Arte Solidale Festival is a charitable classical music festival held annually on Lake Como. The festival has a dual mission: to support young musical talents and to raise funds to help disadvantaged minors, in collaboration with local social organizations.
The concerts take place in the September at the region’s main villas and historic residences, once frequented by composers like Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt. Each year, ASF brings together a group of young artists who, performing in various chamber ensembles, create a rich and convivial artistic experience for both musicians and the audience, set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Como.
The festival is not just a cultural event but also a charitable initiative: proceeds are used to support social and community causes, with a particular focus on children and young people in need. Thus, Arte Solidale Festival combines musical excellence with social commitment, offering the public a truly special experience.
In its previous nine editions, the festival has featured international artists from Italy, England, Latvia, the USA, Spain, France, Slovenia, and Russia. The 2020 and 2021 editions took place in September due to health concerns, creating a new tradition for ASF, and featured the Crescendo Youth Orchestra and the University of Milan - Bicocca Orchestra, along with various chamber music concerts. Concerts are held in renowned venues such as Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina. Since 2023, ASF has worked even more closely with Coop. Sociale Azalea, hosting winter concerts at the Ex-Asilo "Maria" in Griante, where the 1894 Broadwood piano is featured in many solo and chamber music performances.
As in previous years, the festival raises funds for minors in distress, collaborating with local social organizations such as the Comasco Coordination for Minors’ Reception and the Azalea Cooperative (Tremezzina). All musicians and artists involved in the festival share the principle of supporting minors, understanding the deep need for a stable and healthy environment during childhood.
The 2024 edition marks the 10th anniversary of Arte Solidale Festival. After a series of winter concerts at the new Griante venue in collaboration with the Azalea Social Cooperative, the festival will introduce numerous innovations for the September series. From historical villas to ancient pianos, this edition will maintain its charitable commitment and focus on 19th-century music performed on original instruments.
The program will range from Beethoven's late Classicism, through the sonatas of Schumann and Mendelssohn, to the advanced Romanticism of Brahms and the young Scriabin. The concerts will offer a journey through the different musical periods of the 19th century, alternating between traditional masterpieces reinterpreted on fortepianos and period instruments and lesser-known repertoire.
The 2024 edition will feature musicians from Japan, the USA, Thailand, England, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Italy. This year, the festival will also present three young local pianists who will perform as preludes to the concerts, thanks to a new collaboration with the Accademia Don Carlo Basci in Menaggio.
Recognized as a valuable project, Arte Solidale Festival has won the Youth Bank grant from the Fondazione Comasca and is supported by Regione Lombardia.
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.
