A great season of classical music events has just dawned in Bologna with a host of concerts and performances in the city's most prestigious theatres and stages to keep us company until the onset of summer and beyond.

Bologna was declared a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2006, a recognition that rewards present vitality and a centuries-old tradition of prestige, with classical music as the bridge between these two temporal dimensions, allowing the great names of the past to be revived on today's stages.

This year's musical programme is set to start in theatres with the large-scale festivals that will thrill locals and tourists alike.

The 42st edition of Bologna Festival concert programme has just been presented and will reach its climax with the Grandi Interpreti, featuring internationally renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors with dedicated performances ranging from the great classical-romantic repertoire to symphonic-choral masterpieces and the 20th century.

On the other hand, a series of concerts by Musica Insieme continue at the Auditorium Teatro Manzoni, with a variety of programmes taken from the repertoire and the "instrumentarium" of great music, combining extraordinary talents at their debut in Bologna with the great masters of the international scene. This year' s concerts are generally held on Mondays.

The Accademia Filarmonica's season is also soon underway: from March onwards, the traditional chamber music reviews "Il Sabato all'Accademia" and "Il Quartetto in Sala Mozart" will be held at its headquarters in Via Guerrazzi, along with concerts at the Teatro Auditorium Manzoni performed by the Mozart Orchestra.

And what about the Teatro Comunale (Municipal Theatre)? An important restoration work has just started, so for a while the whole opera and dance events will be moved to Comunale Nouveau, in the Trade Fair district.

The Comunale's symphonic season, on the other hand, will take place mainly at the Teatro Auditorium Manzoni, with a parterre of conductors of international standing, as usual. 

A special mention, aside from the big theatres, should be made of Conoscere la Musica (Knowing Music), a festival centred on the piano duo, with concerts held in the Sala Marco Biagi in Via Santo Stefano.

Lastly, take a chance to meet the Orchestra Senza Spine, a group of young musicians ranging from film music to opera and aiming to bring classical music closer to all kinds of audiences in a fresh, dynamic and captivating way while offering fun, enthusiasm and even more passion.

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