Noon and afternoon concerts

In 2025, the Noon Concerts return to their historic home at Teatro Caio Melisso, expanding their program with an additional afternoon programming. This year’s lineup showcases musicians from the festival’s two resident orchestras—the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Budapest Festival Orchestra—alongside a special appearance by the string quartet and percussion ensemble of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala.

A dedicated Lieder recital series brings some of the most acclaimed voices on the international stage. French soprano Sandrine Piau, accompanied by pianist David Kadouch, will perform a program featuring Ravel’s Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques. German baritone Benjamin Appl, joined by pianist James Baillieu, pays tribute to the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Bass Matthew Rose explores the Anglo-American song repertoire, while mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre and lutenist Thomas Dunford trace three centuries of love songs, from the court of Louis XIV to Satie’s Gymnopédies.

Representing the pinnacle of Chinese string quartet excellence, the Amber Quartet presents works by Puccini, Zhang Zhao, Wang Liping, and Debussy. Raffaele Pe and his ensemble, La Lira d’Orfeo, pay homage to Alessandro Scarlatti on the 300th anniversary of his death.

Making his festival debut is Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino, a 29-year-old virtuoso whose extraordinary talent bridges classical music and electronic engineering. With over a million subscribers on his YouTube channel Cateen, he has captivated audiences worldwide.

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