The 70th Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice

The start of autumn is marked by numerous opportunities to listen to contemporary music. In Venice, the Biennale is presenting the 70th Festival of Contemporary Music, featuring 23 world premieres. The Romaeuropa Festival has always focused on contemporary musical creation: two concerts are coming up in the next few days, followed by other major events in November, culminating in the Classical Rave Party on 15 November. Pianist Beatrice Rana kicks off her European tour in Brescia.

From 10 to 24 October, the 70th Venice Biennale International Festival of Contemporary Music. ‘A Child of Sound’ is the title chosen by artistic director Caterina Barbieri; drawing inspiration from the ‘child of sound’ as a symbol of both revolution and healing, the 2026 Biennale Musica presents a programme of world premieres and site-specific works, transcending rigid distinctions of genre, era and geography, with over 40 events – 23 new works, 18 of which are world premieres. The programme bridges tradition and experimentation, spanning very different eras, cultures and musical languages: from early music and the Western classical repertoire to African and Afro-Cuban ritual traditions, right through to the most recent forms of electronic music, ambient, noise and club culture.

A central role is given to the voice, understood both in its spiritual and ritual dimension and as a tool for contemporary exploration; similar attention is paid to the guitar and to the possibilities offered by the combination of acoustic instruments and electronics.

The Festival also brings together recognised masters and the next generation, with Keiji Haino receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement for his pioneering contribution to the languages of improvisation and contemporary experimentation; and Sarah Davachi, recipient of the Silver Lion, one of the most interesting and consistent voices on the contemporary music scene, focused on the innovative fusion of electronic and acoustic styles. This highlights the idea of contemporary music as a realm without clear-cut boundaries between classical and popular, memory and innovation, concert, ritual and performance, with a particular focus on peripheral cultures and new forms of musical sociality.

At the 41st Romaeuropa Festival, which runs until 19 November, music transcends languages and disciplines, embodying its mission to bring together experimentation, the established repertoire and new ways of listening, weaving together anniversaries, new performances, electronic music, pop and contemporary composition. On the 27th at the Teatro Argentina, ‘Osmium’ is a project bringing together the Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir (Oscar winner for the soundtrack to *Joker*) with James Ginzburg, Rully Shabara and Sam Slater. A crossroads between sound performance, instrumental experimentation and the artisanal crafting of sound. On the 4th at the Mattatoio, a tribute to Steve Reich’s 90th birthday with the percussion ensemble Blow Up Percussion, who present an immersive musical journey.