Modena BelCanto Festival
The festival celebrating the Italian voice, from Baroque to contemporary, in the city of Pavarotti
About Modena BelCanto
A festival for the Italian voice
The Modena BelCanto Festival is the event that, every autumn, transforms the Emilian capital into the capital of opera singing. Born in 2024 following the experience of Modena Città del Belcanto (active since 2016), the festival inherits the musical legacy of a city that was the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni, making it the heart of an international cultural project. The event takes place in the Municipality of Modena, in the province of Modena, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna.
A journey through tradition and experimentation
What distinguishes the festival is its ability to combine historical memory with openness to new languages: alongside Baroque oratorios and titles from the great operatic repertoire, there is space for world premieres, forays into theatre, dance, musical cinema, and contemporary music. It is a journey that starts from the Baroque origins of the Italian voice and reaches the most current scene, without ever losing the thread of bel canto.
The festival's venues
The heart of the event is the Pavarotti-Freni Municipal Theatre, but the performances take place in many venues across the territory: the Church of Sant'Agostino and the Church of San Carlo, the Estense Gallery, the Sala Truffaut in Modena; the Ducal Palace of Sassuolo and the Pierangelo Bertoli Auditorium; the Municipal Theatre of Carpi and the Teatro del Popolo of Concordia sulla Secchia. A widespread network that brings classical music to the most evocative places in the province of Modena.
Training and new talents
A cornerstone of the project is training: the festival was also created to combine advanced training for singers with live opera production. Masterclasses and advanced courses — including those associated with the name of Raina Kabaivanska — give young performers the opportunity to take the stage alongside established artists, in a dialogue between generations that is the true hallmark of the event.
Why it's worth the trip
- A programme ranging from Baroque to contemporary music, with world premieres and original commissions.
- Internationally renowned performers alongside young talents from the Vecchi-Tonelli Conservatory.
- Exceptional venues among historic theatres, churches, and ducal palaces in the Modena area.
- An immersion into the operatic tradition of the city of Pavarotti and Freni.
Modena BelCanto — edition 2026
The 2026 edition is the third edition of the festival and bears the title «Metamorphoses of Bel Canto. The Italian Voice from Baroque Origins to Contemporaneity». The programme explores the transformation of the Italian voice through the centuries, with Giuseppe Verdi as the central figure in the year of the 125th anniversary of his death, viewed not as a commemoration but as the architect of the transition from bel canto tradition to modern theatre. Alongside Verdi, a section is dedicated to the Este Baroque and Modenese musical culture, with a broad look at the 20th century and contemporary music.
The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Modena with the Teatro Comunale Foundation, the Fondazione di Modena, and the Vecchi-Tonelli Conservatory, and takes place in Modena, Sassuolo, Carpi, and Concordia sulla Secchia.
Programme Modena BelCanto 2026
Opening — September 16
- «The change was incessant» — a concert around the heroines of Georg Friedrich Händel, with Carmela Remigio, Raffaele Pe, Enrico Pagano, and the Canova Orchestra.
Baroque and Este
- «La costanza trionfante» by Antonio Vivaldi, for the first time in a semi-staged version, curated by Federico Maria Sardelli.
- «A casa Bononcini — Ingenuity, dramas, and delights», dedicated to one of the most important families of Modenese musical culture.
- «From Bohemia to the Duchy of Modena», on the cultural relations between Modena and Central Europe through the figures of the Köhlers.
Verdi Section (125 years since his death)
- «Literally Verdi» with Alessandro Preziosi.
- Gala Concert with soprano Anna Pirozzi, a tribute to Mirella Freni.
- «Viva Verdi» with the Balletto di Milano.
- «Messa da Requiem» conducted by Aldo Sisillo.
- Tribute to Luciano Pavarotti — October 12, in the year of the tenor's 90th birthday.
20th Century and Contemporary
- Music by Stravinsky and Ravel alongside «A lente grida», a commission by Mauro Montalbetti with text by Flaviano Pisanelli, featuring Lisel (Eliza Bagg).
- «Le maschere allo specchio» with Chiara Osella (Berio, Saariaho, Pärt, Adès, Turi).
- World Premiere — new creation by Caterina Barbieri, director of the Venice Biennale Musica, with the FontanaMIX Ensemble, closing the festival.
Cinema
- «Ma l'amor mio non muore!» (Mario Caserini, 1913) with Lyda Borelli, accompanied by a live soundtrack by Daniele Furlati.
Training
- Modena BelCanto Masterclass (supported by the European Social Fund and the Emilia-Romagna Region).
- «Filarmonie Future» — students from the Vecchi-Tonelli Conservatory and the Raina Kabaivanska courses.
Highlights Modena BelCanto 2026
Prices Modena BelCanto 2026
Practical information — Modena BelCanto
How to get here
Modena is served by the railway station on the Milan-Bologna line, a few minutes' walk from the historic centre and the Pavarotti-Freni Municipal Theatre. By car, take the Modena Nord or Modena Sud exit from the A1 motorway. The venues in Sassuolo, Carpi, and Concordia sulla Secchia are reachable by train or car from the provincial capital.
Tickets
Tickets and season tickets can be purchased at the Municipal Theatre Ticket Office (Corso Canalgrande 85, tel. 059 2033010) and online on official circuits (vivaticket.it and teatrocomunalemodena.it).
When
The festival takes place between September and November. Advance booking is recommended for major events at the Pavarotti-Freni Theatre.
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Where does it take place — Modena BelCanto
Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni
Corso Canalgrande 85, 41121 Modena