Severino Gazzelloni International Festival

A festival born for the Golden Flute

The Severino Gazzelloni International Festival is the most significant musical event in the municipality of Roccasecca, located in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of the Lazio Ciociaria. The festival was established as a permanent tribute to Severino Gazzelloni (1919-1992), a native of Roccasecca and one of the most celebrated flautists of the 20th century; his unmistakable tone earned him the nickname Golden Flute across the globe. The festival is therefore more than just a concert season; it is an act of collective memory that the community renews every year.

A widespread festival, from June to November

Unlike festivals concentrated over a few days, the Gazzelloni Festival spans most of the year. The opening, featuring a major name in Italian music, takes place in late June or early August along Via Roma, which is transformed into an open-air theater for the occasion. The calendar continues with events in August and September in Piazza Risorgimento, in Roccasecca Scalo, and in neighboring villages, concluding on November 21st—the anniversary of the Maestro's passing—with a commemorative ceremony and the announcement of the Giambattista Creati and Terra di Severino awards.

Programming and genres

The artistic direction, curated by Giuseppina Iannotta, builds a deliberately diverse program each year, capable of appealing to both classical music enthusiasts and the general public attending summer village evenings. Over the years, the stage in Roccasecca has hosted:

• symphonic and operatic concerts with regional orchestras and choirs;
• piano and chamber music recitals by internationally renowned soloists;
• jazz evenings and cross-genre projects;
• tributes to the flute performed by emerging young instrumentalists;
• dawn concerts in unique locations, such as the square in front of the Church of San Tommaso;
• performances by marching bands and military fanfares.

The 'Terra di Severino' Music Competition

Closely linked to the festival is the Terra di Severino Music Competition, reserved for young musicians and divided into several categories, judged by an international jury. The competition stages also take place outside Roccasecca, in collaboration with the Licinio Refice Conservatory of Frosinone and other local cultural institutions. This represents the educational side of the project: passing on Gazzelloni's artistic legacy to new generations, based on the organizers' belief that music is not just a profession, but a life choice.

Roccasecca, the city of Saint Thomas

Visitors arriving for the festival discover a village with a rich history. Roccasecca is universally remembered as the birthplace of Saint Thomas Aquinas and preserves the ruins of the Counts of Aquino castle perched on Mount Asprano, which overlooks the entire Liri Valley. The local calendar is vibrant throughout the year, from the Carnival and the Thomistic Celebrations in March to the Broccoletto Festival in December. The music festival thus fits into a cultural program that accompanies visitors throughout every season.

Why it's worth visiting

The Gazzelloni Festival is one of those events where the quality of the artistic proposal far exceeds the size of the host town. Listening to a great soloist on a downtown street under the summer sky of Southern Lazio, with admission almost always free, is an experience difficult to replicate elsewhere. It is also an excellent opportunity to combine a musical evening with a day trip visiting Roccasecca, the Abbey of Montecassino, and the villages of the Comino Valley.