Stunning landscapes, rich culture and unique performing venues in Tuscany

Performing opportunities

The squares

Tuscany and Umbria are full of beautiful little hilltop towns that are perfect for spring, summer and autumn concerts. All types of musical groups can perform in stunning central squares with renaissance and medieval churches, cathedrals and palaces providing the backdrop. The acoustics are surprisingly good for outdoor venues as the squares are well enclosed. Performers will never forget these settings with their captive, lively and usually vocally appreciative audiences!

The churches

There are opportunities for some groups to perform in beautiful renaissance churches and cathedrals, either during mass or an afternoon or evening concert. For example, the Duomo in Perugia or even the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. Some groups even take part in Mass in St Peter’s in Rome.

The festivals

The local government in Perugia organises a little music festival which can include our groups, with venues in Perugia and surrounding towns. These may be either churches or squares. They also have a beautiful concert hall in the prestigious Sala dei Notari inside the Palazzo dei Priori. This is extremely grand and was built from 1293 to 1297. It used to be the town hall and is where the nobility used to meet. It is right in the main square of Perugia, opposite the Cathedral. There are a few other festivals available in the area such as Umbria Jazz. They all take part between Spring and Autumn when the weather is more favourable for outdoor concerts.

The local Italians in this part of central Italy are very welcoming and sometimes even offer local delicacies as refreshments for the performers. The food in these regions is outstanding!

Hotels and excursions

Our groups can stay right on the banks of Lake Trasimeno in Passignano or close to Montepulciano in Chianciano Terme. Both are within easy travelling distance from Perugia, Siena, Assisi, smaller Umbrian towns like Todi and Trevi and smaller Tuscan towns and cities like Cortona, Montepulciano and Pienza. Larger cities like Florence and even Rome are also possible concert venues or excursions. 

There is a ferry on the lake to a beautiful island where older ladies can still be seen making lace and the local delicacy is eel from the lake, cooked in rustic clay pots (“tegamaccio”).

Food and Wine

Food and wine are bountiful in Southern Tuscany and Umbria. I have even taken some groups on solely food and wine tours! Vineyards can be visited with all sorts of well-known wine to taste such as “supertuscans” which now include grapes such as Syrah around Cortona, as well as the always delicious Sangiovese that is the main grape in Chianti.

In Umbria there are many lesser known but equally delicious wines such as Sagrantino di Montefalco, which was originally made by the monks of Montefalco (an Umbrian jewel of a town!). One of the Umbrian vineyards I work with once organised a wine tasting for 80 men in a male voice choir with a 10-course meal on the terrace and much of the food cooked in front of them. This ended with a lot of singing!