This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano

I Suoni delle Dolomiti (Sounds of the Dolomites) festival turns 30 in 2025 and returns, from 27 August to 4 October, to bring music to the peaks of Trentino. A whole month of outdoor concerts, amidst alpine pastures, paths and landscapes of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. The 30th anniversary edition will cross genres and geographies, from classical music to jazz, from the folk tradition to experimentation, with internationally renowned artists and original projects conceived for the backpacker music lover.

As Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing, emphasises, I Suoni delle Dolomiti project was created “not merely to attract more people to the mountains, but to collect and restore the subtlety and fragility of the Dolomite context through the highest arts: music, word, sometimes dance. Performing at high altitudes is not a performance like any other: it means performing in unpredictable conditions, facing wind, humidity, changing temperatures. It means, for the artists, accepting a fascinating challenge, bringing their music into contexts where nothing is taken for granted. Through the years, more than 900 artists have accepted this invitation, contributing to the creation of a festival that has been able to communicate with millions of people and gain the attention of national and international media.” Since 2025 I Suoni delle Dolomiti has in fact become part of the European Festival Association, an international network that promotes the most innovative and sustainable cultural events in Europe.

I Suoni delle Dolomiti, the 2025 programme

Opening the festival on August 27 will be the Teophil Ensemble Wien, with musicians from the Wiener Philharmoniker at Malga Tassulla in the Brenta Dolomites. This will kick off a musical journey among the peaks of Trentino, ranging from the Bulgarian tradition of the Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares choir (August 29) to the world music of Avi Avital, Giovanni Sollima, Alessia Tondo, and Giuseppe Copia (August 30), all the way to sunrise in music with Wu Wei and his sheng (September 4).
Among the most original moments, the performance Bandiera bianca by Marco Paolini and Alberto Ziliotto (September 9) at the foot of the Pale di San Martino, as well as the Trekking dei suoni with Mario Brunello and the Quartetto Prometeo, who will trek together with participants, bringing chamber music to the unique landscapes of the Brenta Dolomites. The trek will end on September 14 with a concert at the Rifugio Brentei, where Franz Schubert's famous Quintet op. 163 will be performed.

On September 2 at the Bombasel Lakes in the Lagorai group, the protagonist will be the vocal trio Le Scat Noir, first place in the competition in memory of Paolo Manfrini. Established in 2013 from the meeting of three girls from northern, central and southern Italy at the Ferrara Conservatory, the group consists of Natalia Abbascià, Sara Tinti and Ginevra Benedetti.

“We will have to rearrange some of the tracks that we normally perform on the piano,” Abbascià tells Renewable Matter. “Over the next few months we will be looking for solutions, and we will also compose something new, inspired by the scenery and landscapes we will travel through. We really hope to be able to materialise as much as possible all the ideas and impressions we have in mind. And then we'll have to do some physical training, otherwise… who knows what might happen at high altitude! This is no small detail. The idea of trekking to the concert venue is exciting: being able to explore the place slowly, on foot, is fascinating. Reaching the natural stage by walking, rather than by car, bus or train, is really inspiring. I've also read a bit about the other concerts, and I've glanced at the planned treks: I'd say ours is fairly easy. There are some definitely more challenging ones… In preparation, we are also going to attend two concerts: the first will be Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares choir, to get into the spirit. Then there is the Giovanni Sollima concert, which we would love to attend, but just thinking about it makes me say: Wow! I can’t even imagine how they’re gonna trek with their cellos on their back. What an epic feat!”

Sounds and nature: no barriers and “together with the audience”

In its 30th anniversary year, I Suoni delle Dolomiti will once again pay special attention to accessibility, with four events designed to guarantee the participation of people with motor and hearing disabilities. These include the concert on September 23 at 12 noon at Villa Welsperg, at the entrance to Val Canali with the Pale di San Martino in the background. On the programme, an original reinterpretation of Mozart's The Magic Flute with Elio in the dual role of narrator and baritone, flanked by soprano Scilla Cristiano and the Philharmonic Oboe Quartet of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

However, attention is also paid to the relationships that will be created along the way. “Another interesting aspect is the time that will be spent with the audience before arriving at the concert venue,” Abbascià concludes. “Artists are usually somewhat protected by the stage, backstage, dressing room. Whether it's a theatre or a venue, there is always a moment when you ‘take the stage’. Instead, in this case, you don't get on stage ‘alone’, you get there together with the audience. And in this you are much more exposed, more naked.”

Also read: Pushing the Mountains Away

Cover: © Camilla Pizzini