Festival di Primavera 2026
International Festival for school, children's and youth choirs
in collaboration with Associazione Cori della Toscana, under the label of European Choral Association, with the support of Ministry of Culture, Tuscan Region, City of Montecatini Terme
MONTECATINI TERME | Tuscany
9-11 April 2026 | Primary, junior high school and children's choirs
15-18 April 2026 | High school and youth choirs
Participation details and costs will be published shortly.
FESTIVAL THEME 2026: IN PRAISE OF FOLLY
What is life without a touch of madness?
Is reason really the best guide in all circumstances? How can we give ourselves that boost that lifts us up in search of a new perspective? Where does the courage to imagine a different world come from?
Peace, art, love, scientific discoveries, solutions to unsolvable problems, great inventions sometimes arise from impossible intuitions, and those who pursue them are often considered mad. Music takes us where reason cannot go, and there are feelings, such as friendship, that lead us to do things that the mind cannot comprehend, to overcome insurmountable obstacles. And how often does fun rhyme with upheaval, a vertigo in which the world is turned upside down, from Carnival to nonsense.
The so-called “madmen” have often taught us more about the world and ourselves than the wise: Don Quixote, Alda Merini, Hamlet, Greta Thunberg, Francis of Assisi... worthy followers of Erasmus and the madness to which he gave voice, giving us such valid arguments that even today his Praise makes us feel in good company, imperfect, unique and surprising. In a word: human.
THE FESTIVAL: GOALS AND ACTIVITIES
The main goals of the festival are training, sharing experiences and learning about the local area. The days are spent in study workshops, concerts, meetings and making new friends with choirs and participants from all over Italy and abroad. There is also plenty of time for relaxation, opportunities to visit the town of Montecatini Terme and lots of fun!
The programme includes 16 workshops led by renowned Italian and foreign teachers, guaranteeing high quality for young participants and their conductors. The musical experiences offered by the festival encompass a wide range of genres, styles, eras and cultures, culminating in exciting performances that engage singers and audiences in a choral narrative.
In addition, the Coro Lab programme is also scheduled for 2026 (from 8 to 11 April): a training course aimed at conductors, teachers and musicians with lectures to broaden their knowledge and a study tour to follow the Festival's workshops up close.
Montecatini Terme has been hosting this event for many years. It is a city with a strong tourist vocation, strategically located halfway between picturesque Lucca and splendid Florence, and not far from the coast of Viareggio. It is an important spa town, renowned for its culture, sports and tourist attractions.
Conductors, teachers and choir members, you are all invited to the 2026 Spring Festival. Feniarco, the Tuscan Choir Association, maestro Carlo Pavese, artistic coordinator of the event, and the festival team look forward to seeing you in April for the 21st edition!
🌸 Children's choir ateliers:
- David Bandelj
- Marco Barbon
- Ilaria Cavalca
- Stephan Lutermann (Germany)
- Merel Martens (The Netherlands)
- Salvatore Murru
- Serena Peroni
- Maria Carmela Ranieri
- Marianna Setti
- Sanna Valvanne (Finland/USA)
🌸 High school and youth choirs ateliers:
- Maria Ciavarella
- Raffaele Cifani
- Marleen De Boo (Belgium)
- Jacopo Facchini
- Giorgio Susana
- David Ashley (United Kingdom)
