Musica
Mirabilis

International Music Festival
«Giovanni Legrenzi»

Artistic direction
«Giovanni Acciai – Ivana Valotti»


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International Competition

The Festival

Clusone: an Interdisciplinary Cultural Hub

A journey of rediscovery and appreciation regarding the vocal and instrumental works of the Clusone-born composer Giovanni Legrenzi (1626–1690); this initiative will engage the local community and music enthusiasts alike in the lead-up to 2026, marking the 400th anniversary of his birth.

From the 17th century onwards, Lombardy has made a substantial contribution to the development and definition of musical styles and forms. This contribution is embodied in a vast array of vocal and instrumental compositions preserved in the music collections of major libraries, both within the region and across the globe.

THE FIFTH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL

For the 2026 concert season—the year marking the 400th anniversary of Giovanni Legrenzi’s birth—nine events are scheduled between August 14th and October 24th, 2026. These events offer a journey of discovery through Legrenzi’s musical repertoire, set in captivating cultural venues.

The concert program features a selection of Legrenzi’s masterpieces that deserve to be brought back to public attention. The program draws exclusively from the works of Giovanni Legrenzi, with performances played on period instruments.

A highlight of this significant edition is the International Conference on Giovanni Legrenzi, organised by the Italian Musicological Society, and taking place on September 26th–27th. Founded in Milan in 1964, the Italian Musicological Society (SIdM) has made the promotion of musicological research through scholarly publications the focus of its activities.

Concerts

Gallery concerti

Nova Ars Cantandi

Giovanni Acciai, director
Ivana Valotti, organ

Founded in 1998 by Giovanni Acciai, Nova Ars Cantandi is one of the freshest and most original, creative ensemble in today’s Early Music scene. Specialized in a rare, unpublished italian sacred vocal repertoire, N.A.C. is a leader team particularly admired and acclaimed for its filological, brilliant and excellent performances.
N.A.C embodies the spirit of Baroque.
For more than twenty years this team of singers and instrumentalists through its concerts enables audiences to explore a musical world full of intense emotion and rare beauty: it’s the repertoire performed in cities such as Venice, Rome, Naples in the time of Bernini, Caravaggio, Guercino, and so on.
N.A.C. records for many labels: Tactus, Stradivarius, Universal, Archiv, Naxos. Not by chance it receives regularly top ratings by the specialized Music press (Amadeus, Classic Voice, Musica, Diapason, Early Music) such as well several prestigeous awards: «Franco Abbiati» Italian Critics’ Prize as best Early Music Record of the year 2019 (CD Leo) and the nomination for the International Music Award 2017 (CD Bassani).
N.A.C. has parteciped in various international festival such as: Festival MITO, Antiqua Bolzano, Pietà de’ Turchini, Magie barocche, Oude Muziek Utrecht, Cantar di pietre, Trento Musica Antica, Orta Festival, RAI Radio3 (Lezioni di musica).
It offers a wide variety of concerts, presenting a selection of unpublished works by composers such as Stradella, Bassani, Merula, Leo, Legrenzi, Monteverdi.
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CVs of Giovanni Acciai and Ivana Valotti

Press review

Rassegna stampa 25 Rassegna stampa 24 GrooveBack Magazine 001 pp. 28-34 Rassegna stampa 23 Rassegna stampa 22

Interviews and podcasts

Venice Classic Radio | Pagina dedicata al Festival RSI MusicalBox | Intervista a Giovanni Acciai Momus. Il caffè dell'Opera | Giovanni Legrenzi, un genio dimenticato. O quasi Radio24 | Un Festival dedicato a Giovanni Legrenzi RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera | Podcast con Giovanni Acciai Venice Classic Radio | Podcast dedicato alla seconda edizione del Festival Radio.MCA | Intervisa a Giovanni Acciai RSI | Intervista a Giovanni Acciai Conferenza: Giovanni Legrenzi un ingegno musicale senza confini Venice Classic Radio | Podcast con il concerto inaugurale di Musica Mirabilis

Clusone! It's time for art and culture

Clusone, one of the main centres of the Seriana Valley, is the birthplace of illustrious musicians and artists

Clusone—a town awarded the Italian Touring Club’s “Orange Flag” and a key hub for the entire ValSeriana and Val di Scalve area—is the birthplace of many distinguished artists and musicians. 

The town boasts a rich historical, artistic, and architectural heritage that makes it a standout in the region, further enhanced by a vibrant social fabric that keeps traditions alive through events, art workshops, museums, and guided tours. 

Known as the “Painted Town” due to the numerous frescoes adorning the noble palaces of its historic center, Clusone offers a cultural itinerary that takes visitors on a journey through time and space to discover artistic masterpieces. 

Among the greatest classics of the town’s culture, several are worth mentioning. The Fanzago Astronomical Clock, recalling the movement of the Universe around us; the “Macabre Dance” fresco, located on the façade of the Oratory of Disciplini, depicting the three medieval iconographic themes of the death (the Triumph of Death, the Dance of Death, and the encounter between the living and dead); the Basilica of Santa Maria, awaiting at the top of a grand staircase, with its interior dominated by a single nave and Andrea Fantoni’s main altar; and finally, the Museum of Sacred Art and the MAT (Museum of Art and Time), are both a must visit. The MAT hosts rich collections of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and embossments by artists from Clusone, set among the galleries and the painted ceilings of Marinoni-Barca Palace. 

The personal and artistic stories of significant intellectuals from the past, both distant and recent, are interwoven with the history of Clusone, a place that continues to inspire the creativity of young artists today. 

Not to be missed


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