Italy's mountains become a wonderful theatre for authored concerts on the peaks. This summer two music festivals are scheduled in Trentino-Alto Adige and Piedmont: I suoni delle Dolomiti and Musica in quota.
Summer is on its way — the best time to head to the mountains, perhaps to attend one of the music festivals held on some of the most beautiful peaks in northern Italy. On 16 June, Musica in quota opens on the Piedmontese Alps, and on 30 June I suoni delle Dolomiti in Trentino-Alto Adige. Two unmissable events for anyone who loves trekking and quality music.
The mountain becomes one of the most evocative natural stages imaginable, and the number of festivals held at high altitude is steadily growing, featuring high-quality concerts reached, more often than not, after a trek through woods, rocks and breathtaking scenery. Indeed, listening to live music often comes after a slow, unhurried journey to the destination, along ever-changing routes suited to experienced hikers and casual enthusiasts alike. Once at the summit, visitors will be astonished by the panoramas of this stretch of the Alps, complemented by the warm hospitality of the mountain-hut keepers who, once the music is over, will serve up the typical gastronomic specialities of the mountains.
The star turns of "Musica in quota" are the mountain pastures of this part of Piedmont — in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola — which boasts truly unique and distinctive corners: on Saturday 19 May, one of the most evocative spots in the area, the Sacro Monte Calvario di Domodossola — a Unesco World Heritage Site — becomes the stage for the official presentation of the entire festival. In practice, however, Musica in quota gets under way on 16 June with the only sunset concert (all the others are scheduled for 11.30 am), and will tour the most beloved mountains and valleys of this part of Piedmont: from Pian d'Arla, in Val Grande, to the small village of Bordo in the lush Valle Antrona, and on to the Alpe Cicerwald — a magnificent terrace framed by the spectacular eastern face of Monte Rosa.
In July there are four concerts: the festival heads to the Val Grande national park at Alpe Parpinasca and Alpe Prà, then to Colma di Toceno in Valle Vigezzo, and back to the gateway of Val Grande at the panoramic Alpe Ompio. At the height of summer, not to be missed are the concerts at Alpe Cortevecchio, followed by dates at the higher altitudes of the Diga dei Sabbioni in Valle Formazza and at Alpe Monscera in Val Bognanco, for the hugely popular concert on 14 August. The festival closes with Alpe Aleccio in Valle Antigorio and a grand finale on the panoramic terrace of the Santuario della Madonna del Sasso, perched above Lake Orta.
The music, on the other hand, is as varied as can be: jazz, choirs, accordion, guitar and percussion to satisfy the tastes of all hikers, who can attend the concerts free of charge.
Perhaps the best-known mountain music festival – now in its twenty-third edition – I suoni delle Dolomiti has for years been bringing the most celebrated international musicians to high altitude; they, just like the trekking audience members, make the journey on foot to the natural stage where the concert will take place. An idea greatly appreciated by both artists and audiences alike, capable of creating a unique atmosphere, especially at the dawn concerts. Here, mountain enthusiasts, music lovers and simple admirers of beauty come together to satisfy their desire for nature and harmony.
Every edition features major names from the national and international scene among its artists; below are our picks. Not to be missed at the opening of the programme, on 30 June, is Graham Nash at Rifugio Micheluzzi in Val di Fassa: an American musician who, both as a solo artist and alongside David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Neil Young, shaped the musical landscape from 1969 onwards through a continuous dialogue between rock, folk, pop, singer-songwriter and even jazz. For jazz enthusiasts, there is an intriguing project that builds a bridge with the singer-songwriter tradition, dedicated to Lucio Battisti: it is called Pensieri e parole (3 August at Villa Welsperg at the foot of the Pale di San Martino) and is a tribute to a unique artist – intimate and lyrical, sophisticated and popular at the same time – featuring Peppe Servillo, Javier Girotto, Fabrizio Bosso, Furio Di Castri, Rita Marcotulli and Mattia Barbieri.
The Dolomites dawn is always, in our view, the most moving appointment: this year it will be Maria Pia Devito & Ensemble Burnogualà accompanying us as the sun rises (at 6 am) on Col Margherita in Val di Fassa. A continuous stream of surprises: dances, squabbles, sounds, carnival cycles, serenades and compositions – such as the Moresche by Orlando di Lasso – languages, dialects, improvisations and even imitations of instruments and animal calls.