The 25th anniversary performance of the Tartini Festival

The 25th edition of the Tartini Festival will take place from August 20 to September 5, 2026, in Piran and Koper. This milestone celebration marks the festival's quarter-century journey as one of Slovenia’s most significant cultural events dedicated to the music and legacy of Giuseppe Tartini. The festival will feature twelve concerts, three orchestras, performances on the original Tartini violin, and a lineup of top domestic and international artists. It will include nine main concerts in Piran and three free junior concerts in Koper.

The opening concert will be held on August 20 in the Church of St. George in Piran, performed by the Baroque Orchestra Savaria from Budapest under the artistic direction of Pál Németh. This inaugural performance will take place in the grand setting of one of Piran's most recognizable landmarks, using authentic instruments. The soloist, László Paulik, will play on the original Tartini violin, crafted by Nicolò Amati of Bologna. This precious instrument has been kindly loaned to the festival once again this year by the Maritime Museum "Sergej Mašera" in Piran.

A highlight of the festival remains the use of the original Tartini violin, which continues to provide historical and acoustic depth to the performances. Selected soloists will perform on this rare instrument throughout the festival. Three orchestras—Baroque Orchestra Savaria, Orchestra Lorenzo da Ponte, and I Solisti Veneti—will participate, alongside ensembles such as filoBarocco, Il Terzo Suono, Scintillanti Armonie, Anonimus Barock, and Nocturnalia, along with numerous soloists including László Paulik, Maristella Patuzzi, Alfredo Bernardini, Massimo Mercelli, Lucio Degani, and Roberto Loreggian among others.

One particular focus of this year's program is the connection between generations. International ensembles such as filoBarocco and Nocturnalia consist of musicians who previously participated in the Tartini Junior program and now return as established artists with their own international ensembles.

Key highlights of the festival program include a concert by Orchestra Lorenzo da Ponte titled “The Devil’s Trill” on the Tartini violin, conducted by Robert Zarpellon with violinist Maristella Patuzzi as the featured soloist. I Solisti Veneti will return to Piran under the leadership of Giuliano Carello and flutist Massimo Mercelli. Their evening will conclude with a special musical treat: "Filmscapes for Solo Flute and Orchestra" by Rachel Portman, inspired by the scores of films such as *Emma*, *The Cider House Rules* from *Chocolat*, which was dedicated to flutist Massimo Mercelli and the ensemble I Solisti Veneti.

The ensemble Il Terzo Suono will perform in two festival evenings, featuring Alfredo Bernardini, one of the leading specialists in baroque double bass. Scintillanti Armonie will make its debut in Piran this year, bringing a rich sound world of baroque trumpets, timpani, and organs. In addition to the central concert evenings, musicians will also perform several shorter pop-up concerts at selected locations around Piran, in collaboration with the Tourism Association Portorož.

A new feature of this year's anniversary edition is the festival pass, which allows access to all nine main concerts in Piran and the three free junior concerts in Koper. Tickets for individual concerts are also available. Tickets for the 25th Tartini Festival can be purchased through the ticketing network at www.mojekarte.si.

Organizers of the festival, flutist Jasna Nadleš and cellist Milan Vrsajkov, co-founders of the ensemble Il Terzo Suono, expressed their joy at reaching this milestone. They noted that twenty-five years ago, they could scarcely have imagined that a festival dedicated to Giuseppe Tartini would endure for so long. In many respects, they were pioneers in this field. Today, they are pleased to have contributed to the recognition of Tartini's music, his legacy, and Piran as a city.