Music Festival – Harmonie Project

Music born from the sea in Menfi

In the town of Menfi, overlooking the sea in the province of Agrigento, the Music Festival takes on a truly unique form. This is where the European project Harmonie – Artistic Hub for the Musical Network and Opportunities for New Generations in Europe kicks off, a winner of the COMM/IT/GRANT 2025 call promoted by the European Commission's Representation in Italy and funded by the European Union. The event is conceived and organized by the Arturo Toscanini Conservatory of Music in Ribera, under the artistic direction of Prof. Mariangela Longo.

«The Sounds of the Sea's Wood»

The heart of the Menfi stop is the preview «The Sounds of the Sea's Wood», a performance designed to be heard aboard a fishing boat. The star is the Cello Ensemble of the Toscanini Conservatory, conducted by Maestro Luciano Tarantino. The instruments resonating over the water have a moving history: they are built from the wood of migrant boats—wrecks corroded by salt and silent witnesses to desperate crossings—transformed into cellos that restore voice and dignity to those who have crossed the Mediterranean. It is a manifesto-concert that weaves together music, memory, and hospitality in the Sicilian coastal landscape.

A widespread European project

The Menfi preview is the first in a network of events spanning Europe from June to October, reaching Sciacca, Palermo, Rome, and Prague. The common thread is the theme «The Voice of Places»: the enhancement of traditional music and cultural heritage, reinterpreted through new languages such as jazz, pop-rock, and contemporary music. Over 100 musicians from Italian and European conservatories bring the entire project to life, aiming to create an international network between conservatories, festivals, and cultural institutions while supporting young talent across the continent.

Why it's worth the trip

• A unique experience: listening to live music aboard a fishing boat on the sea of Menfi.
• The symbolic and human value of instruments made from the wood of migrant vessels.
• The official opening of a European project involving five cities and over one hundred musicians.
• The artistic quality of the Toscanini Conservatory of Ribera, a musical benchmark in Western Sicily.

Menfi, already known for its wine and Blue Flag beaches, confirms itself as a place of culture, capable of giving local heritage a European dimension through the universal language of music.