Arte Solidale Festival is a charitable series of classical music concerts held annually on Lake Como. The festival has a dual mission: to support young musical talent and to raise funds to help children and young people in need, in collaboration with local social organisations.
Every late summer, the festival brings together talented artists under 35 in the principal villas and historic residences around Lake Como, once frequented by composers such as Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt. For ten days each September, these young musicians live, rehearse, and perform together, dedicating themselves to masterpieces of 19th-century Romantic music. They alternate between various chamber ensembles on period instruments, creating a rich and convivial artistic experience for both performers and audiences in the stunning settings of Lake Como.
The festival is not only a cultural event but also an important charitable initiative: all proceeds go towards supporting social and community causes, with particular attention to children and young people in difficulty. In this way, Arte Solidale Festival combines musical excellence with social commitment, offering the public a truly unique and now well-established experience.
In its previous eleven editions, the Festival has featured international artists from Italy, England, Latvia, the USA, Spain, France, Slovenia, Russia, Thailand, and Japan. The 2020 and 2021 editions were held in September due to the health emergency, creating a new tradition and hosting the Crescendo Youth Orchestra and the University of Milan – Bicocca Orchestra, alongside several chamber music concerts. The performances take place in globally renowned historic residences, such as Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina.
Since 2023, ASF has collaborated more closely with the social cooperative Azalea, hosting charitable concerts during the winter months in the Hall of the former “Maria” Nursery School in Griante, where the 1894 Broadwood piano features prominently in many solo and chamber music performances.
As every year, the Festival raises funds for children and young people in difficulty, working with local social organisations such as the Coordinamento Comasco Minori and Cooperativa Azalea (Tremezzina). This reflects the shared principle among all musicians and artists involved: supporting young people and understanding the importance of a stable and healthy childhood.
The year 2024 marked the tenth edition of Arte Solidale Festival. Following a series of winter concerts at the new Griante venue in collaboration with Cooperativa Sociale Azalea, the September series introduced numerous innovations. From historic villas to antique pianos, this edition continues its charitable mission while focusing on 19th-century music, performed entirely on original instruments.
Between 2024 and 2025, the programme ranges from the late Classicism of Beethoven and early pianos, through the sonatas of Schumann and Mendelssohn, to the advanced Romanticism of Brahms, Dvořák, and the young Scriabin. The concerts offer a journey through the diverse musical periods of the 19th century, alternating masterpieces of the tradition, reinterpreted on fortepianos and period instruments, with lesser-known but highly compelling repertoire.
In recent editions, the Festival has also showcased young local pianists as preludes to the main concerts, thanks to a new collaboration with the Don Carlo Basci Academy in Menaggio. Additionally, the first Young Artist in Residence, Lydia Kirschenbaum, participates alongside the principal artists in various chamber music events.
Recognised as a project of value, Arte Solidale Festival has received support from the Lombardy Region and won the Youth Bank grant from the Fondazione Comasca.
Arte Solidale Festival remembers Roberto Stefanoni, pianist and teacher
Professor at the Conservatoire of Como, Roberto Stefanoni trained several students with strong dedication, guiding many of them towards great musical careers. He began his studies in Milan with Adjmara Granata Confalonieri. Later he passed under the guidance of Tommaso Alati, and then with Giuseppe Piccioli and Alberto Mozzati at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan. He gave concerts as a soloist and in piano duo with Laura Colzan in various Italian cities. He was a member of the jury in international competitions such as the "Città di Como", "Città di Tradate", and president of the jury at the "Città di Lissone" International Competition and the "Carlo Vidusso" International Competition in Milan.
