Monteverdi Festival 2026

Powerful, complex female figures, capable of determining the course of history: this is where the Monteverdi Festival 2026 takes shape, in Cremona - the birthplace of Claudio Monteverdi, recognized as the inventor of opera - from June 7 to 21, anticipated by a gala concert with international singing star Cecilia Bartoli on May 28. 

Under the theme"Sing to me, O Diva!", the 43rd edition has four opera titles on the bill: L'incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi, Le nozze di Teti e Peleo by Francesco Cavalli -proposed for the first time in modern times on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the death of Monteverdi's pupil composer-, Dido and Æneas by Henry Purcell and Teodora Imperatrice by Mauro Montalbetti, a new commission of the Monteverdi Festival. A program, with more than 30 appointments, that confirms Cremona as one of the European hubs dedicated to Baroque music and musical theater.

With four operatic titles, new productions and first performances in the modern era, the Monteverdi Festival 2026 presents a facility strongly focused on musical theater, a true Opera Festival.

THE CARTELLON 

Thursday, May 28, 9 pm.00,  Teatro Ponchielli
ANTEPRIMA MONTEVERDI FESTIVAL, GALA CONCERT
Cecilia Bartoli, Gianluca Capuano, direction Les Musiciens du Prince - Monaco

Saturday, June 6, Town Square
EXPERIENCE 
FORTUNE IS AN INSTABLE EQUILIBRIUM
Choral flashmob dedicated to Claudio Monteverdi

Sunday, June 7, 11 a.m.00, Ridotto of Teatro Ponchielli
INSIGHT
L'OPERA SI RIVELA
Listening guide to L'incoronazione di Poppea by C. Monteverdi
Roberto Catalano, director; Paul Agnew, conductor; Alberto Mattioli, moderator 

Sunday, June 7 6 pm.00, St. Augustine's Church
VESPRO OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Leonardo García-Alarcon, director; Cappella Mediterranea

Tuesday, June 9, Places of Work, Care and Social in the Province of Cremona
MONTEVERDIDAPPERTUTTO
PRIVATE LIVE SESSION (reserved event) BY CORDE SONORE
Music by C. Monteverdi, A. Stradella.
The Soloists of Cremona Antiqua

Wednesday, June 10, 5 pm.00, Teatro Ponchielli
L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
OPEN GENERAL PROOF (event reserved for schools, organized groups of the "Great Aged," retirement homes and operators) 
Music by Claudio Monteverdi 
Roberto Catalano, director; Paul Agnew, conductor; Les Arts Florissants

Wednesday, June 10 8 pm.00, Courtyard of Palazzo Fodri
INSIGHT
LONG LIFE TO BAROQUE
Conversations on the preservation of ancient musical heritage in collaboration with the Tuscan Festival of Ancient Music

Wednesday, June 10, 9.00, Courtyard of Palazzo Fodri
CONCERTS
MUSIC, ANCELL OF POETRY
Music by C. Monteverdi, J. Peri, M. Marazzoli, F. Cavalli, M.A. Cesti, J. Melani, A. Melani
Carlo Ipata, master preparator; The Animosi of Monteverdi.  In collaboration with the Monteverdi Conservatory of Cremona

Thursday, June 11, 10 a.m.
Fondazione Claudio Monteverdi - Palazzo Cavalcabò
INSIGHT
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI NEL NOVECENTO
Study meeting dedicated to L'incoronazione di Poppea. Under the Patronage of the Ugo and Olga Levi onlus Foundation of Venice

Thursday, June 11, 9 p.m., Auditorium Arvedi - Violin Museum
DOWLAND 400
CONCERT IN OCCASION OF THE 400 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF JOHN DOWLAND
Music by John Dowland
Ian Bostridge, tenor; Kristina Watt, lute; Fretwork

Friday, June 12, 6 p.m.00, Cortili e palazzi della città di Cremona
MADRIGALI DIFFUSI (I) MADRIGAL MAP PROJECT
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Raffaele Pe & la Lira di Orfeo, Curated and performed by Raffaele Pe. In collaboration with Lodi's Orfeo Week

Friday, June 12, 9 p.m.
CONCERTS
CARMELA REMIGIO & KARALIS ANTIQUA
Musics by Claudio Monteverdi and coeval composers
Federico Fiorio, maestro concertatore; Karalis Antiqua Ensemble

Saturday, June 13, 11 a.m.00, Ridotto of Teatro Ponchielli
INSIGHT
SANTS, DIVAS, IMPERATORS
Listening guide to Theodora Empress by M. Montalbetti and H. Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
Mauro Montalbetti, composer; Barbara Roganti, director; Michele Pasotti, conductor

Saturday, June 13, 6 p.m., Courtyards and Palaces of the City of Cremona
INCURSIONS
MADRIGAL DIFFUSES (II) MADRIGAL MAP PROJECT
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
LA LIRA DI ORFEO
Curated by Raffaele Pe. In collaboration with Lodi's Orfeo Week
 
Saturday, June 13, 8:30 p.m., Teatro Ponchielli
OPERA
PREMIÈRE
L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Benedetta Torre, Poppea; Maayan Licht, Nerone; Roberto Catalano, director; Paul Agnew conductor; Les Arts Florissants.
New production and staging by Cremona's Fondazione Teatro Ponchielli - Monteverdi Festival. 

Sunday, June 14, 11 a.m., Ridotto of Teatro Ponchielli
INSIGHT L'OPERA SI RIVELA
Listening guide to Le nozze di Teti e Peleo by F. Cavalli
Chiara d'Anna, director; Antonio Greco, conductor; Alberto Mattioli, moderator
 
Sunday, June 14, 12 noon, Auditorium Arvedi - Violin Museum
EXPERIENCE
IN ANCIENT TONE
Auditions with historical instruments from Cremona's violin-making heritage. In collaboration with the Violin Museum.
 
Sunday, June 14, 6 p.m., Courtyards and Palaces of the City of Cremona
INCURSIONS MADRIGAL MAP (III) MADRIGAL MAP PROJECT
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
The Lyre of Orpheus. Curated by Raffaele Pe. In collaboration with Lodi's Orfeo Week.

Sunday, June 14, 9 p.m., Church of St. Augustine
OPERA 
TEODORA IMPERATRICE, OPERA IN MOSAIC FORM
Music by Mauro Montalbetti 
Roberta Mameli, Teodora; Barbara Roganti, director; Antonio Greco director Cremona Antiqua
New Monteverdi Festival commission.  New production and staging Fondazione Teatro Ponchielli

Tuesday, June 16, 10 a.m., Palazzo Cavalcabò
INSIGHT
IL CANTO DEL DIVIN CLAUDIO: ANCIENT RADICALS AND NEW INSPIRATIONS
Second edition of the theoretical-practical workshop on opera heritage. Organized by the Committee for the Preservation of Italian Opera Singing

Wednesday, June 17, 5 p.m., Teatro Ponchielli
OPERA
OPEN GENERAL PROOF (event reserved for schools, organized groups of the "Great Age," retirement homes and operators)
LE NOZZE DI TETI E PELEO
Music by Francesco Cavalli
Chiara d'Anna, director; Antonio Greco, conductor; Cremona Antiqua. 

Wednesday, June 17, 8 p.m., Church of Santa Lucia
INSIGHT
FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECES
Dialogue on the rediscovery of the sunken Baroque repertoire
Giovanni Battista Columbro
Roberto Cascio

Wednesday, June 17, 9 p.m.00, Church of Santa Lucia
CONCERTS
MUSICS FOR THE SUPERIOR CHIOSTRIES
Musics by C. Monteverdi, M.A. Ingegneri, G. Moro da Viadana, L. Grossi da Viadana, T. Merula
Giovanni Battista Columbro, conductor; Soloists and Ensemble of the Cremona Baroque Orchestra

Thursday, June 18 10 a.m.00, Palazzo Raimondi
INSIGHT
DAL MANUSCRIPT TO THE ORCHESTRA
Meeting dedicated to setting Cavalli's works to music
Organized by the Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage of the University of Pavia

Thursday, June 18, 6.00, Church of San Michele
FROM LEGRENZI TO HÄNDEL
IN OCCASION OF THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF GIOVANNI LEGRENZI 
Visions of the Sacred in the European Baroque
Music by G. Legrenzi, A. Scarlatti, J.S. Bach, G.F. Händel
Paola Valentina Molinari, soprano; Alessandra Visentin, mezzo-soprano; Antonio Greco, conductor; Cremona Antiqua

Thursday, June 18, 9 pm.00, Teatro Bibiena in Mantua
OPERA
DIDO AND ÆNEAS
Music by Henry Purcell
Luciana Mancini, Dido; Carlotta Colombo, Belinda; Margherita Maria Sala, Maga; Mauro Borgioni, Aeneas; Michele Pasotti, director: La Fonte Musica.
In collaboration with the Municipality of Mantua

Friday, June 19, 6 p.m., Galleria San Carlo
INCURSIONS
RECITAR CANTANDO
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Maria Paola Viano, director; Roberto Cascio, archlute; Concert Monteverdi Academy.

Friday, June 19, 8 p.m.30, Teatro Ponchielli
LE NOZZE DI TETI E PELEO
IN OCCASION OF THE 350 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF FRANCESCO CAVALLI 
First world performance in modern times 
Music by Francesco Cavalli
Valentina Ferrarese, Teti; Ferran Albrich, Peleo; Chiara d'Anna, director; Antonio Greco, director; Cremona Antiqua. 
New production and staging. Fondazione Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona - Monteverdi Festival

Saturday, June 20, 6 p.m., Auditorium Arvedi - Museo del Violino
LA DEA DELLE SCENE
Music by C. Monteverdi, A. Stradella
Silvia Frigato, soprano; Andrea de Carlo, director; Ensemble Mare Nostrum
In collaboration with the Alessandro Stradella Baroque Festival of Viterbo

Saturday, June 20, 8 p.m.30, Teatro Ponchielli
L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
Music by Claudio Monteverdi
Benedetta Torre, Poppea; Maayan Licht, Nerone; Roberto Catalano, director; Paul Agnew, conductor; Les Arts Florissants. 
New production and staging. Fondazione Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona - Monteverdi Festival. 

Sunday, June 21, 05:30
INCURSIONS
SUMMER SUNSET
CONCERT AT SUNRISE
Roberto Cascio, lute

Sunday, June 21, 12 noon.00, Auditorium Arvedi - Violin Museum
EXPERIENCE
IN ANCIENT TONE
Auditions with historical instruments from Cremona's violin-making heritage. In collaboration with the Violin Museum

Sunday, June 21, 4 pm.00, Teatro Ponchielli
LE NOZZE DI TETI E PELEO
IN OCCASION OF THE 350 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF FRANCESCO CAVALLI
Music by Francesco Cavalli
Valentina Ferrarese,T eti; Ferran Albrich, Peleo; Chiara d'Anna, director; Antonio Greco director; Cremona Antiqua. 
New production and staging. Fondazione Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona - Monteverdi Festival

Sunday, June 21, 9:30 p.m., Teatro Ponchielli
AMOR TIRANNO
CONCLUSIVE CONCERT MONTEVERDI FESTIVAL 
Storie d'amanti nell'Opera del Seicento
Music by C. Monteverdi, F. Cavalli, G.F. Handel, A. Cesti, A. Stradella
Carlo Vistoli, contraltist; Filippo Pantieri. conductor; Sezione Aurea

www.monteverdifestivalcremona.it