LacMus Festival 2023: 7th Edition from July 6 to 17

The LacMus Festival returns from July 6 to 17, 2023.

Now in its seventh edition, this year’s Festival will explore the theme of exile.

The year 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Rachmaninoff, a composer deeply connected to Russian culture and history.

Following the February Revolution of 1917, he eventually left his homeland, never to return. His musical compositions reflect how his Russian roots continued to shape his artistic identity as he encountered a different world around him.

Throughout the Festival, Rachmaninoff’s story will be explored alongside those of other composers and artists who shared the experience of exile.

LacMus Festival 2023 Programme

The seventh edition opens on Thursday, July 6, at 9:00 PM, at Villa del Balbianello, featuring cellist Jaemin Han and pianist Louis Lortie, who will explore and compare compositions by Chopin and Rachmaninoff.

Friday, July 7, at 9:00 PM – At Villa Carlotta, piano duo Hélène Mercier and Louis Lortie will perform piano transcriptions of Stravinsky’s ballet music and Rachmaninoff’s triptych.

Ticket price: €40.

Saturday, July 8, from 8:30 PM – At Villa Melzi d’Eril, Anna Pironi, together with the Italian Opera Quartet featuring Mirela Lico, Leonard Simake, Luca Pozza and Livia Rotondi, will present a rich selection of melodies from Italian and American operas.

Ticket price: €40.

Sunday, July 9 – At Castello Durini, Illia Ovcharenko and Giovanni Bertolazzi will perform piano compositions by Liszt and Rachmaninoff.

Ticket price: €50.

Tuesday, July 11 – Two musical events will take place throughout the day.

The first, at 11:30 AM, will be held at the Abbey of San Benedetto in Val Perlana, featuring a cello recital by Luca Giovannini, who will perform a sonata composed by György Ligeti.

Admission to this concert is completely free and open to everyone.

In the evening, starting at 6:30 PM, visitors can enjoy a musical walk along a section of Como’s lakefront promenade, discovering different sounds and instruments.

The programme will range from the music of Erich Korngold to the darker, more dramatic tones of Milhaud.

Ticket price: €30.

Wednesday, July 12, at 9:00 PM – Villa Carlotta will host an evening entirely dedicated to Brahms, featuring Christiane Karg, soprano; Patricia Nolz, mezzo-soprano; Benjamin Bruns, tenor; Michael Nagy, bass; and Louis Lortie and Paolo Bressan on piano.

Ticket price: €40.

Thursday, July 13, at 9:00 PM – At Villa del Balbianello, pianist Aleksandr Kashpurin will perform two major piano works by Rachmaninoff.

Ticket prices: €60 for seats in the loggia and €30 for the garden.

Friday, July 14, at 6:30 PM – The Choir of Milan Cathedral, conducted by Massimo Palombella, will guide the audience through music associated with the liturgical calendar, from Advent to Easter.

Admission to the concert is completely free.

Saturday, July 15, at 9:00 PM – Parco Teresio Olivelli will host a concert combining piano and brass instruments.

The performers will be Andrew von Oeyen on piano and the Brassi Quintet, featuring Michele Lotito and Giovanni Perciante on trumpet, Fernando Servidone on French horn, Salvatore Fragapane on trombone and Fabrizio Della Corte on tuba.

Ticket price: €30.

Sunday, July 16, at 6:00 AM – At the park in Mezzegra, Raffaele Putzolu will perform an atmospheric early-morning recital entirely dedicated to the guitar.

Ticket price: €30.

The Festival will conclude on Monday, July 17, at 7:00 PM, in the beautiful setting of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.

The final concert will feature Markus Däunert on violin, Danusha Waskiewicz on viola, Jan Vogler on cello and Louis Lortie on piano.

Ticket price: €50.

Tickets can be purchased online through the official ticketing website or directly at the concert venue, subject to availability.