An overwhelming outcome of historic proportions marks the balance of the prestigious symphonic trilogy promoted by the Lyric Festival of the Stone Theaters in the marvelous thousand-year-old setting of the Ancient Theater of Taormina. From 18 to 20 August, the famous Taormina staircase sold out every single event on the bill, welcoming a sea of fans and spectators arriving from every corner of Italy and abroad. An extraordinary achievement which unequivocally establishes the event as a pole of artistic attraction of the highest order for the entire South.
A vibrant atmosphere of contagious enthusiasm and deep emotional participation surrounded thousands of spectators in a single, grandiose embrace of notes. The musical itinerary opened with the epic power of the evening dedicated to Hans Zimmer, “Oscar Sounds”, made memorable by the masterful performance of the Orchestra of the “Vincenzo Bellini” Conservatory of Catania led by the baton of Maestro Giuseppe Romeo and embellished by the virtuoso singing of the soprano soloist Leonora Ilieva. The event then elevated into the solemnity of the “Tribute to Morricone”, a production of majestic grandeur which saw the integration of the clarity of the Brutia Symphony Orchestra, the conducting of Maestro Francesco Perri, the talent of the soloists Maria Francesca Mazzara and Lorenzo Papasodero, together with the prestigious contribution of the Sicilian Opera Choir directed by Maestro Francesco Costa. The cycle was finally completed with the contemplative enchantment of the “Tribute to Einaudi – Elements of Light”, which transfigured the ancient stones into a temple of pure suggestion thanks to the perfect understanding between the Festival’s Resident Orchestra and the Sicilian Lyrical Choir, under the constant and refined guidance of Francesco Costa.
The prolonged applause on stage and the uninterrupted warmth of the audience confirm the value of a cultural itinerary of international importance that continues unabated. The path of the 2026 Teatri di Pietra Lyric Festival continues to enrich Sicily with an exceptional program: starting with the double interpretation of Mozart’s Requiem (on 21 August at the Tempio di Hera in Selinunte and on 23 August at the Teatro dell’Efebo in Agrigento), the special evening in homage to Lucio Dalla together with Pierdavide Carone on 22 August in Nicolosi and the Lirico Gala on 24 August in Tortorici. The event will also see the long-awaited first appointment in Mazara del Vallo with Love Morricone on 25 August and the Battiato Tribute on 28 August with the presence of Mario Venuti and Rita Botto, passing through the evocative Cantico del Sole in Ragalna on 26 August, to then stop with the homage to Franco Battiato together with Rita Botto on 27 August in Agrigento and on 29 August again in the unique setting of Selinunte, spreading great music in the most enchanting places on the island.