Article posted on: November 13, 2017
One great way to ensure your school music tour inspires your students and leaves them with lifelong memories is to perform at a music festival!
Here are some of the festivals your ensemble could participate in:
Mercantia Festival, Tuscany
Time of year: Mid-July
The Mercantia Festival is a spectacular celebration of street theatre that takes place in the Tuscan hilltop town of Certaldo every year. Celebrating its 30th year in 2017, the festival is well established and draws huge crowds, making this a fantastic experience for young musicians.
All the performances take place in the town’s streets and you can be certain of drawing a large, enthusiastic crowd. Ackworth School performed at the festival in 2017 and very kindly allowed us to film their experience.
Lignano Summer Music Festival, Lignano Sabbiadoro
Time of year: July
Lignano is a hugely popular seaside resort, particularly among Italians themselves. This lovely town on Italy’s spectacular Adriatic coast provides the perfect backdrop for this summer music festival.
Performances take place on outdoor stages at key locations by the sea, including the town’s famous pier. And each stage provides professional sound and lighting equipment, ensuring that your ensemble’s performance is one that leaves them feeling inspired.
Mid Europe Festival, Salzburgerland
Time of year: Second week of July
The Mid Europe Festival celebrates the diversity of wind and brass ensembles from around the world. More than 2,500 musicians from around 15 countries descend on the town of Schladming each year to participate in the festival.
Highlights include a tattoo and the ‘Long Night of Music’. Concerts take place both outdoors and indoors at local churches and the town’s congress centre. Not only will your ensemble enjoy an unforgettable performance experience, but they’ll also learn more about the diversity of wind and brass instruments.
Canta al Mar Festival, Barcelona and Costa Brava
Time of year: Last week of October
This international choral festival is held every October in the beautiful seaside resort of Calella, on the Costa Brava. The festival is a fantastic opportunity for ensembles from all over the world to come together and perform.
You can choose to compete against other ensembles, or perform alongside them at a ‘friendship concert’. Whatever you choose, you can be certain that this will be a truly magical experience for your young musicians.
Montreux Jazz Festival, French Alps
Time of year: July
This famous jazz festival takes place every year on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It’s actually the second largest jazz festival in the world – so this really is an exciting event for young musicians to be a part of.
Although jazz is still an important component of this festival, music of all genres is welcomed. Past performers at the festival have included Ella Fitzgerald, Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison and Santana.
Lisbon Music Fest, Lisbon
Time of year: July and August
This international youth music festival welcomes bands, choirs and orchestras to perform in both in magnificent venues and on outdoor stages around Portugal’s beautiful capital city.
Performing at this music festival will not only allow your ensemble to perform in front of international audiences, they’ll also have the opportunity to watch other performers and learn from them.
Ghent Festival, Bruges and Flanders
Time of year: July
The Ghent Festival (Gentse Feesten in Flemish) was first held in 1843 and attracts around 2 million visitors every year. And, in fact, it’s not just one festival – it’s six! All of which makes this an incredibly exciting prospect for young musicians.
Whether you’re a band, choir or orchestra, choosing to perform at this festival will guarantee you a large, music-loving audience, and a performance experience that will leave your ensemble feeling confident and excited about their music.
For more information, or to request a tailor-made quote, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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