Pietrasanta in Concerto
The international chamber music festival in the heart of Versilia
About Pietrasanta in Concerto
A chamber music festival in the «Little Athens» of Versilia
Every summer, Pietrasanta, an elegant art town in the Versilia area of the province of Lucca, hosts one of the most prestigious events on the international chamber music scene. Pietrasanta in Concerto was born in 2007 from the vision of Belgian violinist Michael Guttman, who remains its founder and artistic director. In just a few years, it has established itself as a festival capable of attracting the world's greatest classical music performers to Tuscany.
The setting is what critics have dubbed the «Little Athens» of Versilia: a village where the tradition of marble sculpture coexists with a vibrant cultural life. Concerts are held in the Renaissance Chiostro di Sant'Agostino, an architectural jewel in the heart of Pietrasanta, and on the most important evenings, in Piazza Duomo, facing the facade of the San Martino Cathedral.
Great performers and young talents
The festival's hallmark is the meeting between concert legends and new generations of soloists. Over the years, Pietrasanta in Concerto has welcomed artists of the caliber of Martha Argerich, Maxim Vengerov, Andrea Griminelli, Pavel Vernikov, and Jing Zhao, often in unique chamber ensembles created specifically for the festival. Alongside the evening concerts, masterclasses held by the masters offer young instrumentalists from all over the world the chance to study and then perform in public, in a true generational relay that is one of the event's core spirits.
A program between repertoire and discovery
The program weaves together the great classics—Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn—with lesser-known pieces and authentic world premieres, in a formula that rewards the listener's curiosity. From Piazzolla's tango to Morricone's soundtracks, from Brazilian music to the great 20th-century repertoire, every evening has a theme and a precise identity, built around the guest artists.
Pietrasanta and Versilia
Attending Pietrasanta in Concerto also means discovering one of the most fascinating locations in Tuscany: the pedestrian historic center of the Municipality of Pietrasanta, with its art galleries, sculpture workshops, and cafes in Piazza Duomo, and just a few kilometers away, the beaches of Versilia. A festival that combines top-tier music, art, and the summer dolce vita, capable of attracting enthusiasts from all over Italy and abroad.
Pietrasanta in Concerto — edition 2026
For its twentieth anniversary, Pietrasanta in Concerto presents one of the richest editions in its history: thirteen days of concerts, from July 21 to August 2, 2026, between the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino, Piazza Duomo, and the Pieve di Valdicastello Carducci. The festival, conceived and directed by Michael Guttman, brings together world-renowned artists and young soloists from the masterclasses in Pietrasanta, in a formula that weaves together great pages of the chamber repertoire and authentic discoveries, including a world premiere of the Concerto for two violins by Jeremy Menuhin.
Programme Pietrasanta in Concerto 2026
Tuesday, July 21 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«The Stradivari House of Cremona in Pietrasanta» with Fabrizio von Arx and Kirill Troussov (violins) and the Ensemble Amici di Casa Stradivari.
Wednesday, July 22 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«An Evening with Brahms» with Michael Guttman (violin) and José Gallardo (piano): the F-A-E Sonata and Sonatas No. 2 and No. 3.
Thursday, July 23 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Musical Anniversaries: Weber 1786-1826, Britten 1913-1976» with Michael Guttman, Jing Zhao, Pierre Génisson, and the Brussels Chamber Orchestra. Music by Britten, Saint-Saëns, Glazunov, Zehavi, and Weber.
Friday, July 24 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Maxim Vengerov in concert with Sergio Tiempo»: music by Bach, Schubert, and Beethoven.
Saturday, July 25 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«A Musical Feast!» with Pavel Vernikov, Svetlana Makarova, Pierre-Henri Xuereb, Roberto Prosseda, Alessandra Ammara, Dionysis Grammenos, and the Brussels Chamber Orchestra. Music by Turina, Mendelssohn, Rossini, and others.
Sunday, July 26 — 9:15 PM — Piazza Duomo
«The History of the Festival» with Andrea Griminelli, Maria Solozobova, Michael Guttman, Jing Zhao, Maarten Vandenbendem, Philippe Thuriot, Gioele Balestrini, and the Brussels Chamber Orchestra. Music by Piazzolla, Morricone, Paganini, Prokofiev. Free admission.
Monday, July 27 — 9:15 PM — Pieve di San Giovanni, Valdicastello Carducci
«Young soloists from the violin and viola masterclasses». Free admission.
Tuesday, July 28 — 9:15 PM — Piazza Duomo
«Janoska Ensemble»: from Bach to Beethoven, Brahms, Bartók, Brubeck, and de Falla. Free admission.
Wednesday, July 29 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Kozhukhin plays Mendelssohn» with Denis Kozhukhin, Alexander Chaushian, Michael Guttman, and Jing Zhao: Songs Without Words, Cello Sonata, and Piano Trio.
Thursday, July 30 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Roots and Discoveries»: music by Bach, Menuhin (world premiere), Dorman, Bloch, and Ravel.
Friday, July 31 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«The Masters of Classicism» with Jing Zhao, David Chen-Sverdlov, and musicians from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven.
Saturday, August 1 — 11:00 AM — Duomo, Piazza Duomo
«Young soloists from the cello masterclasses». Free admission.
Saturday, August 1 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Martha Argerich and Friends» with Martha Argerich (piano), Lyda Chen-Argerich, Akane Sakai, Gabriele Baldocci, Michael Guttman, and Jing Zhao. Music by Shostakovich, Debussy, Beethoven.
Sunday, August 2 — 9:15 PM — Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
«Martha Argerich and Friends» with Martha Argerich, Lyda Chen-Argerich, Akane Sakai, Jing Zhao, Michael Guttman, and Julian Kainrath. Music by Ravel, Schumann, Lutosławski.
Highlights Pietrasanta in Concerto 2026
Prices Pietrasanta in Concerto 2026
Practical information — Pietrasanta in Concerto
Getting there
Pietrasanta is located along the Versilia coast, in the province of Lucca. The Pietrasanta train station is on the Genoa-Pisa-Rome line, just a few minutes' walk from the historic center. By car, take the «Versilia» exit on the A12 Genoa-Livorno motorway.
Concert venues
Concerts mainly take place in the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino (Via Sant'Agostino 1) and, for the most important evenings, in Piazza Duomo. Some events are held in the Pieve di San Giovanni in Valdicastello Carducci.
Tickets
Online presale via TicketOne and at the box offices of the Fondazione Versiliana (Viale Morin 16) and the Teatro Comunale di Pietrasanta on concert evenings. Info: +39 0584 265757 / +39 0584 795511.
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Where does it take place — Pietrasanta in Concerto
Chiostro di Sant'Agostino
Via Sant'Agostino 1, 55045 Pietrasanta