Oltre Lirica Music Festival

The Oltre Lirica Music Festival in Giovinazzo

The Oltre Lirica Music Festival is one of the most well-established musical events in the area north of Bari. Promoted by the Angeli Eventi ETS association of Bitonto and under the artistic direction of Gianni Leccese, the festival is itinerant, involving the municipalities of Giovinazzo, Bitonto, and Palo del Colle in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Puglia, in a single cultural project. The format blends the great operatic and classical repertoire with forays into contemporary music and the tradition of Neapolitan song, aiming to bring a broad and diverse audience closer to classical music.

The Giovinazzo Stage

In Giovinazzo, events take place in the Sala comunale San Felice, in the heart of the town center. In the most recent edition (the eighth, titled Classic & Contemporary '25), the Giovinazzo evenings were included in the "Natale al Centro" program organized by the Municipality of Giovinazzo, becoming one of the cultural highlights of the holiday season. The performances feature the Cameristi di Oltre Lirica ensemble, joined by various guest soloists, choirs, and ensembles.

A Program of Opera, Piano, and Song

The festival offers a varied and carefully curated musical journey, ranging from tributes to great opera composers like Vincenzo Bellini to the piano repertoire of Sergej Rachmaninov, and the classic Neapolitan songs of Ernesto De Curtis to a tribute to Renato Carosone. The evenings alternate between opera concerts, two-piano performances, choral moments, and popular music, often accompanied by cultural insights and short choreographic performances.

• Opera concerts with sopranos, tenors, and baritones accompanied by piano
• Piano recitals and concerts for two pianos dedicated to the great Romantic composers
• Tributes to Neapolitan song and classic popular music
• Participation of local choirs and big bands

A Free Community Event

One of the hallmarks of the Oltre Lirica Music Festival is its commitment to making music accessible to everyone: events in Giovinazzo are free of charge, subject to reservation, to fill the hall and engage those who do not usually frequent opera houses. The series thus serves as a meeting point between high musical traditions and the cultural life of small Apulian towns, enhancing venues like the Sala San Felice and strengthening the bond between the three involved municipalities.

Dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced: in recent years, the Giovinazzo events have been concentrated during the Christmas period, but we must await the official announcement from the organizing association to learn the calendar and program for the next edition.