Music/dance
Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
The South Tyrolean capital of Bolzano, recently designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music, is once again preparing to host one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural events in the summer of 2025: the Bolzano Festival Bozen. Each year, the festival brings together exceptional creative talents, as students from top international music academies collaborate with world-class soloists and conductors to present concerts of the highest artistic quality. Throughout the city, the air is filled with the energy of discovery and shared passion for classical music.
Bolzano Festival Bozen is more than a series of concerts – it is a unique cultural platform that unites four key components of the city’s musical identity: the Antiqua Festival of Early Music, the Gustav Mahler Academy, the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, and the two prestigious youth orchestras-in-residence, the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Founded by Claudio Abbado, these ensembles symbolize a shared European vision and have found their summer home in Bolzano. The festival offers a rich and diverse program, where young talent and legendary musicians come together to rehearse, perform, and inspire.
Among the highlights of the 2025 edition are the final rounds of the renowned Ferruccio Busoni Piano Competition, a performance by Sir John Eliot Gardiner with the Mahler Academy Orchestra as they explore the authentic soundscapes of early 20th-century music, and the celebrated cellist Pablo Ferrández – often referred to as “the new Yo-Yo Ma” – performing with the European Union Youth Orchestra under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. Also appearing are violinist Sayaka Shoji with the Bolzano String Academy, and acclaimed performers Alina Ibragimova and Renaud Capuçon, who will join the EUYO and GMJO under Iván Fischer and Manfred Honeck, respectively.
For a festival whose founding motto is “music and youth,” it’s only natural that children and young audiences are not just welcomed, but encouraged to attend. In 2025, the festival’s family-friendly offerings are being expanded even further. Children are often far more open to classical music than one might expect. In fact, during the so-called “open-eared” phase – typically the first ten years of life – they show remarkable receptiveness and curiosity, even toward complex or contemporary works. This makes it an ideal time to introduce them to the world of classical music in an engaging, meaningful way.
On August 14 at 7:30 PM at the Bolzano Municipal Theatre, the European Union Youth Orchestra will perform with violinist Alina Ibragimova under the direction of Iván Fischer. Prior to the concert, there will be a special introduction to the evening's program, focusing on Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Audiences will explore the Russian folktale that inspired the famous ballet and, with help from the musicians, learn to recognize musical motifs that will reappear during the performance. This introduction will be presented bilingually in Italian and German.
Another special opportunity will take place on September 6 at the Bolzano Municipal Theatre (time to be confirmed), when the public is invited to attend the orchestral rehearsal for the Busoni Competition’s grand final. Since the final performance, accompanied by the Haydn Orchestra, is traditionally sold out and broadcast live on Italian television and streamed worldwide, this rehearsal offers young music lovers a rare chance to experience the intensity and behind-the-scenes atmosphere of a major international event. The theatre will be abuzz with activity, as the RAI sets up its equipment and prepares for the live transmission. Broadcast professionals will be on hand to explain how a concert is brought to audiences across the globe.
