Giardini La Mortella

Fondazione William Walton e La Mortella
William Walton Trust

Youth Orchestra Festival 2026

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This year, the Teatro Greco della Mortella opens its doors to young musicians from diverse backgrounds, traditions, and geographic locations, yet united by a shared passion for music and a desire to share it with audiences.

Established by Lady Susana Walton, the Festival of Youth Orchestras has long been one of the most significant events of the Ischian summer music season. Born from the belief that talent should be supported and encouraged from its earliest stages, the Festival offers young musicians the opportunity to perform in a unique setting, where nature, art, and music interact in perfect harmony.

The Teatro Greco, immersed in the extraordinary beauty of the La Mortella Gardens, is more than just a picturesque setting for concerts: it is located in the very place where William and Susana Walton welcomed friends, artists, and musicians from around the world, making their home a true space for encounters, curiosity, and cultural exchange.

The 2026 season offers a rich and varied itinerary: from the festive sounds of the Italian band tradition to the great British choral tradition; from youth orchestras formed within schools and educational institutions to advanced professional training programs that guide musicians toward the world of artistic work. A journey that spans diverse repertoires, from classical heritage to film soundtracks, from folk music to new influences, capturing the vitality and diversity of the contemporary musical experience.

More than a simple concert series, the Festival continues to be a celebration of youth, commitment, and hope: an invitation to listen to the present while looking to the future, in the belief that music remains one of the most authentic languages for building community, fostering dialogue, and bringing people together.

In this spirit, La Mortella renews its welcome to artists and audiences, wishing everyone a summer of excitement, discovery, and shared beauty.

• Thursday, June 25: "Città di Procida" Music Band, conducted by Francesco Trio.

This year's Greek Theatre season opens with the return of the festive and engaging sounds of the band, a group deeply rooted in Italian musical tradition and particularly dear to Sir William Walton.
The "Amici della Musica" Cultural Association, which gave rise to the "Città di Procida" Music Band, was founded in 1982 thanks to the passion and perseverance of several Procidians who still cherished the memory of the historic island band of the 1940s and 1950s. Entirely self-financed, the band has always pursued an important educational and social goal: to offer the community's youth a path of growth based on mutual respect, solid ethical values, and the shared artistic ideal of promoting band music. Over the years, the "Città di Procida" Band has participated in the most important national and international festivals and competitions, including the Valencia International Band Competition, the Flicorno d'Oro in Riva del Garda, the Bacchetta d'Oro in Frosinone-Fiuggi, and the "Città di Sinnai" International Competition, receiving prestigious awards and unanimous critical acclaim. Significant partnerships have also been established with the bands of Albiano (Trento) and Tolentino.

In addition to its concert activities, the association promotes numerous educational projects: conducting and advanced training courses with internationally renowned teachers, the Procida Junior Band for younger musicians, preparatory music activities for children as young as three, and a music school run by specialized teachers. Since 2009, it has also collaborated with the "A. Capraro" Middle School on educational projects and music competitions.

Since 2002, the artistic and educational direction of the Band has been entrusted to Francesco Trio.
The concert ideally inaugurates a new musical summer at La Mortella, renewing the bond between folk tradition, youth education, and sharing that constitutes one of the Festival's most authentic values.

• Thursday, July 2: BenTiVoglio Youth Symphony Orchestra (Bologna), conducted by Emiliano Bernagozzi. "In music, we grow together": this is the spirit with which the BenTiVoglio Youth Symphony Orchestra participates in the Ischia Youth Orchestra Festival, bringing to the stage a project that combines passion, commitment, and professionalism. The orchestra was born within the Orchestral Training Laboratory promoted by the "Il Temporale" music school in Bentivoglio, thanks to the collaboration between the school's teachers and musicians with recognized artistic and teaching experience. Made up of approximately forty young musicians aged thirteen and over, the orchestra has already received important awards, including victory at the "Rossini" International Competition in Pesaro in 2016. In the same year, it embarked on a tour of the Czech Republic, followed in 2017 by a concert experience in Irpinia, culminating in a performance of Vivaldi's Gloria at the Royal Palace of Caserta. The program is a true musical journey through different eras and musical languages: from the solemn atmospheres of William Walton to the overwhelming energy of Arturo Márquez's Danzón No. 2; from the great soundtracks of international cinema—The Neverending Story, The Mask of Zorro, The Man in the Iron Mask—to brilliant and engaging pieces like Bug's Bunny's Greatest Hits, Rocky Broadway, and Go West. There are also moments of intense emotion, such as "What a Wonderful World," alongside great classics of the orchestral tradition, such as the celebrated Radetzky March and Johann Strauss's "Thunder and Lightning," in a program that celebrates music as a shared celebration. The young musicians of BenTiVoglio approach the stage with enthusiasm and awareness: experiencing music as an opportunity for growth, connection, and beauty is at the heart of their artistic experience. Leading the orchestra will be Emiliano Bernagozzi, an internationally renowned musician, active as a flutist and ocarina player. He has collaborated with major Italian musical institutions, including the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Orchestra dell'Emilia-Romagna "Arturo Toscanini", the Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma, and numerous other prestigious ensembles. Throughout his career, he has worked under the direction of great conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Ennio Morricone, sharing the stage with artists of the caliber of Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Mariella Devia, Andrea Bocelli, and Salvatore Accardo.

• Thursday, July 9: Choir of Clare College, Cambridge (UK), conducted by Graham Ross.

Where does the uttered music go? With this evocative question, the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, makes its debut at La Mortella in an a cappella program that intertwines the Italian and British choral traditions, in an ideal dialogue between cultures and centuries of musical history. The choir, which this year celebrates the seven-hundredth anniversary of Clare College, will perform music by Monteverdi, Palestrina, and Rossini alongside choral works by William Walton, who began his musical training as a chorister and organist at an Oxford college. The program also includes works by the great British composers Vaughan Williams, Elgar, and Stanford, choral arrangements of popular songs by Gershwin, Delius, Britten, and Grainger, as well as a selection of madrigals and vocal harmonies from the British and American traditions. Founded as a mixed choir in 1972, the Choir of Clare College has established itself as one of the most prestigious university choirs in the world. In addition to leading liturgical services in the College Chapel, the Choir is actively involved in concerts, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Previous directors include John Rutter and Timothy Brown. Since 2010, the choir has been led by Graham Ross, an internationally acclaimed conductor, composer, and educator. Under his direction, the Choir of Clare College has consistently received recognition for its artistic excellence and has performed with such prestigious institutions as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Britten Sinfonia, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México. In recent years, the choir has performed recitals in prestigious international venues, from the Palau de la Música in Barcelona to the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, as well as numerous tours of North America. Engagements for the 2026-2027 season include a new recording, concerts at Westminster Abbey, and a tour to Lugano, Ischia, and the United States. Graham Ross is a Fellow and Music Director of Clare College and co-founder of the Dmitri Ensemble. Regularly in demand as a guest conductor in the UK and internationally, he has collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Ars Nova Copenhagen, and numerous other prestigious international ensembles. Their debut at La Mortella represents a special encounter between the great British choral tradition and the place that William and Susana Walton dedicated to the beauty, friendship, and sharing of music.

• Thursday, July 16: Sinfonia Smith Square (London), conducted by Simon Over. Ana Beard Fernández, soprano.

Simon Over's presence at La Mortella has become a happy tradition. The British conductor returns to the stage of the Teatro Greco this year for the ninth time, renewing a relationship of friendship and mutual respect that over the years has given rise to some of the Festival's most significant musical moments. This evening offers a particularly evocative program, intertwining the soundscape of Argentina with the personal story of Susana Walton and her husband, Sir William. Alongside the refined melodies and tangos of Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Guastavino, audiences will hear arias and songs by William Walton, some of which echo the musical atmospheres that accompanied the Waltons' life at La Mortella. Sinfonia Smith Square was born from the 2021 merger of the Southbank Sinfonia and the historic concert institution St John's Smith Square, with the aim of strengthening a shared educational and artistic mission. The heart of the project is the Fellowship Programme, which annually selects thirty-four young graduates from the world's top conservatories through international auditions, offering them an extraordinary experience of orchestral development and a launching pad for professional careers. Since 2002, over six hundred and fifty young musicians have participated in the programme, many of whom are now leading figures on the international music scene. The institution's new home, Smith Square Hall, continues the tradition of the famous baroque church of St. John's, in the heart of Westminster, which since 1969 has welcomed artists and audiences to one of London's most enchanting halls. In addition to symphony concerts, the foundation's activities include festivals, educational programs, family initiatives, and events broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Simon Over studied at the Amsterdam Conservatory, the Royal Academy of Music, and the University of Oxford. He was a member of the band at Westminster Abbey and musical director of St. Margaret's Church and the Chapel of St. Mary Undercroft at the Palace of Westminster. Founder of the Parliament Choir and the Southbank Sinfonia, he has conducted concerts at Britain's most prestigious venues, including Westminster Abbey, the Royal Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall, and St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. He will be joined by British-Spanish soprano Ana Beard Fernández, a versatile and refined performer, active in both operatic and chamber music and contemporary music. Trained at the Royal College of Music and the University of York, she has performed with leading ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and I Fagiolini. Founder of the La Locura ensemble, she is particularly acclaimed for her artistic research, which brings different repertoires and cultures into dialogue. This concert represents a tribute to the most intimate dimension of La Mortella: the house where music was an integral part of daily life and of which Susana and William Walton were extraordinary custodians.

• Thursday, July 23: Symphony Orchestra of the "Carlo Tenca" High School in Milan, conducted by Marco Bossi.

Among the most significant experiences in Italian musical education, the Symphony Orchestra of the "Carlo Tenca" High School demonstrates how public schools can become authentic laboratories of artistic excellence and human growth. The Carlo Tenca State High School in Milan boasts over a century of history and, since 2010, has been home to one of the most important music high schools in Italy. With approximately two hundred students divided into two sections, it offers a large number of young people the opportunity to deepen their musical studies, integrating high school education with intense artistic activity. The school's Aula Magna is the beating heart of this experience: the venue for orchestral rehearsals, concerts, recitals, and meetings with leading figures in the contemporary music scene. In recent years, it has welcomed artists and teachers such as Salvatore Sciarrino, Andrea Lucchesini, Giacomo Manzoni, Emilia Fadini, and Simone Genuini. Through the Waves project, created in collaboration with the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan, students also engage with electronic and electroacoustic music, exploring new creative languages. The Symphony Orchestra is complemented by several instrumental ensembles, including flute, clarinet, and percussion groups, and a Big Band dedicated to jazz repertoire. The Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2021, inspired by the desire to rediscover the pleasure of making music together after the pandemic years. It currently involves approximately seventy students from all classes and with varying levels of education, in a project founded on inclusion, the valorization of excellence, and collective growth. The particularly large ensemble requires constant adaptation and arrangement, aimed at showcasing the unique timbres of each musician and making everyone's participation meaningful. Artistic results were not long in coming: the orchestra won First Prize and Best Orchestra at the XII "Città di Palmanova" International Competition – UNESCO Prize 2024, in addition to success at the National "Schools in Music" Competition in Verona. The program will take the audience on an evocative journey through cinema, literature, and the imagination: from the epic atmospheres of El Cid and Lawrence of Arabia to the adventures of Indiana Jones, all the way to H.O.L.S.T. – Harmony of Light, Space, and Time, a lyrical-symphonic suite inspired by Beni Mora, the choral hymns from the Rig Veda, and The Planets. The orchestra is conducted by Marco Bossi, a high school teacher and author of many of the arrangements performed. A graduate in Conducting, he has explored the operatic and symphonic repertoire through international masterclasses and collaborations with institutions such as the JuniOrchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Athens Philharmonia, the European Music Academy, and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Their presence at La Mortella celebrates the talent of the new generations and the value of the school as a privileged place for discovery, sharing, and building the future.

• Concert July 30: Hertfordshire Youth Wind Sinfonia and Brass Ensembles (UK), conducted by David Gordon-Shute.

For the final concert of the season, the Festival returns to the wind sounds so beloved by Sir William Walton, entrusting the finale to one of Britain's most brilliant youth ensembles dedicated to this repertoire. The Hertfordshire Youth Wind Sinfonia brings together the finest young wind, brass, and percussionists from the county of Herefordshire. Through a vast and stimulating repertoire, the ensemble explores the many expressive possibilities of wind orchestra music, with a particular focus on discovering new interpretative perspectives. The evening's program is dedicated to the dialogue between popular traditions and contemporary writing. The music presented demonstrates how the languages of folklore can transcend eras and geographical boundaries, revealing surprising affinities between diverse cultures. In an age when differences seem to prevail over similarities, folk music proves to be a powerful tool for encounter and sharing. Leading the ensembles will be David Gordon-Shute, a highly experienced musician, conductor, and teacher. Trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Cambridge University, and the Royal Academy of Music, he developed his artistic calling through his experiences with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the European Union Youth Orchestra. As a freelance tuba player, he regularly collaborates with some of London's most prestigious orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Opera House, and the BBC orchestras. He has also participated in the recording of numerous film scores, including The Two Towers and Zero Dark Thirty. Since 2001, he has taught tuba at Eton College, where he has headed the brass department since 2009. He has worked with the National Youth Orchestra and numerous British youth orchestras, giving international masterclasses, including with the Onyx Brass ensemble, and at the Juilliard School in New York. This concert concludes another edition of the Mortella Youth Orchestra Festival: a journey that, through the talent and enthusiasm of young musicians from across Europe, renews Susana Walton's vision that music can be, above all, an experience of encounter, friendship, and hope.

La Mortella is a place where nature and music blend seamlessly, and during the evening concerts, visitors can also visit the gardens, accompanied by the evocative play of atmospheric lights, bathing the park in unexpected hues, making the nighttime visit even more exciting.

All concerts will be held on Thursdays at 9:00 PM.

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