OBS Concert Season – Sicilian Baroque Orchestra
The Baroque and early music season of the Sicilian Baroque Orchestra in Syracuse
About OBS Season
A Baroque season in the heart of Syracuse
The OBS Concert Season is the musical highlight that brings the city of Syracuse, in the heart of Sicily, to life from January to December. Born from the ensemble founded in 1986 by Piero Cartosio, the orchestra is one of the longest-running groups in Southern Italy dedicated to historically informed performance: 17th and 18th-century music played on period instruments and philological copies, with a special focus on rediscovering the Sicilian Baroque heritage.
Concerts spread across Ortigia and the Sanctuary
The season is defined by its variety of venues, chosen from some of the city's most evocative locations. Concerts are held at the Giovanni Paolo II Auditorium, within the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime, the Capuchin Cloister, the historic Carmine Cloister on the island of Ortigia, and the Piccolo Teatro Elvira, in addition to dinner-concerts hosted at the Grand Hotel Villa Politi. This network of spaces allows the public to discover early music while wandering through the churches, cloisters, and historic palaces of Syracuse.
A program of opera, intermezzos, and sacred music
Each edition alternates between different formats: chamber cantatas, comic intermezzos, solo concerts, a cappella sacred music, rediscovered operas, and modern-day premieres. Alongside the Baroque core, there are forays into other styles, from jazz reinterpretations of early repertoire to evenings dedicated to Latin American and Mediterranean songs, reflecting a curious and open-minded approach to programming.
- Concerts on period instruments and historically informed practice
- Venues spread across Ortigia, the Sanctuary, and the cloisters of Syracuse
- Rediscovered Baroque operas and modern-day premieres
- Italian and international guests specializing in early music
A cultural landmark for the city
Distinct from the famous summer Baroque Week, the OBS concert season represents a stable cultural presence for the Municipality of Syracuse and the entire province, with initiatives that also involve schools and younger audiences. For early music enthusiasts and visitors to the city, it is an opportunity to experience the Baroque not just as an architectural style of the UNESCO-listed Val di Noto, but as a live sonic experience.
OBS Season — edition 2026
2026 Season: The 40th Anniversary of the OBS
The 2026 edition marks the 40th anniversary of the Sicilian Baroque Orchestra, featuring a season of 13 concerts spread from January to December and dedicated to the figure of Alessandro Scarlatti. The opening is scheduled for January 6th at the Giovanni Paolo II Auditorium, with founder Piero Cartosio, violinist Carla Marotta, and harpsichordist Basilio Timpanaro.
Summer Concerts
- June 27 – Trapani, Church of S. Pietro: "Voices of the Sacred Tradition" with the Schola Cantorum Quisquinae
- July 3 – Syracuse, Carmine Cloister: "Tafelmusik" with the Accademia del Ricercare and the OBS
- July 24 – Donnafugata, Arena delle Bifore: "Besame Mucho", Latin American songs
- July 28-29 – "Il Buon Vin Mi Fa Buon Pro", comic intermezzos directed by Enzo Firullo
- August 5 – Syracuse: "La Donna Ancora è Fedele", unpublished opera by Bernardo Pasquini conducted by Fabio Bonizzoni
- August 9 and 19 – "Summer Dream" with the Insula Sax Quartet
The season also includes the CineMusicFest, a school-focused series, and the Baroque Week in August, concluding on December 8, 2026.
Programme OBS Season 2026
2026 Program (13 concerts, January-December)
- January 6 – Giovanni Paolo II Auditorium: opening with Piero Cartosio, Carla Marotta, Basilio Timpanaro
- February 14 – Grand Hotel Villa Politi: Valentine's Day dinner-concert
- June 27 – Trapani, Church of S. Pietro: "Voices of the Sacred Tradition" (Schola Cantorum Quisquinae)
- July 3 – Syracuse, Carmine Cloister: "Tafelmusik" (Accademia del Ricercare & OBS)
- July 24 – Donnafugata, Arena delle Bifore: "Besame Mucho" (Paola Modicano, Nello Alessi)
- July 28-29 – Donnafugata/Syracuse: "Il Buon Vin Mi Fa Buon Pro" (dir. Enzo Firullo)
- August 5 – Syracuse: "La Donna Ancora è Fedele" by Bernardo Pasquini (dir. Fabio Bonizzoni)
- August 9 and 19 – Syracuse/Donnafugata: "Summer Dream" (Insula Sax Quartet)
- December 8 – closing concert with Raffaella Milanesi
Highlights OBS Season 2026
- 40th anniversary of the Sicilian Baroque Orchestra
- Season dedicated to Alessandro Scarlatti
- Unpublished opera by Bernardo Pasquini conducted by Fabio Bonizzoni
- Baroque Week and CineMusicFest
Prices OBS Season 2026
Practical information — OBS Season
Location
Concerts take place in various venues across Syracuse: Giovanni Paolo II Auditorium (Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime), Capuchin Cloister, Carmine Cloister (Ortigia), Piccolo Teatro Elvira, and Grand Hotel Villa Politi.
How to get there
Syracuse can be reached by car via the A18/RA15 motorway; by train to Syracuse station; or by plane via Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, located about an hour away.
Tickets
Individual concert tickets generally range from 5 to 20 euros, with discounts for under 24/26s and over 65s. Information and advance sales are available on the official Sicilian Baroque Orchestra website.
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Where does it take place — OBS Season
Chiostro del Carmine / Auditorium Giovanni Paolo II