International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo
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Industrial Valve Summit meets the International Piano Festival
From the baton of Riccardo Muti to the keys of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo has spent over sixty years curating world-class musical excellence. As the Festival embarks on its 2026 journey, Oriente & Occidente, IVS joins this celebrated tradition. This partnership represents a unique dialogue between the mastery of industrial engineering and the timeless beauty of the piano, uniting the best of our region’s heritage under a single global spotlight.
Plan Your Visit
As part of the collaboration between the Industrial Valve Summit and the International Piano Festival, we are delighted to invite our attendees to experience three world-class performances at the historic Donizetti Theatre in Bergamo. Explore the program below.
Exclusive IVS Benefit: As a valued participant, enjoy a 20% discount on all premium seating in the first sector of the stalls (Platea). Experience the pinnacle of musical artistry from the best seats in the house.
- Venue: Donizetti Theatre – Piazza Cavour 15, Bergamo (Lower City).
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Accessibility: The Theater is equipped to provide disabled access to the stalls. Accessible toilets are found in the Theatre’s ridotto.
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Parking: For those arriving by car, we recommend the underground parking lots at Piazza della Libertà or Via Borfuro.
Reservations & Information
To secure your seats and apply the discount, please contact: p.ravasio@festivalpianistico.it.
An Evening of Mastery at the Donizetti Theatre
During the week of the summit, guests will have the exclusive opportunity to attend the following concerts:
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Monday, May 18 | 8:30 p.m. Grigory Sokolov, piano Beethoven: Sonata No. 4 & Bagatelles Op. 126; Schubert: Sonata D960
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Saturday, May 23 | 8:30 p.m. Orchestra Giovanile Italiana | Antonio Pappano, conductor | Alexander Lonquich, piano Brahms: Concerto No. 1; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
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Sunday, May 24 | 8:30 p.m. Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali | Ryan McAdams, conductor | Mikhail Pletnev, piano Rachmaninov: Concerto No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Exclusive IVS Benefit All tickets in the first sector of the stalls (Platea) are available to IVS participants with an exclusive 20% discount.
63rd Festival Theme
The 63rd International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo presents its new edition, “Oriente & Occidente – Da Chopin ad Arvo Pärt” (“East & West – From Chopin to Arvo Pärt”), which will take place from April 27 to November 27, 2026. Following its exploration of the folklore of Latin countries, this edition of the Festival is dedicated to the repertoires and composers of Eastern and Slavic Europe. Alongside the immortal names of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Scriabin, audiences will also encounter the voices of Bartók, Dvořák, Janáček, and Arvo Pärt in a journey that brings together tradition and contemporaneity, as expressed in the subtitle chosen for this edition.
«The second stage of our journey takes a look at Eastern Europe. We will encounter the familiar faces of many composers. Arvo Pärt, who shared the spotlight with Beethoven at the 44th Festival, is today among the most performed and beloved living composers. We will rediscover Chopin’s Polish origins: although he spent much of his life in France—or perhaps because of it—Chopin’s music is imbued with a feeling of nostalgia for a distant and deeply cherished homeland. This sentiment is shared by many great composers from the Slavic area, resulting in a “musical tint” (to use an expression dear to Giuseppe Verdi) that seems to connect Čajkovskij with Dvořák, Mussorgsky with Rimsky-Korsakov.» Artistic Director Pier Carlo Orizio.
In memory of Gianandrea Gavazzeni on the thirtieth anniversary of his passing
The 2026 edition will also be dedicated to a figure who left a profound mark on the history of the Festival and of Italian music: Gianandrea Gavazzeni, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death. The Festival will commemorate the Bergamo-born conductor, composer, and musicologist in the second part of the Vite Parallele (Parallel Lives) project—launched last year on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the passing of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
The Maestro appeared only twice in the Festival’s program, with memorable concerts in 1990 and 1991. Nevertheless, he always remained close to the Festival through his encouragement and public expressions of esteem. “It was precisely in 1991 that the Maestro performed with the Sinfonia Varsovia in Brescia and Bergamo—this explains the significance of this return,” says President Daniela Gennaro Guadalupi. “A work by Gavazzeni will also open the La Nota in più concert on May 29, a collaboration of great artistic and social value. This is an initiative of which the Festival is particularly proud, as it reaffirms that music is not only an artistic experience, but can also serve as a tool for inclusion and connection.”
