Performance and celebration

Index

Those wishing to travel around the Marche region should not fail to visit the historic cities and ancient villages when concerts and plays are being staged. It is possible to enjoy early music in the Ancona province with the Festival Cantar lontano; in Urbino there is an International festival of early music in July that combines courses specializing in various instruments. In Loreto an International choir festival takes place in April. As regards classical music at an international level, in July and August, there are two well known opera seasons:  the Sferisterio Opera Festival  in Macerata and the Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) in Pesaro. Festival Pergolesi Spontini, organized by the foundation of the same name, takes place in Jesi. Further noteworthy events are: Ascolinscena, a festival of plays presented by amateur theatre companies from all over Italy, taking place in Ascoli Piceno in winter; in Fermo you can't miss the International Violin competition “Andrea Postacchini” and both in Fermo as Ascoli Piceno area very popular is Armonie della sera, a chamber music festival. Recanati pays tribute to the great tenor Beniamino Gigli twice a year with the Commemorazioni gigliane held in March on his birthday and in November to mark the anniversary of his death. In Senigallia there is an International piano contest and in Grottammare the Liszt Festival. In recent years, numerous festivals of light and contemporary music have been organized: in Fano the well-known Jazz by the Sea festival, in Macerata in June, Musicultura, a pop and folk festival, while in Senigallia in summer the Summer Jamboree celebrates the legendary Fifties. In Ascoli Piceno and neighboring towns the concerts of the Ascoli Piceno Festival are held in summer; Ancona Jazz, the oldest jazz festival in the region; in San Severino Marche  San Severino Blues Marche Festival is held in July and in San Benedetto del Tronto  Festival Leo Ferrè is held in June, in the Fermo area the Sant’Elpidio Jazz Festival in July and August and the Music and theater chamber festival in Camerino in August. Another important musical event is the Adriatico Mediterraneo Festival, taking place in Ancona: it boasts concerts, plays, exhibitions, meetings, films and initiatives involving artists from different countries to help spread a culture of peace and cooperation among people. There are numerous events related to folk and popular music: in August Apiro hosts Festival internazionale del folclore Terranostra;  Monsano also boasts concerts featuring leading singers of popular and folk music. Castelfidardo in autumn hosts  the international Accordion Festival (PIF), one of the world's leading events dedicated to the instrument. Musicians can transform the sound of this humble instrument into unimaginable artistry.  In a region boasting 71 historical theatres, there is certainly no lack of events involving this art form. These include the seasons of classical theatre in Urbisaglia and Falerone, which last the whole summer; Renaissance theatre in Urbino in July and August; avant-garde theatre in Polverigi in June and Amandola; the summer season of the Teatro alle cave in Sirolo; from drama events of the Gad National Festival held in Pesaro to the festival known as I teatri invisibili, held in San Benedetto del Tronto in September. There is also a very popular dance festival : Civitanova Danza in Civitanova Marche, with artists coming from all over the world. Pesaro hosts every year Popsophia Festival, showcasing contemporary philosophy.

  • The Marche, a musical land

    In order to discover the great musicians you need to visit the places where they lived and pore over the documents associated with them. In Pesaro there are Gioacchino Rossini’s house and the Museo nazionale Rossini; in Maiolati Spontini you can find Gaspare Spontini museum, located in the place where the composer was born and last lived, his tomb and the Parco Celeste Erard, named after his wife; in Recanati a museum dedicated to the tenor Beniamino Gigli is housed in the Teatro Persiani. It boasts the largest collection of documents and memorabilia ever dedicated to an opera singer.

  • Theatre for children

    One of the best-known events is the International Biennial Humour in Art held in Tolentino in odd years, a traditional global appointment with satire and contemporary humour. In Grottammare a festival of humour entitled Cabaret amore mio is held in July and August. The Theatres of the World, one of Italy's  most important festivals dedicated to theatre for children, takes place in Porto Sant’Elpidio in July, while the National Festival of Theatre for Schools is held in Serra San Quirico in April-May.

  • The Marche and cinema

    Important cinema festivals take place  in the Marche region during the year. In June the International New Cinema Festival takes place in Pesaro; in July the Libero Bizzari Italian National Documentary Festival is held in San Benedetto del Tronto; in October the Fano Film Festival features independent cinema from Italy and abroad. In Ancona, in December, the Corto Dorico Film Festival features short, art-house and socially conscious films.

  • Historical theatres

    With more than 70 historical theatres – it’s easy to understand why the Marche are known as the land of theatres – opera, symphony concerts, dance and drama are staged. Most of them are splendid examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture. They range from large sumptuous ones, like those in Pesaro, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno to smaller ones notable for their original stage machinery such as the one in Offida. Some theatres are miniature masterpieces, such as the theatre in Montegiorgio and the Teatro della Rocca in Sassocorvaro. In Jesi, the Teatro G.B. Pergolesi is well-known for the decoration of its ceiling by Felice Giani; the Teatro Gentile in Fabriano has the best acoustics of all the theatres in the Marche. A permanent exhibition featuring the history of the theatre is available in the Teatro dell’Aquila in Fermo. Further historical theatres are: Le Muse in Ancona, Misa in Arcevia, La Vittoria in Ostra, La Fortuna in Fano, Comunale in Cagli with its lavish neo-Baroque forms, La Nuova Fenice in Osimo and the Mercantini in Ripatransone.