A central figure in contemporary European jazz, Bugge Wesseltoft has long been recognized as one of the most original shapers of the jazz language, through his solo albums, projects such as New Conception of Jazz, OKWorld! and RYMDEN, as well as collaborations with artists including Sidsel Endresen, Henning Kraggerud and Henrik Schwarz.

EPSG:4326

Bugge Wesseltoft – solo

Teatro La Fenice

Paolo Carlini and Fabrizio Datteri

Carmen

Myriam Dal Don and Carlo Steno Rossi

Quartetto Fauré

Fenice e Conservatorio

Teatro Malibran

Concert conducted by John Axelrod (UNDER 35)

John Axelrod conducts Daugherty, Copland and Ives

The legendary Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest American modern dance company, takes to the stage of La Fenice – fifty-one years after its last appearance in the lagoon city – to celebrate the centenary of its foundation. Acclaimed for their exceptional technique and expressive depth, the dancers present three of Graham’s creations, all of which have gone down in the history of modern ballet, offering the rare opportunity to enter the visionary world of the great choreographer, whose legacy continues to fascinate audiences around the world. Diversion of Angels (1948), to the music of Norman Dello Joio, investigates – through three pairs of dancers – three different modes of love: romantic, mature and adolescent. Lamentation (1930), to the gloomy notes of Zoltán Kodály, is a choreographed solo, during which, with stylised movements, the dancer’s body expresses the very essence of pain. Chronicle (1936), to music by Wallingford Riegger, depicts the reaction to the threat of fascism in Europe by Martha Graham, who had previously refused to participate in the Olympics in Nazi Germany. In addition to these historic choreographies is Imagine, a new production by the American choreographer Hope Boykin, with music by Leonard Bernstein, proposed in an arrangement by Christopher Rountree.

Martha Graham Dance Company

Ton Koopman conducts Mozart

Sophia Liù

Alpesh Chauhan conducts Smetana, Kodály and Sibelius

With a career spanning 35 years, Dulce Pontes is unquestionably an essential voice for lovers of fado and music alike. A pianist, composer and performer, her worldwide success Canção do Mar, released internationally in 1993, established her as a key innovator of fado and earned her recognition as the finest heir to the great Amália Rodrigues. Her extraordinary artistic abilities, classical training and deep cultural sensibility have led her to perform across the globe and collaborate with some of the most important artists from different musical backgrounds.

Dulce Pontes 35 Anos Tour

Piccolo principe by Pierangelo Valtinoni and Paolo Madron was commissioned by Teatro alla Scala and created in 2022. It is now being staged for the first time in Venice as part of the Fenice Education programme and narrates the protagonist’s initiatory journey in search of himself, avoiding both any didactic and moralistic excess. This initiation leads him, among other things, to experience the pain of detachment and adolescent love, of which the Rose is a metaphor and to which the Little Prince dedicates all his care on asteroid B-612. Made up of a prologue, seven scenes and an epilogue, all of which form a continuum, the work is written in a simple and immediate musical language, basically tonal, which – thanks to the lightness of the orchestration – leaves in the foreground a fluent recitation against which few melodic interventions stand out. Thematic and timbre recurrences are associated with the individual characters: a delicate melopoeia – which constitutes the main theme – reflects the adolescent protagonist, played by a light soprano (or a white voice); a similar vocal register characterises the Rose, which presents itself with a fascinating musical sequence; a deep bass is given the role of the Pilot, who being a dreamer sometimes sings melodies with a ‘suspended’ tone; a mezzo-soprano that of the Fox, who sings‘ snappy ’musical phrases like his races; finally, a baritone is in the role of the Serpent, who draws sinuous and elusive singing lines. These are choices that will undoubtedly have an effect, intended not only for the youngest but also the ‘little child’ hiding in every adult.

The little prince (Fenice Education)

Markus Stenz conducts Rebel, Haydn and Schumann

Lohengrin

His long-standing collaboration with legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell spanned more than fifteen years and included contributions to seven of Harrell’s last thirteen albums. Through these collaborations and recordings, Grissett has established himself as a masterful interpreter and improviser, seamlessly blending modern innovation with the depth of the jazz tradition. He launched his solo career in 2006 with Promise, his acclaimed debut on Criss Cross Jazz. The album received widespread critical praise: All About Jazz called it “one of the best maiden voyages that I have heard in years,” while AllMusic highlighted his “effortless brilliance,” naming him “one of the top three young pianists on the contemporary scene.” Over the following decade, Grissett released six additional recordings, balancing trio projects with extensive sideman work alongside jazz greats and leading contemporaries such as Louis Hayes, Lenny White, Buster Williams, Lage Lund, Marcus Strickland, and Jimmy Greene. His 2017 album Remembrance, released on Savant Records, received a four-star review from DownBeat Magazine. His latest recording, Travelogue (Savant, 2025), has been hailed as a career highlight, praised for its “melodic clarity,” “impressionistic beauty,” and “elegant balance of lyricism and precision.” Reviews from All About Jazz, The Jazz Word, and Jazz Weekly celebrate the trio’s expressive interplay and refined compositional voice. With Travelogue, Grissett reaffirms his status as one of today’s most distinctive pianists and composers, bridging soulful warmth with sophisticated modern design

Danny Grissett trio

Born in London in 1992, British guitarist Tom Ollendorff is one of the most distinctive young voices on the international jazz scene. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he was awarded the Yamaha Parliamentary Jazz Scholarship in 2015.

Tom Ollendorff Quartet - Where in the World

Marina de Liso, Francesco Galligioni and Roberto Loreggian

Federico Fiorio & Karalis Antiqua Ensemble

Besides her impressive online presence on YouTube, where her videos for the company Thomann enchant millions of bass fans, she is now dedicating herself more intensely to jazz in collaboration with David Helbock. In fall 2025, the duo will release a new album on the internationally renowned label ACT Music. The album promises a fascinating mix of calm, dreamy original compositions and groovy jazz pieces that carry the unmistakable style of Helbock and Hofer, further enriched by exciting guest musicians, Lorenz Raab on trumpet, Veronika Harsca on vocals and Mahan Mirarab on guitar. With inventive effects, rhythmic percussive elements on the piano, and the dynamic switch between Cello and E-Bass, this duo promises an extraordinary sound experience and a musical journey full of emotions and innovations.

David Helbock / Julia Hofer Duo

Elia Cecino in recital

Ars Trio di Roma

Evgeny Kissin in concert

Antonii Baryshevskyi is a Ukrainian pianist and a winner of the First Prize in some of the most prestigious international piano competitions such as Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, “Premio Jaen”, and F. Busoni International Piano Competition

Antonii Baryshevskyi in recital

Ottone in villa

Axel Trolese in recital

Enrico Bronzi

Constantinos Carydis conducts Guiraud, Koukos, Berlioz

Chaos String Quartet

Opera recital (Francesco Meli, Luca Salsi e Nelson Calzi)

Andrea Barrios Trio

Trio Orelon

Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica

La traviata

Davide Alogna e Enrico Pace

Ian Bostridge e Roberto Prosseda

As part of the Fenice Education project – dedicated, in particular, to the public of schools, the younger generation and families – we have the world première at the Malibran Theatre of Piccolo Orso e la montagna di ghiaccio [The little Bear and the ice Mountain], the new ecologically-minded work, created by the composer Giovanni Sollima – known to the public for his ‘green’ commitment, as well as for his curiosity, which pushes him to explore new expressive frontiers contaminating different genres – together with Giancarlo De Cataldo, the former magistrate turned author who penned the libretto. This artistic partnership is returning to Teatro La Fenice after its success with Acquaprofonda – another opera focussing on environmental protection –, and winner of the Premio Filippo Siebaneck. Based on solid scientific documentation, the authors’ aim is to raise awareness among young people about the inescapable problem of glacier melting; the libretto and the staging have been developed in accordance, envisaging the use of certified, recycled or reusable materials. The new opera is also a contribution to the initiatives undertaken by the UN in this regard – the celebration, in 2025, of the International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers and, starting from 21 March of the same year, of World Glacier Day – as well as those of the Cultural Olympics of Milan Cortina 2026.

Little Bear and the Ice Mountain (Fenice Education)

Simon Boccanegra

Vincenzo Milletarì conducts Martucci, Skrjabin, Rimskij-Korsakov

The apex of Tchaikovsky’s creativity for dance, together with Swan Lake, The Nutcracker was commissioned by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, impresario of the Imperial Theatres, who in the wake of the success of Sleeping Beauty, strongly advocated renewed collaboration between the choreographer Marius Petipa and the composer Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskij, commissioning both a ballet and an opera. The result was the single act Iolanta and in fact, The Nutcracker Suite and Iolanta were performed on the same evening in December 1892, on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The ballet is based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Nussknacker und Mausekönig (Nutcracker and King of the Rats, 1816), which Petipa transformed into the enchanted scenario of a real fairy tale, concealing the disconcerting and disturbing thrill of the literary source with a graceful and childish tone. It will be staged in a new version created by the Canadian choreographer Wayne Eagling in collaboration with Solymosi Tamás: the interpretation will be entrusted to étoiles, first dancers, soloists and dance corps of the Budapest National Opera, for whom the choreography was specifically designed.

Nutcracker

Alexander Lonquich, Ilya Gringolts, Enrico Bronzi, Tommaso Lonquich, Irena Kavčič, Patricia Kopatchinskaja

Dobrawa Czocher, a Polish cellist and composer who ranks among the most original voices on the new European scene, explores a sonic landscape where classical composition, electronic music, and contemporary sensibilities converge in a personal and visionary language. With her refined and experimental approach, she has established herself on major international stages, distinguishing herself through her interpretive intensity, creative freedom, and a rare ability to push the expressive boundaries of the cello

Dobrawa Czocher in concerto

Enrico di Borgogna

Kety Fusco is one of the most remarkable figures on the new European scene: a harpist, composer, and performer, she has transformed her solid classical training into a platform for radical innovation, redefining the sound and imagery of her instrument. Her visionary and magnetic performances have taken her to leading international stages, establishing her as a unique figure for her boldness, exploration of timbre, and stage presence

Kety Fusco in concerto

Trio Kobalt

Together with Norma Winstone, he recorded three CDs for the prestigious ECM label, earning a Grammy Awards nomination. MINIATURES is his solo piano and percussion album, also released on ECM (June 2016). Glauco Venier’s latest recording, Quartetto Nuovo, recorded and produced at Stefano Amerio’s Artesuono studios, is a journey through his original compositions — a fresh and engaging blend of melodies and rhythms that also highlights the individual artistic personalities of the collaborators: talented young musicians who share not only his musical vision but also his geographical roots

Glauco Venier Quartetto Nuovo

Corrado Rovaris conducts Honegger, Piazzolla and Mozart

Continuing his original path in the world of opera, with Venere e Adone (2021) Salvatore Sciarrino revisits a Greek myth – as he did with his first opera, Amore e Psiche (1973) –, although his reinterpretation takes on a different perspective to the classic narrative. This new work, which, not uncoincidentally bears the subtitle Naufragio di un mito [Shipwreck of a myth] – does not focus so much on the love between the  capricious goddess and the supreme shepherd-symbol of beauty, but on the Monster (the traditional boar) who, in Sciarrino’s version, causes the death of Adonis after literally kissing and caressing him to death, after being pierced by Cupid’s javelin – shot by Adonis himself – which aroused in the ‘beast’ an irrepressible impulse of love towards those who have struck him. This is how the jealous Mars carries out his revenge since he is also in love with Venus: by providing Adonis with the fatal arrow through his son Cupid. With one final twist, the monstrous creature and the young hero mutually transform into each other. Who triumphs at this point? Love or death? This is the dilemma facing the author, and in this opera he demonstrates that he has honed his minimalist language, aimed at investigating the border between sound and silence or rather, how to educate to a ‘zero degree’ of listening, through a score that is characterised by the sophisticated use of the voice with plenty of sighs, whispers, and glissando in the context of diffused syllabic song.

Venere e Adone

Morricone Night

Piazza San Marco

Sofi Paez, a Costa Rican pianist, singer, and composer based in Berlin, is one of the most sensitive and captivating figures on the new international scene, blending neoclassical, songwriting, and atmospheric electronic music. Her music, intimate and luminous, gives shape to a suspended emotional universe, in which the piano becomes a space for confession, memory, and delicate transformation

Sofi Paez in concerto

Cornelius Meister conducts Strauss, Dvořák and Brahms

Grigory Sokolov

L’elisir d’amore (The Love Potion) premiered at Teatro della Canobbiana, Milan, on May 12, 1832. Its score, abounding in charming melodies, is arguably the most pleasing that Donizetti ever wrote in the comic genre. In the first act, the self-introductory tirade for the quack Doctor Dulcamara and his duet with the poor lad Nemorino, who is hopelessly in love with the fickle village belle Adina, are remarkable for animation. Highlights in the second act are the chorus, “Cantiamo, facciam brindisi”; the barcarole “Io son ricco e tu sei bella”; the quartet “Dell’elisir mirabile”; the duet between Adina and Dulcamara “Quanto amore”; and finally the delicate ballad for Nemorino “Una furtiva lagrima”, a stalwart in the tenor repertoire.

L'elisir d'amore

Ettore Pagano e Massimo Spada

Performed for the first time at Teatro Dal Verme in Milan on 21 May 1892, Pagliacci is a manifesto of the Giovane Scuola. However, the grim story narrated by Leoncavallo develops through a musical dramaturgy with characters that were remarkably innovative for that period, so much so that they can be considered an anticipation of aspects that will be found in a reworked form in early twentieth century theatre. The fall of the so-called ‘fourth wall’ – with the appearance outside the curtain of the Prologue, which disqualifies the theatrical conception of the author –, the tragic reality that bursts onto the scene of the comedy, when Canio’s jealousy results in the double murder of Nedda and her lover, are all precursors of Pirandello’s ‘metateatro’ or theatre within theatre. In the same way, the crime of passion, physical deformity as a sign of inner perversion, and the squalid life of comedians are all themes that are present in this single act, all of which will be found in various authors of early twentieth century Expressionism: from Berg to Hindemith, and the pair Brecht and Weill. As for the Commedia dell ‘Arte stock characters evoked by Leoncavallo’s tale, they in particular will go on to be a source of inspiration for composers such as Malipiero, Strauss, Busoni, and Casella. All of this shows that, his immediate melodic appeal aside (a mention of ‘Vesti la giubba’ suffices, which is so popular with the general public), the masterpiece of the Neapolitan composer deserves a more careful evaluation.

Pagliacci

Quartetto Rilke

Alessandro Carbonare, Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna

Daniele Callegari conducts Bizet and Čajkovskij

Neil Thomson conducts Rimsky-Korsakov, Rodrigo and Elgar

The musicians are classically-trained performers deeply interested in the process of creative expression… of looking INSIDE and OUT… with intensity at things, searching for echoes, resonance – insights. They have been playing together since 2008 and have not, in that time, lost their love of experimentation. Rich and colourful compositions from both musicians can be heard, inspired improvisation and intuitive musicality unite to become a harmonious entity while unimaginable sounds are coaxed from the instruments

Stockhausen - Weber - Heral - INSIDE OUT

Particularly intriguing is the diptych, presented at the Teatro Goldoni, composed of The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti and – staged for the very first time now in Venice – Trouble in Tahiti by Leonard Bernstein: two single acts, which satirise certain recurring quirks in American society around the middle of the twentieth century. The hilarious The Telephone ridicules one of the small vices of the time: telephonic prolixity. The absolute protagonist is Lucy who communicates, over the phone, with Margaret – singing neoclassical arias à la Stravinsky – or with Pamela – singing to the rhythm of a polytonal waltz – or with Ben – accompanied by a ‘romantic’ clarinet. Lucy’s melodic élan is accompanied by an extensively lively orchestra in a largely tonal context. In Trouble in Tahiti, his ‘operatic debut’, a young Bernstein offers a gloomy and disturbing picture of society and, at the same time, of his family, with hints of almost self-punishing sarcasm. Through the marital crisis of a well-to-do bourgeois couple, Dinah and Sam – who represent the musician’s parents – Bernstein not only publicly shames the post-war, consumerist and elitist American society, but the American Dream itself. In this short but rather ‘dark’ musical – where a vocal jazz trio comments on the vicissitudes of the two protagonists – the great Lenny stands out with the refined eclecticism of his language – which sees the Tahiti rumba side-by-side with American swing – foreshadowing masterpieces, such as Candide and West Side Story.

The telephone & Trouble in Tahiti

Teatro Goldoni

The Kammerballett Hamburger debuts in Venice. Founded in 2022 by Edvin Revazov, with the valuable support of Isabelle Rohlfs and John Neumeier, to react to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and welcome displaced Ukrainian dancers with the language of art, the ensemble aims to connect its repertoire of classical and contemporary dance to socially relevant themes. Eight dancers will be performing at the Malibran Theatre, – accompanied on piano by Michal Bialk – in two choreographies by John Neumeier, a master at combining classical tradition and modern forms in his creations and expressing himself with a highly personal language. The first is Hamlet Connotations, to the music of Aaron Copland, testimony to Neumeier’s interest in the famous Shakespearean tragedy which was a source of inspiration to him for various dance performances over the years: starting with Hamlet Connotations (1976) up to the most recent Hamlet 21 in 2021. The second is Petruška Variations, a ballet, also from 1976, modelled on Igor Stravinsky’s Trois mouvements de Petrouchka.

Hamburger Kammerballett

In 2024 and 2025 the Marcin Wasilewski Trio is celebrating their 30th of their extraordinary music journey. Established in 1990 by 15 years old students of music high school: pianist Marcin Wasilewski and bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz, who were joined in 1994 by drummer Michal Miskiewicz (17 years old at the time), has been playing in this unchanged line-up ever since. The trio has achieved international recognition for their exceptional talent and ability to captivate audiences, leaving a lasting impression with their powerful and emotionally charged performance with depth and sheer musicality.

Marcin Wasilewski trio

Choreographers and dancers Simone Repele and Sasha Riva bring their moving production Dear Son to the stage of Teatro Malibran. At the heart of this poignant work lies a story of memory and hope — the portrait of a family devastated by the loss of a son who has gone to war. Past dreams and future aspirations are shattered, suspended in a present marked by stillness and sorrow.

Dear Son

Pavel Berman and Maria Meerovitch

Concert conducted by Alfonso Caiani

A tribute by the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra conducted by Giacomo Loprieno, dedicated to the genius of Hans Zimmer and his most iconic film scores.

Teatro La Fenice

Jun 7, 2026

Dobrawa Czocher in concerto

12 - 20 Jun, 2026

Enrico di Borgogna

Jun 15, 2026

Kety Fusco in concerto

Jun 17, 2026

Trio Kobalt

Jun 19, 2026

Glauco Venier Quartetto Nuovo

Jun 6, 2026

Bugge Wesseltoft – solo

4 - 5 Jun, 2026

Paolo Carlini and Fabrizio Datteri

Teatro La Fenice

Teatro La Fenice

Jun 7, 2026

Dobrawa Czocher in concerto

12 - 20 Jun, 2026

Enrico di Borgogna

Jun 15, 2026

Kety Fusco in concerto

Jun 17, 2026

Trio Kobalt

Jun 19, 2026

Glauco Venier Quartetto Nuovo

Jun 6, 2026

Bugge Wesseltoft – solo

4 - 5 Jun, 2026

Paolo Carlini and Fabrizio Datteri

Teatro La Fenice

Glauco Venier Quartetto Nuovo