Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano – Teatro Dal Verme
Artists must once again become men among men, embracing the responsibility of their mission: to be the mirror of everyone's conscience, the living, tangible expression of our humanity in its newest and most vital forces - Ferdinando Ballo, co-founder, wit
Founded in Milan in 1945 by impresario Remigio Paone and critic Ferdinando Ballo, Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali has, from its very origins, paired a solid classical repertoire with a distinctive commitment to contemporary music - helping bring twentieth-century works censored under fascism to Italian audiences.
Over the decades, its podium and stage have welcomed the likes of Abbado, Bernstein, Boulez, Chailly, Giulini, Menuhin, Mehta, Muti and Pollini, while its principal conductors have included Nino Sanzogno, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Milan's own Daniele Gatti, Antonello Manacorda and Aldo Ceccato.
Recognised by the Italian State as a concert-orchestral institution, the Foundation is based at the historic Teatro Dal Verme, in the heart of Milan.
The 2026/2027 Season, titled Perfect Harmony and curated by artistic director Maurizio Salerno, runs at Teatro Dal Verme from October to May, with the customary Thursday evening (8pm) and Saturday afternoon (5pm) concerts, alongside the Thursday morning "preview" series (10am). The season's title captures, in image and word, the harmony between the orchestra's musicians, its audience and its repertoire - a relationship built over time that has become one of the most recognisable features of Milan's musical life.
The programme brings two multi-season journeys to their conclusion: the complete Mozart Piano Concertos, entrusted to Alexander Lonquich and Louis Lortie, spanning the composer's entire creative arc, and the complete Rachmaninov Concertos with Mikhail Pletnev, one of the most authoritative pianists of our time.
A new cycle then begins, dedicated to Beethoven's Symphonies under Stefano Montanari, marking the composer's bicentenary: a journey that will unfold across the season and continue into the next as the true backbone of the programme, while Lonquich and Lortie share the performance of the Bonn-born composer's five Piano Concertos.
The season opens on 8 and 10 October with the return of Pietari Inkinen to the Orchestra's podium and the young Chinese-Canadian pianist Sophia Liu, performing Chopin's celebrated Piano Concerto No. 2, followed by Brahms' First Symphony - confirming the Milanese Foundation's ongoing commitment to discovering new talent. Alongside the symphonic repertoire, the season also revives operatic rarities, including Chatterton, Ruggero Leoncavallo's first work for the stage, continuing Teatro Dal Verme's operatic tradition. There is also room for other languages: the contemporary music of Ivan Fedele, performed by Emanuele Arciuli, and an appearance by hitmaker Dardust, in an ongoing dialogue between tradition and new forms of expression. Rounding out the season are guest orchestras from Tuscany with Diego Ceretta and Francesca Dego, I Virtuosi Italiani led by Alberto Martini, and the Orchestra del Friuli Venezia Giulia with Giovanni Sollima.
The offering is further enriched by I Piccoli Pomeriggi Musicali, the series that for twenty years has been introducing children and families to the world of classical music. From October to April, one Sunday a month, seven concerts designed especially for younger audiences: this year's theme is Beethoven, explored through simple, engaging storytelling that turns listening into an experience to share, for children and adults alike.
Fondazione I Pomeriggi Musicali is also the Milan-based organiser of MITO SettembreMusica, the festival that each September brings great music to theatres and public spaces across Milan and Turin, further enriching the city's cultural offering throughout the year.
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