workshops with hundreds of artists involved. The hub remains Piazzale San Francesco, but events also spread to various locations in the city, from the Casa del Suono (House of Sound) to the Portici del Grano (Arcades of the Grain), from the church of San Vitale to the Cortile d'onore of Casa della Musica.

The festivals hosted

• Festival della Lentezza (Festival of Slowness), with DJ sets, brass bands, and special guests;
• Crossroads – Voices, the jazz segment dedicated to voices, a fixture in Parma for years;
• concerts by the Festival Toscanini and the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra;
• the Festival della Parola (Festival of the Word), which intertwines music and literature;
• performances by young musicians from the Arrigo Boito Conservatory and the Attilio Bertolucci Music High School.

The European Music Festival

The symbolic heart of the review is the European Music Festival on June 21st, which around the solstice brings free music to various points in the city, following a European tradition rooted for decades. It is the moment when Parma becomes a vibrant open-air city, engaging the public, families, and enthusiasts of all ages.

A hallmark event

More than just a concert season, June of Notes is now a cultural brand for the city: a proposal that highlights the local musical institutions, provides space for emerging talents, and reaffirms Parma's vocation as Italy's capital of music. For those visiting Emilia-Romagna in the summer, it is the ideal opportunity to experience the historic center in a setting of great artistic quality and with a welcoming and participatory atmosphere.