NGF PROGRAMME 2025

The New Generation Festival kicks off in style on Piazza della Signoria, where art meets music in an unforgettable opening concert. Savour an evening filled with bel canto arias and orchestral classics, featuring the rising stars of the Accademia del Maggio Musicale and Mascarade Opera.

Welcome to Le Grand Hôtel de l’Opéra: a brand-new show set in the 1920s that weaves timeless music from Johann Strauss, Donizetti and Mozart into an international tangle of mischief and seduction.

Le Grand Hôtel de l’Opéra is this year's showcase production of the emerging artists currently trained and supported by Mascarade Opera. Scenes from four different operas have been tied into an original fully staged unified narrative, directed by Federico Grazzini, and conducted by Maestro Wyn Davies with the Orchestra Filarmonica di Bologna.

The historic Teatro della Pergola transforms into a ballet wonderland for Les Ballets Russes à Florence, celebrating the visionary artistry of Sergei Diaghilev's legendary company. With performances of Les Sylphides and selections from Raymonda, the evening promises a dazzling fusion of dance and cultural celebration.

Les Ballets Russes à Florence will be staged by the remarkable company ‘Reunited in Dance’, a star-studded ensemble of dancers impacted by the war in Ukraine. Led by dancer and choreographer, Xander Parish OBE, a former principal at the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg, the company features Russian and Ukrainian dancers who were previously part of Russia’s most elite dance companies. ‘Reunited in Dance’ hopes to show that dialogue and reconciliation can still be found through the arts and dance.

Enjoy an intimate instrumental chamber concert featuring Julia Lynch, the Artistic Director of Mascarade Opera  (piano), Tijmen Huisingh (violin), and Ross Montgomery (clarinet) at the Palazzo Corsini al Prato. Perfect for a midday musical escape—come and let the music sweep you away!

Get ready to swing into the night with The Birth of Swing, a spectacular celebration of three legends who helped shape the sound of jazz. Experience the magic as the New York Jazz Sextet led by trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, along with special guests, bring to life the rich musical legacy of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and George Gershwin. This performance promises an exhilarating mix of music, storytelling, and tap - not to be missed! 

Sounds of the transcendent: Music to free the mind and cleanse the soul.

Vox Medicea, together with the English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, directed by Mark Spyropoulos, present a programme  of transcendental choral works from the pioneering research of the Sacred Music Programme. Our Festival concludes in the ancient monastery of San Francesco high up in the Fiesole hills, followed by lunch on the spectacular terraces overlooking the most beautiful city in the world.