Elba Island Music of Europe, the program and guests of the festival

From Aug. 29 to Sept. 13 on Elba Island the 29th edition of the festival featuring artists from around the world

From August 29 to September 13, the Island of Elba hosts the 29th edition of the Elba Isola Musicale d’Europa festival, first launched in 1997. True to its international spirit, the festival features over 60 artists from 19 countries. Alongside world-renowned names such as Martha Argerich, Mario Brunello, and Gidon Kremer, young talents also take the stage—among them the Elban pianist Matteo Bussi and the Ukrainian-born violinist Oleksandr Sayko, both winners of the Elba Festival Prize, an award established to support emerging artists.

The founding idea behind the festival is to make Elba—the pearl of the Archipelago—the most musical island in Europe, where concerts blend harmoniously with the natural and historical context, fostering a continuous dialogue between music, history, and art.

Over the course of 16 days, the program includes 16 concerts spanning a wide range of musical genres, from baroque and classical to 20th-century works, with a focus also on contemporary music and jazz. Events are held in some of the island’s most enchanting locations, offering attendees the chance to experience the area’s diverse landscapes, exceptional beauty, and rich history in a vibrant international atmosphere.

In Portoferraio, venues include the Teatro dei Vigilanti—a Napoleonic-era gem restored and reopened last year thanks to the festival—the evocative and lesser-known Giardino della Capitaneria di Porto, and the Villa Romana delle Grotte. In Marciana, concerts are held in the Fortezza Pisana; in Marciana Marina, the Church of S. Chiara d’Assisi with its extraordinary acoustics; and in Capoliveri, the Teatro Flamingo.

As Artistic Director George Edelman, founder of the festival, explains, this edition celebrates several important anniversaries: “Many anniversaries fall in 2025, not only in the world of music—from the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich’s death to the 150th birthday of Maurice Ravel, from the 210th anniversary of Napoleon’s departure from Elba to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But above all, we celebrate the 90th birthday of Arvo Pärt, the most performed and beloved contemporary composer.”

Fittingly, the opening concert, featuring acclaimed violinist Gidon Kremer, is dedicated to Pärt’s milestone birthday.

The full program is available on the festival’s official website: www.elba-music.it