Settimane Musicali Ascona: Jubilee Sounds on Lake Maggiore

A fixture in the Swiss cultural scene for eight decades. The Ascona Music Weeks are to celebrate their 80th edition from 2 September to 23 October 2025. A toast to musical indulgence.

At 196 metres above sea level, Ascona is the lowest-lying town in Switzerland, however, the place has a lot more to offer than that. Recently, the popular holiday destination on Lake Maggiore was voted the most beautiful Swiss village 2025 by the readers of the magazine ​“Schweizer Illustrierte”. Those who occasionally visit the former fishing village with its dreamy lakeside promenade know that Ascona impresses not only with its Mediterranean flair, trendy venues, and hip lounge bars, but also with a vibrant cultural scene ranging from classical concerts and open-air cinema to contemporary art.

80 years and showing no sign of keeping things quiet

Since it was founded in 1945, the Settimane Musicali Ascona has been one of the most traditional classical music events in Ticino. Only the Lucerne Festival is older. In 2025, Music Weeks will once again present a rich program ranging from majestic symphonies to intimate chamber music, from baroque masterpieces to 20th-century compositions. On stage: internationally renowned orchestras, outstanding soloists, and promising young talents. Excursions into jazz and musicals add to the classical variety. This year’s schedule skilfully builds bridges between generations and different artistic forms of expression, thus consciously opening itself to an audience curious about all facets of music.

As usual, the fifteen concerts will take place in the atmospheric churches of Collegio Papio in Ascona and San Francesco in Locarno, which, with their excellent acoustics and intimate atmosphere, provide a unique sound experience. This year’s itinerary is supplemented by two evening concerts in the elegant hall of the Sopracenerina, on Locarno’s Piazza Grande. The 80th edition of Music Weeks also marks the final outing under the direction of Francesco Piemontesi, who has shaped the festival over twelve seasons with passion, inspiration, and musical foresight. From 2026, Christoph Müller, cultural manager from Basel and (until autumn 2025) director of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy, will take over the artistic direction, opening a new chapter for one of Switzerland’s oldest and most beloved concert series.

Festival opening and musical highlights

The festival kicks off on 2 September 2025 with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Robin Ticciati. The evening will be a tribute to the 20th century with works by Gershwin, Weill, Stravinsky and Bernstein – a journey between Europe and America, tradition and modernity. Making her first appearance in Ascona is South African soprano Golda Schultz. Further highlights include concerts by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda, the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer, and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana conducted by Charles Dutoit. Under the direction of the young and charismatic Maxim Emelyanychev, the Il Pomo d’Oro ensemble is to make its Ascona debut with a programme devoted entirely to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The brilliant finale will be delivered by the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman, joined by four soloists, performing Handel’s oratorio Athalia – a masterpiece that vividly demonstrates the radiance of baroque music.

A special event awaits on 14 September 2025. To mark the event’s 80th anniversary, the municipality of Ascona invites you to a concert (free entry) with the Festival Strings Lucerne, as a sign of solidarity between Switzerland’s two oldest music festivals. And another highlight for the whole family: on 27 September 2025 the GranRex in Locarno will bring Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker to life at the traditional family concert.

Information: Settimane Musicali Ascona

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