Stresa Festival: five evenings of music and fine food across the Borromean Islands and the Rocca di Angera

The refined and sublime sounds of the Stresa Festival will once again resonate through Terre Borromeo’s open-air spaces and palaces this year, which will host five evenings of the musical event, now in its 65th edition. From 16 July to 9 September, the festival will bring Lake Maggiore to life with twenty-four events encompassing jazz, early music, classical and electronic music.

 

“Four musical islands — jazz, young, antiqua and classic — through which to discover music and artists who have left a mark of humanity and beauty across the globe,” is how Mario Brunello, director of the Stresa Festival, describes the programme. The events scheduled on Isola Bella and Isola Madre, and at the Rocca di Angera, will take place on 22, 24 and 25 July, and 20 and 27 August.

 

Isola Madre opens the programme on Wednesday 22 July, when the Loggia del Cashmere will host the Kebyart saxophone quartet with a programme ranging from Rameau and Schubert to Widmann. Isola Bella, meanwhile, will take centre stage for two evenings in the Piazzale delle Armi: on 24 July with Accordi e Disaccordi, and on 25 July with the trio led by double bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons. On 27 August, Ensemble Sjaella will return to the evocative Salone Nuovo of Palazzo Borromeo. The all-female vocal ensemble captivated audiences last year with Head Heart. Finally, at the Rocca di Angera on 20 August, the duo comprising violinist Ilya Gringolts and harpsichordist Francesco Corti will pay tribute to Bach, father and son, against the spectacular backdrop of the Sala della Giustizia.

 

To make each concert a complete experience, Terre Borromeo offers visitors the opportunity to begin the evening with an aperitif or dinner at its restaurants — Delfino on Isola Bella and Piratera on Isola Madre — as well as at the Belvedere café at the Rocca di Angera. The aperitif option includes a selection of tempting savoury local delicacies, paired with cocktails and classic favourites from the world of Italian mixology.

 

For those wishing to enjoy an even more complete evening, the dinner option begins with a welcome glass of Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Crede and offers a choice of three tasting menus: a meat menu featuring saffron risotto with burrata and basil, followed by sliced beef steak with rocket and Grana Padano; a fish menu featuring calamarata pasta with perch, followed by whitefish in a herb and white-bread crust; and a vegetarian menu beginning with a buffalo mozzarella Caprese salad, followed by seasonal grilled vegetables and Piedmontese tomino cheese. Each menu also includes a homemade dessert, mineral water and espresso.

 

The food and wine offerings have been designed around the festival timetable and the dedicated transport services to the islands, allowing guests to reach the concert venue with ease after dinner or an aperitif.

 

Bookings are available through the Festival box office or using the following contact details:
Email: boxoffice@stresafestival.eu
Telephone: 0323.31095