Mozart in Verona opens 2026 under the sign of Nannerl
Verona welcomes 2026 in the name of Mozart, doing so with a renewed, conscious and timely perspective. Starting on 5 January, the seventh edition of Mozart in Verona gets underway, the cultural festival dedicated to the Salzburg composer who found recognition and artistic momentum in the city back in 1770. This year’s edition carries a particularly symbolic meaning, focusing on the female universe of music, first and foremost Maria Anna Mozart, known as Nannerl, Wolfgang’s elder sister, on the occasion of the 275th anniversary of her birth.
Promoted by the City of Verona, Fondazione Cariverona, Accademia Filarmonica di Verona and Fondazione Arena di Verona, with artistic direction by Michele Magnabosco, the festival invites audiences to rediscover the talent and role of women in musical history, voices too often left on the margins of the official narrative. A reflection that runs through the entire programme, expressed through different languages and artistic forms, all firmly connected to the present.
The opening concert, scheduled for Monday 5 January at 8:30 pm in Sala Maffeiana, recalls a historic date for the city, the day of Mozart’s first Italian concert, promoted then as now by the Accademia Filarmonica. On stage, “Nannerl Serenade”, performed by the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, with Aligi Voltan on bassoon and Antonio Aiello as concertmaster. A tribute that renews the deep bond between the Accademia and Mozart, extending it this year to his sister, a companion in both education and talent.
On 7 January, the festival moves to the church of San Tomaso Cantuariense, a symbolic place in Verona’s musical memory. Here, in 1770, the young Mozart performed, and here he returns today with “The Epistle Sonatas”, a concert promoted by Fondazione Cariverona. Taking the stage is the Rosso Verona Baroque Ensemble, offering a journey through church sonatas and organ works, restoring vitality and immediacy to a repertoire deeply rooted in liturgy and local history.
The weekend continues with musical crossovers and operatic rediscovery. On Friday 9 January, again in Sala Maffeiana, the Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica “Città di Verona” presents Classic in Jazz. Mozart & Swing, for the first time ever in this venue. On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 January, at the Teatro Ristori, audiences can experience “La vendemmia ossia La dama incognita” by Giuseppe Gazzaniga, an eighteenth century opera brought back to life through a research project involving students and musicians, creating a tangible dialogue between education and the stage.
A start to the year that confirms Verona as a city capable of reinterpreting its cultural history, giving space to new narratives and to voices that have long remained unheard.
Full programme at www.mozartaverona.it
