Settenovecento Festival

The Settenovecento Festival in Rovereto

The Settenovecento Festival is one of the most original classical music events in Trentino-Alto Adige. Every September, it brings a rich program of concerts, meetings, and narrated events to Rovereto, in the province of Trento, animating the city's theaters, palaces, and historic courtyards. Conceived and organized by the Associazione Filarmonica di Rovereto ETS, the festival is designed to introduce a wide audience to great music, using accessible language and affordable ticket prices.

A journey across the world's seas

The distinctive hallmark of Settenovecento is the thematic thread that links every edition. The 2025-2027 three-year period is dedicated to a geographical exploration of great musical realities, with a different sea serving as a compass each year: the North Seas in 2025, the Mediterranean in 2026, and the Atlantic in 2027. Through music, the audience is guided along the coasts and traditions of the peoples that these seas both unite and divide.

Concerts, chamber music, and storytelling

The program alternates grand symphonic concerts at the Teatro Zandonai—the heart of Rovereto's cultural life—with intimate chamber music performances in the Camere da scoprire (Rooms to Discover) series, hosted in the city's palaces, libraries, cloisters, and museums. There are also narrated encounters called Storie di Cornice, which explain classical music in an engaging, educational way, alongside free previews dedicated to the voices and repertoires of the year's theme.

Young performers and the Philharmonic Orchestra

One of the festival's most beautiful features is its focus on young musicians: alongside established soloists and ensembles, new generations take the stage as part of the Settenovecento Philharmonic Orchestra and the Apprendista Musicista (Apprentice Musician) project. The festival thus becomes a living laboratory where tradition dialogues with the energy of the younger generation.

Rovereto, city of culture

Nestled in the Vallagarina valley among the Marzemino vineyards, Rovereto has always been a city with a strong cultural vocation, home to composer Riccardo Zandonai and several important musical institutions. The Settenovecento Festival fits perfectly into this tradition, offering residents and visitors a September filled with music spread across the most evocative locations in the historic center.

• Where: Rovereto (TN), Teatro Zandonai and historic venues in the center
• When: Mid-September, every year
• Organizer: Associazione Filarmonica di Rovereto ETS
• Admission: Affordable tickets, free previews