Schlern Music — Chamber Music under the Schlern

A chamber music festival in the heart of the Dolomites

Schlern Music is a chamber music festival held every two years in May in the municipality of Fiè allo Sciliar (Völs am Schlern in German), in the province of Bolzano, Trentino-South Tyrol. The name pays homage to the Schlern (Sciliar), the iconic mountain that dominates the Alpe di Siusi, under whose unmistakable silhouette the concerts come to life. The festival offers a rare experience: world-class chamber music performed not on a traditional stage, but in historic farmhouses, castles, and unconventional spaces nestled in the landscape.

Artistic Direction

Since 2024, the festival has been led by South Tyrolean flutist Chiara Tonelli and conductor and cellist Philipp von Steinaecker. Their vision has revitalized the event, inviting leading personalities of the European music scene to Fiè allo Sciliar for an intense week of musical encounters. The program boldly favors lesser-known chamber music works, pairing great classics with 20th-century scores.

International Performers

Schlern Music's widespread stage features a rotation of chamber music legends and principal players from major European orchestras. Expected musicians include names such as Veronika Hagen (Hagen Quartet) and Volker Jacobsen (founder of the Artemis Quartet), alongside soloists and chamber musicians from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the Camerata Salzburg.

Unique and Evocative Locations

What makes the festival unique is the choice of venues: music leaves the concert halls to resonate in charming, atmospheric settings. Featured locations include the Edelansitz Zimmerlehen, the authentic Stanglerhof farmhouse, an old barn converted into a listening room, a carpentry workshop in St. Anton, and Castel Prösels (Schloss Prösels), which traditionally hosts the closing concert. A concert dedicated to children in the local library completes the program, introducing the youngest to live music.

Free Admission

One of the hallmarks of Schlern Music is that all concerts are free: access is open and direct, aiming to make high-level chamber music a shared heritage accessible to both residents and visitors of the Dolomites.

A Celebration of South Tyrolean Identity

Organized by the Fiè allo Sciliar Tourist Association, the festival weaves together excellent musical culture and the identity of a bilingual territory, Trentino-South Tyrol/Südtirol. The backdrop of the Alpe di Siusi, rustic farmhouses, and castles provide a natural echo to a repertoire ranging from Mozart and Brahms to Schubert, Britten, and Penderecki.