The Centre of Italian Studies Opera Festival has certain features and characteristics that make it different from all other festivals. It is for young singers and instrumentalists. It has been designed for students and young professionals who wish to perfect and enrich their Italian operatic repertoire.

The Festival is a cultural event organized by the Centre of Italian Studies and is a non profit making organization for young singers and instrumentalists who wish to perfect their Italian classical and operatic repertoire. The aim of the Festival is to promote the study and the performing of the Italian operatic heritage throughout the world; to promote knowledge, cooperation and exchange programmes among Italian opera lovers and to offer new opportunities to talented young artists wishing to specialize in the Italian repertoire.

The Festival consists of monthly programmes and each programme consists of courses and performances (operas, concerts, etc.) The courses include Italian language, conversation and culture for a total of 25 hours per week, plus individual coaching in the Italian operatic repertoire with the best teachers from the Pesaro Music Conservatory and the Rossini Opera Festival. The Italian language, conversation and culture programme does not change but the musical part differs each month depending on the faculty members, types of performances (operas, concerts, chamber music, etc.) and number of course members.

Courses last 4 weeks (rarely and only in exceptional circumstances, 3 weeks) and course members can choose the month and programme they prefer. In 2000 the festival lasted 3 months (June, July and August). This year it will last 5 months, from May to September. June, July and August have special programmes, according to their artistic director. The artistic directors are professors who run the singing and instrumental part of their programme, choosing their own collaborators and the repertoire they wish to perform, with which singers and what type of accompaniment. Each artistic director decides which students to accept with the director of the Festival.

There is free entrance to all performances organized by the Centre of Italian Studies Opera Festival. The students who perform are not paid. Guest artists, invited to perform, receive a fee and travelling expenses.

In May and September there are no organized groups. Anyone enrolling for the Festival in these months will attend the courses organized by the Centre of Italian Studies.

To have an idea of the variety of programmes for June, July and August, see n° 7 for the programmes for the year 2002.

In the Marches, in the land where Rossini and Crescentini were born, we teach our students the Italian language together with private coaching in traditional Italian repertoire and art songs with highly qualified Italian maestros. We offer you a new way - in certain aspects unrepeatable - to learn the Italian language and perfect your Italian repertoire.