Musical Landscapes in Tuscany
ABOUT US
Paesaggi Musicali Toscani was founded in 2014 in San Quirico d’Orcia by a group of classical music lovers. The festival is supported by the Municipality of San Quirico, the cultural association Musica Insieme and the Orchestra da Camera Milano Classica. Musica Insieme has operated in the Val d’Orcia for many years as a music school, and as an organizer of cultural events throughout the year. The Orchestra da Camera Milano Classica performs in the prestigious Palazzina Liberty in Milan, and thanks to its decades of experience, offers organizational support to the festival and also performs as the festival’s orchestra in residence. Paesaggi Musicali Toscani counts on the support of numerous Italian and American friends. The artistic directors are Ariana Kim and Steven Slade.
This festival was founded in 2014. For more than a decade, internationally prestigious artists have performed in the magnificent venues of the Val d’Orcia. In 2023, a foundation was founded under the festival’s name.
LOCATION
Musical Landscapes in Tuscany is a classical music festival which features performances by great artists of international fame taking place in various venues of the Val d’Orcia, an area known as one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. In this part of Tuscany, the landscapes represent the fusion of nature’s incomparable beauty and man’s most inspirational artistic achievements, creating a harmony comparable to a great master’s musical score.
San Quirico d’Orcia is an exceptionally beautiful town, located along the Via Francigena, the route historically used by Christian pilgrims traveling to Rome from the north. San Quirico’s historical center is evidence of a rich artistic and cultural history dating back over a thousand years. The Church of the Collegiata, the Pieve di S. Maria, the Palazzo Chigi, the Horti Leonini gardens and the medieval thermal baths of Bagno Vignoni comprise the splendid venues for our concerts.
San Quirico and its surrounding areas are known for monuments and landscapes of great beauty which have become symbols of Tuscany that are appreciated throughout the world. It is in these places, surrounded by Val d’Orcia’s extraordinary vistas, that we will hold our concerts and accompanying gastronomical events, giving participants the opportunity to taste the excellent local wines and to sample dishes representing the greatest Tuscan culinary traditions. San Quirico is in the heart of an area that produces natural cured meats and cheeses, olive oil of the highest quality in the world and wine renowned internationally such as Brunello di Montalcino, il Nobile di Montepulciano, and l’Orcia D.O.C.
San Quirico is the headquarters of the Parco Artistico Naturale e Culturale della Val d’Orcia (Val d’Orcia Natural Park) which has been named a World Heritage Center by UNESCO.
THE MUSIC
There is nothing more inspirational than listening to great music in some of the most beautiful settings in the world.
Paesaggi Musicali Toscani (Musical Landscapes in Tuscany) offers that opportunity. In its eleventh year, the 2024 festival will feature music from creative giants such as Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann , Bartok and Verdi.
The memorable musical moments of the festival will be created by some of the world’s great artists performing on the stages of San Quirico and throughout the Val d’Orcia in Southern Tuscany. There will be concerts given by musicians who have graced the world’s most illustrious concert halls and recorded for the most important recording labels for decades as well as younger performers who have recently won international competitions. This year’s festival will host musicians from Italy, England, USA, Germany, Belgium, France, Finland, Israel, Russia, Argentina and Switzerland.
The 2024 edition of Paesaggi Musicali Toscani will feature three preview concerts in Rocca d’Orcia, the Tenuta Sanoner, and Bagno Vignoni. The concert at the incredibly scenic Tenuta Sanoner, in collaboration with the Accademia Chigiana, will feature the great Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo. The opening program of the festival, in the Giardino Nilde Iotti, features the Quartetto di Cremona performing works by Schumann and Bartok. The festival will proceed with a piano recital performed by Leonora Armellini; unaccompanied Bach with Marcello Scandelli in the Collegiata; a program in which co-artistic director Ariana Kim presents her latest cd, together with Roger Moseley, fortepiano, and Shane Shanahan, percussion; the concert of Scandinavian works with l’Orchestra da Camera Milano Classica and the Finnish cellist Martti Rousi; the sunrise concert with Gomalan Brass performing music from Aida; the French cello and piano duo Camille Thomas and Julien Brocal; the traditional concert and dinner in Vignoni with Ariana and Danny Kim; a return to Pienza with the early music ensemble Concerto Scirocco; the American violinist Stephanie Zyzak with the Italian pianist Irene Veneziano; and the final concert with Todd Crow, piano, Eleonora Matsuno, violin, Cosimo Carovani, cello and Mirko Landoni, horn. Paesaggi Musicali Toscani is an event organized by the Fondazione Paesaggi Musicali Toscani in collaboration with municipality of San Quirico d’Orcia and Milano Classica.
