Solofra City Music Festival

A festival rooted in the local community

The Solofra City Music Festival—known locally simply as the "Music Festival"—is a classical and chamber music series promoted by the Municipality of Solofra, in the heart of Irpinia, in the province of Avellino, Campania. Far from being a summer event, it takes place during the holiday season, when the town lights up for its Christmas calendar, spanning several evenings between December and early January.

The core concept is simple yet rare for a municipal event: rather than just hosting pre-packaged concerts, it creates a stage for the young musicians of Solofra, allowing them to perform side-by-side with professional instrumentalists. The result is a festival that the local audience feels is their own, as they see familiar faces on stage, while maintaining a musical standard that is surprising for a town of just over twelve thousand inhabitants.

Artistic direction by Giovanni Masi

Since 2023, artistic direction has been entrusted to local guitarist Giovanni Masi, who is also a regular performer at the festival. He curates the programs, bridging the two souls of the event: the young local students and the professional guest musicians. The latter have included, for example, guitarist Lucio Matarazzo, a renowned name in the Neapolitan guitar school, who was invited for the edition dedicated to Vivaldi.

The venues: Sala Maggiore and the Church of Santa Chiara

The festival moves between two city venues, both in the center of Solofra:

• the Sala Maggiore of the Town Hall, which hosts more intimate evenings and concerts dedicated to young instrumentalists;
• the Church of Santa Chiara, on Via Regina Margherita, part of the monumental complex of the same name: its immersive acoustics and historical setting enhance chamber ensembles, from string quartets to the harpsichord.

These are intimate spaces, making the performances a close-up experience: you can hear the breath of the instruments, and it is common to chat with the performers at the end of the evening.

The repertoire: from Vivaldi to "Beyond Classical"

The heart of the programming is classical and baroque music, but without rigidity. The December 2024 edition was built around the theme "Vivaldi: Between Strings and Chords", featuring an ensemble of string quartet, harpsichord, and guitars; the final evening in January was titled "Beyond Classical...", signaling an openness to lighter repertoires and the dialogue between different instruments—flute, violin, guitar, and piano.

Editions

• 2023 — first edition, marking the start of Giovanni Masi's artistic direction.
• December 2024 – January 2025 — second edition: the "Vivaldi: Between Strings and Chords" concert at the Church of Santa Chiara and the "Beyond Classical..." evening at the Town Hall's Sala Maggiore.
• January 2026 — the second part of the series, once again entirely dedicated to young talent, at the Town Hall's Sala Maggiore.

Solofra, the city of tanneries

Solofra is a center with an ancient tanning tradition, nestled between the Picentini mountains and the valley descending toward Salerno. Its most famous monument is the Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo, featuring an extraordinary cycle of 17th-century paintings by Francesco Guarini. The city's calendar traditionally revolves around the patronal feast in June. The Music Festival represents the winter counterpoint to that popular, festive dimension: more intimate, more refined, yet equally rooted in the community.

What to expect

• Short, focused evenings, usually held early, suitable for families.
• Local audience and families of the young musicians: a warm atmosphere with generous applause.
• Chamber ensembles—strings, guitars, flutes, harpsichord—rather than large orchestras.
• Admission has been free so far, with seating limited by the capacity of the venues.
• Part of the municipal Christmas program, allowing you to combine the concert with markets, illuminations, and children's events.