Tuscan Early Music Festival

A historic early music festival in Tuscany

The Tuscan Early Music Festival is a benchmark event for enthusiasts of early and Baroque repertoire in the Pisan territory and across Tuscany. Now in its 29th edition in 2026, the festival is promoted by the Auser Musici Association, one of the most active cultural entities in the rediscovery of 17th and 18th-century music, under the artistic direction of flutist Carlo Ipata.

Widespread concerts between Pisa and neighboring towns

The festival is structured as a network of widespread concerts involving the Municipality of Pisa and several towns in the province and Tuscany: beyond the main city, stops include Calci, with its evocative Charterhouse, Vicopisano, with its fortress and garden, and Camaiore, with the Teatro dell'Olivo. In Pisa, concerts animate some of the most beautiful spots in the historic center, such as the Chiostro della Sapienza, Palazzo della Carovana, Logge dei Banchi, the State Archives, and the San Matteo National Museum.

European early and Baroque repertoire

The program offers a journey through the centuries, styles, and landscapes of the European sonic imagination, with a scholarly yet engaging look at early and Baroque music. Alongside major traditional works, the festival highlights rare and seldom-performed scores from the 17th and 18th centuries, entrusted to ensembles specialized in historical performance practice and the use of period instruments. There is also an openness toward other Mediterranean traditions, from Moorish music to Sardinian tenore singing.

Ensembles and artists

Each edition brings together Italian and international groups. Recent seasons have featured Auser Musici, Accademia Ottoboni, the ensemble La Petite Bande de MaLoute, the Pentagonon Ensemble, the University of Pisa Orchestra, and numerous soloists dedicated to the viola da gamba, harpsichord, and Baroque singing. Special attention is also paid to inclusive projects and participatory dimensions, with opening concerts entrusted to youth and intercultural orchestras.

A cultural heritage of the Pisan territory

For the city of Pisa and for Tuscany, the Tuscan Early Music Festival represents an important piece of the summer cultural offering: it combines the enhancement of architectural and museum heritage with a high-profile musical proposal, capable of attracting both local audiences and tourists. Summer evenings in historic cloisters and courtyards provide the ideal setting for listening to early music in the very places where it was born.