Rome, Music Returns Beneath the Vaults of the Basilica of Massenzio
From July 2 to 29, after 47 years, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia brings its summer season back to one of the most evocative places in the world: the Basilica of Massenzio, in the heart of the Roman Forum. There are places where nothing needs to happen for emotion to arise. Simply being there is enough. Sitting quietly at dusk beneath the soaring arches of the Basilica of Massenzio, with the Colosseum just steps away and the ruins of ancient Rome all around, feels like entering a stage set no theater could ever recreate. The stone, the light, the open sky above the ruins, the weight of centuries — everything transforms the anticipation of a concert into something suspended between romance and awe.
This summer, that extraordinary setting comes alive once again through music. After nearly half a century away, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is returning its summer concert season to the Basilica of Massenzio, where between 1933 and 1979 more than 650 concerts were performed, making the site one of the beating hearts of Rome’s musical summers. Then, due to structural concerns, the festival moved elsewhere, wandering between prestigious and atmospheric venues, from Piazza del Campidoglio to the Cavea of the Parco della Musica. Yet the bond with Maxentius was never truly broken. Now, thanks to a new restoration and temporary installation designed by the international architecture studio Alvisi Kirimoto, the Basilica is once again ready to welcome audiences.
The new structure
Light, reversible, and carefully calibrated to harmonize with the historic monument — will be installed within the central apse of the ancient ruins. A semicircular seating arrangement for the orchestra and a dedicated space for the choir create a contemporary yet understated architectural gesture, restoring Maxentius to its historic role as a living cultural stage beneath the Roman sky. The program, running from July 2 to July 29, combines artistic excellence with broad appeal, bringing together classical masterpieces, contemporary influences, and cinematic music in a setting unlike any other.
- The opening night on July 2 at 9 pm will feature conductor Manfred Honeck and pianist Alexander Malofeev performing two of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved and emotionally powerful works: the Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Symphony No. 5.
- On July 4, the Basilica will host an unexpected encounter between eras and artistic languages with The Four Seasons Hip-Hop, where Vivaldi meets street dance. The production features Compagnie Käfig, led by choreographer Mourad Merzouki, alongside Le Concert de la Loge conducted by Julien Chauvin — a performance that reimagines Baroque music through movement, rhythm, and contemporary energy.
- On July 9, audiences will step into the world of cinema with Alexandre Desplat, who will personally conduct some of his most iconic film scores. A two-time Academy Award winner and one of the most celebrated composers of our time, Desplat will guide the orchestra through music from films including Harry Potter, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, and The Shape of Water. A rare opportunity to hear these scores performed under the baton of their creator, in one of the world’s most atmospheric open-air venues.
- July 15 will pay tribute to Giuseppe Verdi, with the Orchestra Nazionale dei Conservatori and the Choir of Santa Cecilia conducted by Diego Ceretta, one of the most promising young Italian conductors of his generation. The evening will feature choruses, overtures, and ballet music drawn from Verdi’s most celebrated operas.
- On July 17, Music Director Daniel Harding will take the podium alongside pianist Stefano Bollani for Gershwin’s legendary Rhapsody in Blue, accompanied by works by Ravel and Mussorgsky in a vibrant journey through French elegance, Russian imagination, and American jazz-infused modernity.
- The spotlight on July 21 will belong to a remarkable young talent: pianist Martina Meola, born in 2012 and winner of the “Jeune Chopin 2025” prize, who will perform an all-Chopin recital.
- On July 24, the Basilica will resonate with two of Mozart’s sacred masterpieces — the Ave Verum Corpus and the Requiem — conducted by Jérémie Rhorer.
- The season closes on July 29 with Concerto Köln, presenting a program dedicated to the grand Baroque celebrations of Handel and Vivaldi. A fitting finale for an open-air venue: many works from the 16th to the 18th centuries were originally composed for festive outdoor occasions, designed to resonate beneath the open sky. For travelers and lovers of uniquely Italian experiences, the concerts at the Basilica of Maxentius are far more than a music festival. They are a meeting point between art, history, architecture, and the Roman night. One of those rare occasions where travel becomes more than sightseeing — where a monument is not only visited, but truly lived, while listening to Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Vivaldi, Verdi, or Gershwin beneath the timeless arches of ancient Rome.
