Vitulazio Piano Festival
Four days of music spread across the villas, courtyards, and squares of the Alto Casertano region
About Vitulazio Piano Festival
A festival spread across the heart of Vitulazio
The Vitulazio Piano Festival is an event that, since June 2024, has dedicated an entire long weekend to the piano in one of the most vibrant towns in the province of Caserta, in Campania. The concept is that of a "diffused" festival: there is no single stage, but rather a dozen different locations throughout the town that become, one after another, open-air concert halls. Private villas, courtyards, oratories, country farmhouses, squares, and town alleys welcome the public for a journey that shifts from evening to evening, and hour to hour.
The underlying idea is simple and generous: to take classical music out of theaters and return it to the places of everyday life—the spots that residents pass by daily without always noticing. The slogan chosen by the organizers—«where notes meet the soul of the city»—perfectly describes what happens: the piano becomes the key to rediscovering corners, facades, and urban spaces that routine tends to make invisible.
The venues: villas, courtyards, and squares
The festival map changes slightly every year, but some locations have become its hallmark. Villa Kennedy traditionally hosts the inaugural concert in a green setting that is perfect for mid-June evenings. The town squares—Piazza Croce, Piazza Riccardo II, Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII, and the Piazzetta Eduardo De Filippo—host the evening and late-night recitals, while alleys like Vico Grosseto offer intimate acoustics and a cozy atmosphere. There are also stops outside the town center, such as the Masseria Di Lillo in the Miceli area, and community spaces like the San Francesco Oratory, reserved for young students.
A deliberately eclectic program
The festival avoids the rigidity of a purely classical event. Alongside repertoire recitals, there is space for projects that broaden the scope of the instrument:
- Piano solo, featuring recitals by musicians active in both concert performance and personal research;
- Piano and electronics, in evenings that explore the relationship between acoustic keyboards and digital sound processing;
- Mixed ensembles, such as the dialogue between piano and accordion or performances that combine music and movement;
- Covers and reinterpretations, with original arrangements of well-known pieces designed for a wide audience;
- Space for youth, with a showcase dedicated to students from local music schools;
- Late-night coda, with sets that keep the piano playing until midnight in a more informal setting.
Organizers
The Vitulazio Piano Festival is promoted by the Municipality of Vitulazio and organized by the Associazione Musicale Crescendo, under the artistic direction of Maestro Salvatore Del Monte. The initiative is part of the cultural project «Vitulazio, city of music, theater, and art» supported by the municipal administration, which in recent years has made musical programming one of the town's defining identities. The festival has also joined the Festa della Musica circuit, the national network that celebrates the summer solstice with widespread musical events.
Free admission for everyone
One of the most appreciated aspects of the festival is that it is free: all concerts have free admission until capacity is reached. No reservations or tickets are required, but for smaller venues, it is advisable to arrive early as space is limited. This choice is consistent with the festival's spirit, which aims to engage not only enthusiasts but also families, the curious, and passersby.
Vitulazio and the Alto Casertano
Vitulazio is located in the Volturno plain, a few kilometers from Capua and the Matese Regional Park, in an area rich in historical landmarks and a solid agricultural tradition. The festival is an excellent opportunity to discover a town that usually remains off the tourist trail, combining listening to music with the flavors of Caserta cuisine and an evening stroll through the center. Within a few kilometers, you can easily reach Capua with its Provincial Campanian Museum, the Campanian Amphitheater of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, and the Royal Palace of Caserta.
Vitulazio Piano Festival — edition 2026
Vitulazio Piano Festival 2026: the third edition
From June 18 to 21, 2026, the center of Vitulazio transformed into a diffused stage for the third edition of the Piano Festival. Four evenings, ten locations, about twenty guest pianists and artists: the formula developed by the Associazione Musicale Crescendo, under the artistic direction of Maestro Salvatore Del Monte and with the support of the Municipality of Vitulazio, was confirmed and expanded.
The program alternated between very different styles. It opened at Villa Kennedy with «Io Sherazade», a show entrusted to four pianists; it continued with an evening combining music and wellness in a country farmhouse, a classical music recital in a villa, and a piano solo in the square; it touched on electronics, the rewriting of well-known pieces, and a late-night set; it closed with a dialogue between piano and accordion and the final recital in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII.
The municipal administration, with Mayor Antonio Scialdone and Councilor for Culture Francesco Di Gaetano, included the festival in the project «Vitulazio, city of music, theater, and art». All concerts were free of charge until capacity was reached.
Programme Vitulazio Piano Festival 2026
Thursday, June 18, 2026
- 21:00 — Villa Kennedy: «Io Sherazade», with Rosalba Vestini, Imma Battista, Massimo Trotta, and Tiziana Silvestri (inaugural concert)
Friday, June 19, 2026
- 19:00 — Masseria Di Lillo (Miceli area): «Music and Pilates», with Giovanni Di Lillo on piano and Caterina Aurilio
- 21:00 — Villa Dott. Pozzuoli: «Classical Music», recital by Raffaele Maisano
- 22:30 — Piazza Croce: «Marziani Piano Solo», with Francesco Marziani
Saturday, June 20, 2026
- 19:30 — San Francesco Oratory: «Little artists at work», showcase dedicated to young students
- 21:00 — Piazza Riccardo II: «Piano and Electronics», with Alessandro Sgobbio
- 22:30 — Vico Grosseto: «3.Piano Cover», with Sam Giacomozzi
- 24:00 — Cafè Chinaski: «PianoDj», with Beatnote
Sunday, June 21, 2026
- 19:30 — Piazzetta Eduardo De Filippo: «Between strings and bellows», with Ottavia Zempt (piano) and Rocco Iosca (accordion)
- 21:30 — Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII: «Sciabbarrasi Piano Solo», closing recital by Giovanni Sciabbarrasi
Program published on the festival's official website. All events have free admission until capacity is reached.
Highlights Vitulazio Piano Festival 2026
- Inaugural concert at Villa Kennedy with «Io Sherazade» and four pianists on stage
- «Piano and Electronics» by Alessandro Sgobbio in Piazza Riccardo II, between acoustic keyboard and digital sound processing
- «Between strings and bellows», the dialogue between Ottavia Zempt's piano and Rocco Iosca's accordion
- «Little artists at work», the evening dedicated to the youngest local students
- Midnight set at Cafè Chinaski, an informal coda to the Saturday evening
- Ten different locations including villas, a farmhouse, an oratory, squares, and alleys of the historic center
Prices Vitulazio Piano Festival 2026
Practical information — Vitulazio Piano Festival
How to get there
By car: Take the Capua Nord exit on the A1 Milan-Naples motorway, then follow the SS7 Appia towards Vitulazio (a few minutes away). Parking is available in the streets around the center; during festival evenings, some streets in the historic core may be closed to traffic.
By train: The Vitulazio station is served by the Caserta-Cassino regional line; there are direct connections from Naples or Caserta. The town center venues are within walking distance.
By plane: Naples-Capodichino Airport, approximately 45 km away.
Tickets
All concerts have free admission until capacity is reached. No reservations are required; for more intimate venues (villas, courtyards, alleys), it is recommended to arrive at least half an hour before the scheduled time.
Tips
Performances take place outdoors and move from place to place throughout the evening: comfortable shoes are the best choice to follow multiple concerts in the same night. June evenings in the Volturno plain can be chilly after midnight, so bringing a light sweater is a good idea. The updated program and downloadable brochure are published on the official website and the festival's social media channels.
Where to stay
Accommodation options in Vitulazio are limited; more facilities can be found in Capua, Santa Maria Capua Vetere, and Caserta, all less than a twenty-minute drive away.
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Where does it take place — Vitulazio Piano Festival
Centro storico di Vitulazio (sedi diffuse)