The Ravenna Festival has unveiled the main musical highlights of its 2026 summer edition, which will run from 21 May to 11 July, confirming a strong focus on large-scale orchestral concerts alongside chamber music and choral projects across the city’s historic venues.
The Festival opens on 21 May with a high-profile concert featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter, appearing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Mutter will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, with the programme completed by Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, setting the tone for a season that places the symphonic repertoire at its core.
Chamber and orchestral programmes
Later in May, the Münchener Kammerorchester returns to Ravenna under the direction of Enrico Onofri. Across two concerts on 30 and 31 May, the ensemble presents programmes spanning Pärt, Bartók, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Chopin, with pianist Arsenii Moon appearing as soloist in Chopin.
Riccardo Muti and the Cherubini Orchestra
Riccardo Muti will again be a central presence at the Festival. On 1 and 2 June, he leads the second edition of Cantare amantis est, a large-scale participatory project bringing together choir singers from across Italy for two days of rehearsals and shared music-making.
Muti also conducts his Orchestra Cherubini in two symphonic concerts. The first, on 7 June, centres on Hindemith’s Nobilissima visione, a work inspired by the life of Saint Francis. The second, on 30 June, features music by Verdi, de Falla and Ravel, continuing Muti’s long-standing engagement with the Festival.
Music across historic spaces
The summer programme comprises more than 100 performances, with music unfolding not only in Ravenna’s theatres but also in its UNESCO-listed Byzantine basilicas, a distinctive feature of the Festival’s identity. Large orchestral events coexist with chamber music, choral projects and genre-crossing performances, reflecting the Festival’s long-established eclectic approach.
Beyond the summer season
Following the conclusion of the summer programme, the Festival will return in November with its Autumn Trilogy, titled Mozart 1791. Directed by Chiara Muti and conducted by Ottavio Dantone, the trilogy will include a new production of La clemenza di Tito, the original creation L’ultimo incanto—inspired by Die Zauberflöte and Mozart’s final works—and the Requiem.
With Anne-Sophie Mutter headlining its opening night and major contributions from Muti, Petrenko and leading European ensembles, the Ravenna Festival 2026 confirms its summer season as a focal point of the Italian musical calendar.
More info here
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