Festival information

The Ascona Music Weeks were founded in 1946 on the initiative of Ascona lawyer Leone Ressiga Vacchini, supported by pianist Alessandro Chasen and later also by Ascona resident Russian composer Wladimir Vogel.

In the early years, the event was held in the spring.

The six or seven concerts at that time were performed over the course of a week, usually in a ballroom. With the opening of the new school building in September 1949, the concerts were moved to the auditorium until 1967 and the performances postponed from spring to fall.

In 1968, the event took a quantum leap.

The availability of Papio College and St. Francis Church makes it possible to hold the concerts in these two churches.

These are two imposing monuments with excellent acoustics, offering artists and audiences an atmosphere that is as inspiring as it is intimate. Already in the early years, what has always been the special feature of Ascona concerts becomes apparent: great music with outstanding performers. It can be said without exaggeration that the most famous artists of the classical scene have been guests in Ascona, and many of them several times.

An important contribution to the festival was also made by the constant participation of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, which played a central role in the development of the Settimane Musicali. Even today this ensemble is present in each edition with one or more concerts.

Dino Invernizzi, who gave body and soul to Ascona Weeks for decades, was a central figure in the festival’s history.

He worked for the festival for nearly 50 years and served as president from 1977 to 2015. In 2015 he was named Honorary President and replaced by Francesco Ressiga-Vacchini as President, a position he held until 2025. This change marked a turning point in the organization of the festival: in 2015, Settimane Musicali Ascona was in fact transformed into a foundation (Fondazione Settimane Musicali Ascona) and Francesco Ressiga-Vacchini became its first president. In a way, this brought the story back to its origins, as Francesco Ressiga-Vacchini is the grandson of festival co-founder Leone Ressiga-Vacchini.

The generational change with Francesco Piemontesi

The most important turning point in recent history came probably 13 years ago, with the appointment of Francesco Piemontesi as artistic director in 2013: the pianist, who was born and raised in Locarno and has since become a world star in classical music, has further strengthened the festival’s profile by inviting leading orchestras and major musical personalities. He has also performed as a soloist and chamber musician, giving the festival a personal touch.

Reorientation from 2026: Christoph Müller’s appointment as Artistic Director from the 81st edition is also linked to the task of repositioning the festival, broadening its outlook and raising its national and international profile. Francesco Ressiga-Vacchini handed over the presidency of the Fondazione Settimane Musicali Ascona to Luca Allidi. The board of directors and management agreed to change the name of the festival in 2025: the festival will henceforth be known as classicAscona, organized by the Fondazione Settimane Musicali Ascona.