A mosaic of extraordinary artistic personalities and a journey spanning centuries of music, from classical roots to the most contemporary visions: the 2025–2026 season brings together some of the most beloved and influential pianists of our time. Nine recitals, enriched by the now traditional listening guides and by the extraordinary acoustics of the Fazioli Concert Hall, will accompany us from November to March through a series of unique interpretive perspectives.
The calendar of the 20th Season of the Fazioli Concert Hall, produced by Fazioli Pianoforti SpA since 2005, was finally unveiled today. The project, launched on the initiative of Paolo Fazioli, grew out of the desire to share with the community the wealth of relationships that the company—thanks to the presence of its instruments in concert halls around the world—has built with artists of exceptional calibre. The title “Stasera a concerto” (Tonight in concert) highlights the spirit that has always guided the series: to spark anticipation and curiosity, turning every event into a unique and unrepeatable experience—for both performers and audiences.
“We envisioned the Fazioli Concert Hall as a jewel box capable of guaranteeing ideal listening conditions,” explains founder Paolo Fazioli, adding, “For a concert to succeed, the value of the performer is a necessary but not sufficient condition. It is equally essential that the artist can rely on an instrument that faithfully conveys his or her musical intentions and that, from both stage and audience, the sound can be perceived in optimal acoustic comfort.”
Ten years after the passing of Aldo Ciccolini, Paolo Fazioli recalls the inauguration of Tonight in Concert on December 1, 2005, when the legendary pianist—who would have turned one hundred this past August—gifted the Fazioli Concert Hall with an unforgettable recital. “Since that day,” Fazioli recalls, “this hall has hosted hundreds of concerts and recording projects, almost always through the voice of the piano that Ciccolini christened Merlin the Wizard. That instrument has remained on this stage ever since, becoming both guardian and symbol of our programming.”
Reaching such an important milestone naturally prompts us to look back: to reflect on the journey travelled while also outlining the new paths that lie ahead.
Over the past twenty years, the Fazioli Concert Hall has welcomed internationally renowned artists and promising young talents from the most diverse schools and traditions, all united by the strength of their musical voice. It has been a voyage through eras, styles, and cultures: from Baroque to jazz, from classical and Romantic repertoire to the boldest contemporary experiments. Each season has brought emotions, discoveries, and challenges: the constant desire to share the beauty of live music, the growth of an increasingly curious and discerning audience, and the passionate dedication of Fazioli’s staff in organising events.
The warmest thanks are reserved for the audience: “This anniversary,” says Paolo Fazioli, “seals a journey made of passion, dreams, and unforgettable encounters. We have preserved emotions, collected audio and video testimonies of dozens and dozens of concerts, and told musical stories. In short, we have grown together with our audience.”
And it is with its audience—both faithful and new—that the Fazioli Concert Hall hopes to continue its journey. “Society changes, but the need for music and culture remains, indeed grows ever stronger,” concludes Fazioli. “With the Fazioli Concert Hall we want to continue offering a space where art becomes an opportunity for regeneration, comfort, and nourishment.”
FROM VISUAL SYMBOL TO INFINITE NUANCES OF SOUND
The graphic design by Patrizio De Mattio translates the essence of the piano into a visual symbol: a fluid, harmonious curve that evokes, in a single gesture, the birth of sound and its unfolding into infinite shades. Beyond metaphor, it recalls the reality of a piano factory that for twenty years has been generating opportunities for meeting, listening, and cultural growth in the most diverse and unexpected forms. At the same time, in today’s context, the colours explicitly allude to a yearning for peace and to the urgent need to recognise in the beauty of culture, creativity, and diversity the very foundations of coexistence on our planet.
A GLANCE AT THE PROGRAM
The 2025–26 season celebrates this important milestone by embracing the challenge of meeting the highest expectations.
The season opens with Marc-André Hamelin (November 14), a performer capable of combining extraordinary technique with poetic sensitivity, in a program that journeys from the profound worlds of Beethoven and Schumann to the modernity of Scriabin and Weinberg. Roberto Plano follows (November 28), weaving European tradition with the musical roots of the American continent, through Liszt, Medtner, and the vibrant pages of Ponce, Chávez, and Copland-Bernstein.
Young artists also take centre stage: Arsenii Moon (December 12), winner of the Busoni Competition, offers an intense reflection on the romantic poetry of Chopin and Scriabin, while Martín García García (February 27) highlights the enduring relevance of Rachmaninov and Schubert. Refined interplay will be offered by the duo of Eric Lu and Kate Liu (January 9), exploring works by Schubert, Mozart, and Brahms for four hands and two pianos. The cultured and eloquent Boris Giltburg returns to Sacile (February 13), guiding us with his extraordinary communicative power from selections of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to the contrasting sound worlds of Prokofiev and Ravel.
Honouring tradition, Inna Faliks (January 30) interlaces Beethoven, Mozart, and Schumann with her own innovative and surprising timbral explorations, while contemporary music finds a voice in the creative energy of Fazıl Say (March 13), a composer and performer of overwhelming charisma, bridging classical repertoire and original works. The season concludes with the legendary Dang Thai Son (March 27), winner of the 1980 Warsaw Chopin Competition, presenting a program that blends lyricism, virtuosity, and refinement through Mompou, Ravel, and, of course, Chopin.
GREAT MUSIC AND LISTENING GUIDES
The 2025–26 Fazioli program primarily draws on the great classical and Romantic piano repertoire, while also exploring twentieth-century and contemporary works, reflecting an open and inquisitive vision. Each evening will be introduced briefly: sometimes by the expert perspectives of musicologists Roberto Calabretto and Luca Cossettini, other times by the artists themselves—as in the case of Roberto Plano—offering the audience a more mindful listening experience, enriched by stories, interpretive insights, and suggestions that will make each concert truly unique.
THE NINE CONCERTS IN DETAIL
The curtain rises on Friday, November 14, 2025, with a living legend: Marc-André Hamelin, acclaimed as one of the most accomplished and visionary performers of our time. His career, studded with landmark recordings for Hyperion and compositions now part of the contemporary repertoire, testifies to a talent capable of combining absolute rigour and boundless imagination. The program, presented by Roberto Calabretto under the title „Insights into the Sonata Forms of European Music,“ extends from Beethoven (Sonata Op. 10 No. 3) to Schumann (Fantasiestücke Op. 12), passing through the depth of Weinberg (Sonata No. 6) and the visionary ecstasy of Scriabin (Sonata No. 4).
Two weeks later, on Friday, November 28th, the piano becomes a bridge between cultures: Roberto Plano, an Italian musician of refined sensibility, presents El Salón México, a journey from the Romanticism of Liszt and Medtner to twentieth-century Iberian and Latin American music, featuring works by Mompou, Ponce, Chávez, and Copland-Bernstein. The recital, conceived and illustrated by Roberto Plano himself, highlights his dual nature as a virtuoso and a poet, capable of transfiguring every detail into vivid emotion.
December shines a spotlight on a new generation of pianists: Arsenii Moon, winner of the 2023 Busoni Competition, will be featured on Friday, December 12, with The Poetic Universe of Chopin and Scriabin (curated by Roberto Calabretto). Born in St. Petersburg in 1999 and now in demand worldwide following his recent victory at the Busoni Competition, Moon will tackle Scriabin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 11, alongside two Chopin masterpieces, the Barcarolle, Op. 60, and Sonata No. 3, Op. 58.
With the new year, on January 9, 2026, an exceptional duo will debut in Sacile: Kate Liu and Eric Lu, two artists who developed their musical skills at the Curtis Institute and have been recognised by international competitions such as Warsaw and Leeds. Their journey through Musical Vienna between Classical and Romantic (curated by Luca Cossettini) features Schubert (Lebenssturme and Fantasia D.940), Mozart (Sonata K. 448), and Brahms (Variations on a Theme by Haydn), in a piano dialogue that combines intimacy and monumentality.
On Friday, January 30, the season enters the visionary world of Inna Faliks, an eclectic pianist and creator of projects that intertwine music and words. In Robert Schumann, Jean Paul Richter and the Fantastic (curated by Roberto Calabretto), her intense interpretation will give voice to Schumann’s Fantasia, Op. 17, and Carnaval, preceded by Beethoven’s Fantasia, Op. 77, and Mozart’s Sonata, K. 282. A recital that blends literary insight and poetic impetus.
February is marked by two complementary events. On February 13th, Boris Giltburg, after an introduction by Luca Cossettini, „Form and Colour,“ will offer a program ranging from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, all the way to the dizzying depths of Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit. A pianist of rare depth, Giltburg transforms every page into a story, illuminating it with emotional intensity and intellectual clarity.
On February 27th, it will be the turn of Martín García García, a rising star who combines rigour and spontaneity. After receiving accolades at the Chopin Competition and the Cleveland Competition, the young Spaniard returns with Two Views from the Shores of Romanticism: Rachmaninov’s Études-Tableaux and Six Moments Musicaux alongside Schubert’s Sonata D. 894. A meditation on the Romantic legacy, capable of striking a universal chord.
The season culminates in March with two extraordinarily charismatic figures. On March 13th, Fazıl Say brings to the stage the visionary images of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (with an introduction by Roberto Calabretto) and his own works, blending great repertoire with contemporary invention. One of the most original pianists and composers of our time, Say renews the very meaning of the recital with each of his concerts.
Finally, on Friday, March 27, Dang Thai Son, the first Asian to win the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, will conclude the program with The Kaleidoscopic Charm of Paris (curated by Luca Cossettini). His interpretive mastery, characterised by purity and restraint, will be reflected in a program that pays homage to the French capital and its role as a cultural crossroads.
Nine events, nine unique portraits: this season invites us to rediscover the piano as a tool for exploration, memory, and the future, in an ongoing dialogue between performers, audiences, and critical thinking. This festival not only celebrates tradition, but also revitalises it in the present, restoring music to its universal power.
As usual, spring–summer will see a series dedicated to young pianists awarded in prestigious international competitions on Fazioli pianos. The program for WINNERS 2026 is already in preparation.
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS
Starting October 1, subscribers to the 2024–25 Season will be able to confirm their existing seats simply by bank transfer, or by coming in person on Wednesday, October 8 and Thursday, October 9.
Those wishing to change seats are advised not to make a bank transfer but to come in person on Monday, October 13, when the most updated seating map will be available (advance confirmation of renewal intentions via email or phone is appreciated).
New subscriptions may be purchased online via the website www.fazioli.com/it/concert-hall/abbonamenti from Thursday, October 16, through Tuesday, October 28.
For single-concert tickets, online purchase will be encouraged through reduced prices compared to in-person purchase, which will still be possible at the box office on the evening of each concert.
Those unable to purchase online may book by email or phone starting from the Monday preceding each concert, then complete payment on the evening of the event. For example, for the concert on Friday, November 14, reservations can be made starting Monday, November 10 (the in-person rate will apply).
Online ticket sales will open on November 3 for all concerts of the season.