MITO SettembreMusica 2026: 60+ concerts for harmony in a divided world

The 20th edition of MITO SettembreMusica, scheduled from September 6 to 20, 2026, in Milan and Turin, will feature over 60 concerts under the theme 'Harmonia'. This edition marks the debut of new artistic director Speranza Scappucci, who aims to unite diverse cities, audiences, repertoires, and generations without erasing individual identities. The festival opens with Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' at La Scala in Milan on September 6 and at the Auditorium Rai Arturo Toscanini in Turin on September 7, performed by the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai and the Teatro Regio Torino, conducted by Simone Young. The program includes Riccardo Chailly leading the Filarmonica della Scala in works by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants performing French Baroque music by Charpentier, and Il Pomo d'Oro focusing on Monteverdi. A new commission by Paola Prestini, titled 'Kaos', inspired by Pirandello's novellas, will be premiered. The Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali will juxtapose Wagner, Mozart, and Bruch with contemporary pieces, including 'Il canto del silenzio' by Simonide Braconi and 'Chamber Symphony n. 2 Meditation' by Yevhen Stankovych. In 2026, the festival also launches the complete cycle of Beethoven's String Quartets, performed by the Quartetto d'archi del Teatro alla Scala, leading up to the composer's bicentennial in 2027. The festival aims to explore how music can foster harmony in a world marked by divisions and conflicts.