CELEBRATE WITH MUSIC
Inside the mighty city walls, in the beautiful squares and streets of the historic center full of Christmas lights, in the churches, the theater and in the historic buildings, Lucca, the city of music, is ready to celebrate Xmas with lots of music and many concerts, most of them free!
From gospel to jazz, from classical to opera, from evergreen pop to traditional songs and nursery rhymes for children, the music of orchestras and philharmonics, but also DJ playlists will be in the program.
Also Christmas and New Year's concerts, to say goodbye to 2022 and welcome 2023 to the rhythm of music. There are many occasions to experience the historic center in the warm Christmas atmosphere, maybe enjoying a hot chocolate and buying gifts and be amazed by the artistic installations scattered in the squares and in the basement of the city walls with the soundtrack of Christmas music.
EVERYONE LOVES JAZZ
Within many music genres the vivacity of jazz could certainly not be missing together with a sparkling aperitif.
On 8, 9, 17, 22, 23 December and 8 January at 6:00 pm at the Christmas factory at the old Bourbon stables, Natale in Jazz will be staged with live music by the Lucca Jazz Circle with the big band orchestra of the "A.Passaglia" music and art school and famous Italian musicians and a final aperitif.
CLASSICAL AND LYRIC
In the churches, at the theater and in the national museums, classical music is the soundtrack of the most beautiful places in Lucca.
On December 17, at 9:00 pm, the organist Eugenio Barsanti plays the historic organ of the church of San Michele Arcangelo in Sant'Angelo in campo to accompany the soprano Silvana Froli in the Christmas Concert.
Music meets art in the National Museums: on December 17, Musica degli Angeli e dei Pastori in the rooms of the National Museum of Villa Guinigi and on December 18, Natale a Palazzo at Palazzo Mansi, the traveling concerts of the Concertus Lucensis group.
On 29 December at 5:30 pm at the Christmas factory a concert of the Soloists of the "L.Boccherini" Chamber Orchestra Association, with music by Mozart, Luigi Boccherini, Astor Piazzola and others.
On the first day of the year, at the Teatro del Giglio at 5:00 pm, the traditional New Year's Concert to welcoome the new year with the orchestra of the Teatro del Giglio.
At the Christmas factory, on January 5 at 4:00 pm, the Canto della Natura concert organized by the Bei Legami chamber ensemble.
Music for the new year by the Associazione Laboratorio Brunier in collaboration with the Puntaccapo choir is the show scheduled for January 8 at 4:30 pm. On stage the sopranos Maria Bruno and Rosella Cascasi, the violinist Dinorah Abela and the piano player Peter Yanchuk perform familiar arias and masterpieces from the Puccini operas.
THE MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S WISHES
In the city of music, musical wishes including all musical genres are very popular.
At the Christmas factory on 8 December Christmas wishes from the Arcobaleno Choir in an original and evocative show between music and theater for the crib of Saint Francis, the song of nativity, to celebrate Christmas with the eyes of Saint Francis from Assisi.
On 14 December at 8:30 pm in the Auditorium del Suffragio, Christmas Concert by the Orchestra of the "L.Boccherini" conservatory, conducted by Maestro Giampaolo Mazzoli. Music by Fryderyk Chopin (Alessio Cipretti on the piano) and Jean Sibelius (Chiara Mura on the violin). Opening performance by Lucia Sole Bertini.
Solidarity and Christmas go together on December 16 at 9:00 pm in the San Romano Auditorium with the JaMerry Christmas Concert, the most beautiful Christmas pop melodies in favor of Unicef by Jam Academy musicians together with the dancers of the Vivi&Danza dance school.
On December 17 at 4:00 pm and again on January 7, the "choral" wishes of the Lucca vocal group Il Baluardo in their Christmas concert.
Also on December 17, at 9:00 pm in the Auditorium del Suffragio, in the middle of the historic centre, the Christmas wishes of the City of Lucca and the pleasure and joy of singing together with the Freedom Singers Gospel Choir and the great classics from Halleluja to Oh Happy Day.
Music also in the splendid church of San Francesco on December 18 at 5:00 pm for the traditional Christmas concert by the Gaetano Luporini Philharmonic of San Gennaro and Karima.
On December 19, at 6:00 pm in the churchyard of San Paolino, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of European and Northern European tradition with the typical Santa Claus music. Get ready for a sound journey through Christmas and winter carols from northern and central Europe, accompanied by organ and string quartet with Anna Kristina Kappola (soprano), Salla Leponiemi (mezzo-soprano) and Giacomo Benedetti (organist) with the direction by Silvano Pieruccini.
January 5 in the afternoon at 6:00 pm in the San Romano Auditorium everybody is invited to dance and sing to the Christmas tunes and the Christmas concert by the music association Alfredo Catalani, the choreographies of the Atmosfera Danza school and the "Camaiore" children's choir.
For the last day of the year the events will be double:
at the Teatro del Giglio at 9:00 pm dinner and lots of music from all over the world by the Festival Puccini e la sua Lucca. There will be bagpipes and drums, classical, opera, swing and contemporary pop music.
But you can also join people in Piazza Santa Maria, in front of one of the oldest gates of the city, for the traditional New Year's Eve in the square from 10:00 pm with the singer and show girl Luisa Corna to make a toast to the new year with sparkling wine, classic Italian and disco music. Everybody will dance until daylight with Federico Avanzati's DJ set.