Pontino Music Festival
Grand chamber and contemporary music between the Castello Caetani in Sermoneta and the Pontine abbeys
About Pontino Festival
A historic festival in the heart of the Agro Pontino
The Pontino Music Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious classical and chamber music events in the Lazio region. Its origins date back to 1963, when Lelia Caetani launched the first musical seasons at the Castello di Sermoneta; in 1970, the newly founded Campus Internazionale di Musica Foundation of Latina—led for over fifty years by architect Riccardo Cerocchi—took up the legacy, transforming the festival into an international landmark. Names such as Goffredo Petrassi, historically linked to the festival, have shaped its artistic identity.
The venues: Castello Caetani, abbeys, and villages
The festival is itinerant by nature, touching the most evocative spots in the province of Latina: the beating heart is the Castello Caetani in Sermoneta, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Lazio, alongside the cloister of the Valvisciolo Abbey, the Fossanova Abbey in Priverno, the Circolo Cittadino Sante Palumbo in Latina, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Sermoneta, and the Sala Zuccari of Palazzo Caetani in Cisterna di Latina. Listening to a string quartet in a fortified courtyard or under the Gothic vaults of a Cistercian abbey is an experience that blends music, art, and landscape.
The 62nd edition (2026)
From July 3 to 28, 2026, the festival offers over twenty concerts. The opening at Castello Caetani is a tribute to Goffredo Petrassi with the Ensemble Tubilustrium and the Filarmonica Sabina conducted by Marcello Panni. The program also features violinist Davide Alogna with Enrico Pace, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet, the Trio Rinaldo (2025 Farulli Prize), the Quartetto Lyskamm performing Schubert and Webern, and the Jazzphony Sextett with a tribute to Italian opera featuring Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini.
The International Contemporary Music Meetings
A distinctive moment of the festival is the International Contemporary Music Meetings (July 9-13, 2026), dedicated in 2026 to György Kurtág for his centenary and to Alessandro Solbiati for his 70th birthday, featuring performers like Maria Grazia Bellocchio, Emanuela Piemonti, and the Quartetto Maurice. A unique event in Italy for those who love the music of our time.
The Sermoneta Masterclasses
Running alongside the concerts are the famous International Masterclasses, which have attracted young musicians from all over the world to Sermoneta since 1965, under the guidance of top-tier masters like Andrea Lucchesini. The final student concert on July 28 at Castello Caetani ideally closes the circle between great performers and new generations.
Music and territory
Supported by the Municipality of Sermoneta and the Lazio Region, the festival also promotes the heritage of the Agro Pontino through guided tours of the concert venues in collaboration with the association Meraviglia APS. A perfect opportunity to discover the Lepini villages and the Pontine countryside in a setting of musical excellence.
Pontino Festival — edition 2026
62nd edition: July 3-28, 2026
The 62nd Pontino Music Festival offers over twenty concerts in the most evocative locations of the province of Latina, with an official opening on Friday, July 3 at 9 PM at the Castello Caetani in Sermoneta: a tribute to Goffredo Petrassi with the Ensemble Tubilustrium and the Filarmonica Sabina «Foronovana» conducted by Marcello Panni. The festival, presented by president Elisa Cerocchi as an invitation to make music a «tool for dialogue», concludes on July 28 with the concert by the students of the masterclasses.
Key events include: Davide Alogna and Enrico Pace (July 4), the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet (July 5), the Trio Rinaldo (July 8), the International Contemporary Music Meetings (July 9-13) with tributes to György Kurtág and Alessandro Solbiati, the Quartetto Lyskamm performing Schubert and Webern (July 14-15 between Castello Caetani and Valvisciolo), the concert in memory of Maria Teresa Cerocchi (July 16), and the Jazzphony Sextett at the Fossanova Abbey (July 19). New for 2026: guided tours of concert venues with the association Meraviglia APS.
Programme Pontino Festival 2026
Main program
- July 2 — Preview, free admission with fundraising
- July 3, 9 PM — Castello Caetani, Sermoneta: tribute to Goffredo Petrassi, Ensemble Tubilustrium and Filarmonica Sabina «Foronovana», conductor Marcello Panni
- July 4 — Davide Alogna (violin) and Enrico Pace (piano)
- July 5 — Accademia di Santa Cecilia Wind Quintet
- July 8 — Trio Rinaldo (2025 Farulli Prize), Circolo Cittadino of Latina and Sermoneta
- July 9-13 — International Contemporary Music Meetings: tributes to György Kurtág (100 years) and Alessandro Solbiati (70 years), with Maria Grazia Bellocchio, Emanuela Piemonti, and the Quartetto Maurice (concerts on July 10 and 11); presentation of the Treccani Encyclopedia of Contemporary Music
- July 14, 9 PM — Castello Caetani: Quartetto Lyskamm (Schubert, Quartets No. 9 and No. 13; Bach/Solbiati)
- July 15, 9 PM — Cloister of Valvisciolo Abbey: Quartetto Lyskamm (Webern, Bagatelles; Schubert, «Death and the Maiden»)
- July 16 — Church of San Michele Arcangelo, Sermoneta: concert in memory of Maria Teresa Cerocchi, with Ivos Margoni (violin) and Nicola Possenti (piano) — sonatas by Janáček, Beethoven, Debussy
- July 19 — Fossanova Abbey: Jazzphony Sextett, tribute to Italian opera (Verdi, Puccini, Rossini)
- July 28 — Castello Caetani: final concert of the masterclass students, piano class of Andrea Lucchesini
Highlights Pontino Festival 2026
Prices Pontino Festival 2026
Practical information — Pontino Festival
Getting there
Sermoneta can be reached by car via the SS7 Appia or the SR148 Pontina (Latina Scalo exit); the nearest train station is Latina Scalo (Rome-Naples line), about 10 minutes from the village. Concerts are also held at the Valvisciolo Abbey, the Fossanova Abbey (Priverno), in Latina, and in Cisterna di Latina.
Tickets
Tickets range from 5 to 15 euros depending on the concert. Reservations via WhatsApp at +39 329 7540544 or by emailing [email protected].
Contacts
Fondazione Campus Internazionale di Musica — tel. +39 0773 605551, [email protected], www.campusmusica.it.
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Where does it take place — Pontino Festival
Castello Caetani