Musica in Villa at Villa Pignatelli
The Maggio della Musica concert series in the neoclassical Veranda of Villa Pignatelli, in Chiaia
About Musica in Villa
A museum turned concert hall
In the heart of the Chiaia district, just a short walk from the Naples waterfront, Villa Pignatelli is a 19th-century neoclassical residence that now houses the Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes Museum. Its neoclassical Veranda, overlooking the garden, offers intimate acoustics and a limited capacity of 150 seats. This is where Musica in Villa, the concert series by the Associazione Musicale Maggio della Musica, takes place every spring. The atmosphere is that of a vintage musical salon, where the audience sits just a few meters from the performers, and the barrier between stage and seating almost disappears.
The 2026 season: twenty-three concerts of classical and jazz
The 2026 edition opened on Friday, April 24 and continued through the spring until June 18, as part of a comprehensive nine-month season featuring twenty-three concerts and around forty Italian and international artists, split between Villa Pignatelli and the Darwin Dohrn Museum. The format remains the one that made the series famous: no hierarchy between classical and jazz repertoires, space for Neapolitan debuts of internationally acclaimed soloists, and constant attention to young performers.
The 2026 spring program
- April 24, 8:00 PM — Piano Duo: Paolo Jannacci and Daniele Moretto, inaugural concert.
- April 30, 8:00 PM — Peppe Servillo and Cristiano Califano, «Il fuoco che ti porti dentro», a concert-reading based on Antonio Franchini's book.
- May 7, 8:00 PM — Simone Rubino, «Marim-Bach», percussion recital, Neapolitan debut.
- May 11, 8:00 PM — evening performance in the neoclassical Veranda.
- May 17, 11:00 AM — Kevin Spagnolo (clarinet) and Simone Rugani (piano), «CineMusica».
- May 22, 8:00 PM — Orazio Sciortino, «Note eccentriche», piano solo.
- May 28, 8:00 PM — Marco Sollini and Salvatore Barbatano, «Mozart vs Rossini».
- May 31, 11:00 AM — Fiorenzo Pascalucci and Enzo Salomone, «Maestro sarà lei».
- June 7, 11:00 AM — Ars Trio, «Bohemian Rhapsody».
- June 11, 8:00 PM — Chaos String Quartet, «Sangue viennese».
- June 18, 8:00 PM — Sade Mangiaracina and Luca Aquino, «Sottovoce», closing jazz evening.
Autumn in the Villa
The season does not end with summer: from September, the series resumes at Villa Pignatelli with Sunday morning concerts, including «Tra sacro e profano» with pianist Ingrid Carbone, «Classici e neoclassici» with Francesco D'Orazio and Giampaolo Nuti, a solo recital by Uri Caine, «Il Sosia» with the duo Marco Schiavo and Sergio Marchegiani, and a tribute to Franco Battiato by the Quartetto d'Arti. Meanwhile, the Darwin Dohrn Museum hosts the autumn piano competition of the Maggio del Pianoforte, which in 2026 established the Giuseppe Fucci Prize.
Behind the scenes
The Associazione Musicale Maggio della Musica, presided over by Luigia Baratti and artistically directed by music critic Stefano Valanzuolo, operates in Naples with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Campania Region. In 2026, the series launched collaborations with the Associazione Medici di Strada and the Fondazione Murolo, the latter dedicated to a monthly cycle of guitar events from September to December. This series should be distinguished from «Pignatelli in Jazz», a separate initiative with different organizers and timing, which also takes place within the villa's grounds.
Why it's worth the trip
Few musical occasions in Campania combine the setting and the content so perfectly: a city-owned villa-museum, a wooded park on the Riviera di Chiaia, and a program that can shift from Paolo Jannacci's jazz piano to a Viennese string quartet in a single season. Seats are limited and booking is essentially mandatory, but it is precisely this small scale that makes the difference: a close-up, chamber-like listening experience that has few equivalents in Naples.
Musica in Villa — edition 2026
Musica in Villa 2026
The 2026 season of the Associazione Musicale Maggio della Musica brought twenty-three concerts to Villa Pignatelli on the Riviera di Chiaia in Naples, spread over nine months and featuring around forty Italian and international artists, between the villa-museum and the Darwin Dohrn Museum. The spring portion, which gives the name to «Musica in Villa», opened on April 24 and closed on June 18.
The common thread remained the same as always: no barriers between classical and jazz repertoires, many Neapolitan debuts, and a deliberately small hall with 150 seats in the neoclassical Veranda overlooking the garden. Among the most anticipated moments were the Naples debut of percussionist Simone Rubino with «Marim-Bach», the «CineMusica» project by clarinetist Kevin Spagnolo with pianist Simone Rugani, and the return of great chamber music with the Chaos String Quartet.
The 2026 edition also inaugurated two collaborations: one with the Associazione Medici di Strada and one with the Fondazione Murolo, in addition to the establishment of the Giuseppe Fucci Prize as part of the autumn piano competition.
Programme Musica in Villa 2026
Villa Pignatelli — Neoclassical Veranda, Spring 2026
- Friday, April 24, 8:00 PM — Paolo Jannacci and Daniele Moretto, Piano Duo (inaugural concert)
- Thursday, April 30, 8:00 PM — Peppe Servillo and Cristiano Califano, «Il fuoco che ti porti dentro»
- Thursday, May 7, 8:00 PM — Simone Rubino, «Marim-Bach» (percussion)
- Monday, May 11, 8:00 PM — evening concert of the series
- Sunday, May 17, 11:00 AM — Kevin Spagnolo (clarinet) and Simone Rugani (piano), «CineMusica»
- Friday, May 22, 8:00 PM — Orazio Sciortino, «Note eccentriche» (piano)
- Thursday, May 28, 8:00 PM — Marco Sollini and Salvatore Barbatano, «Mozart vs Rossini»
- Sunday, May 31, 11:00 AM — Fiorenzo Pascalucci and Enzo Salomone, «Maestro sarà lei»
- Sunday, June 7, 11:00 AM — Ars Trio, «Bohemian Rhapsody»
- Thursday, June 11, 8:00 PM — Chaos String Quartet, «Sangue viennese»
- Thursday, June 18, 8:00 PM — Sade Mangiaracina and Luca Aquino, «Sottovoce» (jazz)
Autumn continuation at Villa Pignatelli
- September 20 — Ingrid Carbone, «Tra sacro e profano» (piano)
- September 27 — Francesco D'Orazio and Giampaolo Nuti, «Classici e neoclassici»
- Late September / early October — Uri Caine, «Happy Birthday Uri!» (piano solo)
- October 11 — Marco Schiavo and Sergio Marchegiani, «Il Sosia»
- October 18 — Quartetto d'Arti, «Perché sei un essere speciale» (tribute to Franco Battiato)
- December 13 — Gino Zambelli and Giulio Tampalini, «La vida linda» (bandoneon and guitar)
Highlights Musica in Villa 2026
- Inaugural concert on April 24 with the Piano Duo of Paolo Jannacci and Daniele Moretto.
- The concert-reading by Peppe Servillo with Cristiano Califano, based on the book «Il fuoco che ti porti dentro» by Antonio Franchini.
- The Neapolitan debut of percussionist Simone Rubino with «Marim-Bach».
- «CineMusica» by Kevin Spagnolo, winner of the Geneva Competition, with Simone Rugani.
- The jazz closing evening on June 18 with Sade Mangiaracina and Luca Aquino.
- A hall with only 150 seats in the neoclassical Veranda: close-up listening and musical salon atmosphere.
Prices Musica in Villa 2026
Practical information — Musica in Villa
Location
Neoclassical Veranda of the Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes Museum (Villa Pignatelli), Riviera di Chiaia 200, 80121 Naples, Chiaia district.
How to get there
- Metro: The closest stations are Piazza Amedeo (Line 2) and San Pasquale (Line 6), both just a few minutes' walk away.
- Train: From Napoli Centrale, take Metro Line 2 to Piazza Amedeo; from Mergellina, it is about a fifteen-minute walk along the Riviera di Chiaia.
- Car: The area has heavy traffic and street parking is rare; private parking lots in the Chiaia-Mergellina area are recommended.
Tickets and reservations
Evening concerts (8:00 PM): full price €20, reduced €15 for over 65s and under 26s. Matinées at 11:00 AM: €10. The inaugural concert in April has a special price of €25. Capacity is limited to 150 seats: early booking is recommended by emailing [email protected] or calling the association's numbers (+39 081 5561369, +39 392 9161691, +39 392 9160934).
Tips
The venue is a museum: enter through the gate on Riviera di Chiaia and walk through the garden, so it is helpful to arrive a few minutes early. The Chiaia district offers many dining options before or after the concert, and the Via Caracciolo waterfront is just a stone's throw away for an evening stroll.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Musica in Villa
Villa Pignatelli — Veranda neoclassica del Museo Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes
Riviera di Chiaia, 200, 80121 Napoli