There is a way of experiencing Villa Rufolo that you would hardly imagine in summer: sitting in an intimate hall, a few metres from the musicians, while outside the gardens get ready for winter. That is what Nevile Reid's Musical Salon offers: the chamber music series of the Fondazione Ravello, now in its third edition. After the spring concerts, the autumn season brings ten performances to Ravello between 18 October and 6 December.
The name pays tribute to Francis Nevile Reid, the Scottish gentleman who bought the villa in the 19th century and oversaw its restoration and its gardens. The formula is simple and, for us, one of the best reasons to head up to Ravello out of season: Sunday matinées at 12 noon and Friday concerts at 5 pm, in the villa's Auditorium and Theatre Hall, which once again welcomes music.
The programme, concert by concert
- Sunday 18 October, 12 noon — Auditorium. Riccardo Bonaccini (violin), Matteo Scarpelli (cello) and Catia Capua (piano) take us on a journey through the piano trio, from Haydn and Beethoven to Mendelssohn.
- Sunday 25 October, 12 noon — Theatre Hall. The Nuovo Ensemble del Sud conducted by Marcello Panni in Popsongs: the best-loved melodies of the Italian operatic and popular tradition, reinterpreted through quotations and transcriptions.
- Friday 30 October, 5 pm — Theatre Hall. The Soloists of the Benevento Philharmonic Orchestra (Vittorio Coviello and Erica Parente on flutes, Federica Paduano on violin, Emilio Mottola on cello) devote the afternoon to Haydn, between the London Trios and the Divertimenti.
- Sunday 1 November, 12 noon — Auditorium. Franco Ascolese (flute) and Laura Cozzolino (piano), from Tchaikovsky and Schubert to the virtuoso pieces of Briccialdi and Clarke, all the way to Piazzolla.
- Sunday 15 November, 12 noon — Auditorium. Four hands at the opera: Daniele Paolillo and Stefania De Santi bring the great themes of Rossini, Bizet, Bellini and Verdi to the piano.
- Friday 20 November, 5 pm — Auditorium. The Trio Hermes (Ginevra Bassetti, violin; Francesca Giglio, cello; Greta Maria Lobefaro, piano) sets Beethoven alongside Fanny Hensel.
- Sunday 22 November, 12 noon — Auditorium. The Tempus Trio (Ferran Bardolet, cello; Maria Tió, violin; Ricard Rovirosa, piano) in a concert devoted entirely to Beethoven.
- Friday 27 November, 5 pm — Theatre Hall. Soprano Patrizia Polia and Luigi Sini on guitar, with works by Walton, D'Amico, de Falla, de Rossi Re and Galante.
- Sunday 29 November, 12 noon — Theatre Hall. Dialogues on eight strings: Riccardo Zamuner (violin) and Andrea De Martino (viola) play music by Mozart, Martinů, Sibelius and Halvorsen.
- Sunday 6 December, 12 noon — Auditorium. The Trio Clara (Sarah Jégou-Sageman, violin; Anouchka Hack, cello; Martina Consonni, piano) closes the season with Beethoven and Mendelssohn.
Some concerts are organised in collaboration with the Benevento Philharmonic Orchestra and with Le Dimore del Quartetto, the network that supports young chamber ensembles by hosting them in historic residences. All the dates are also in our calendar: Nevile Reid's Musical Salon at Villa Rufolo.
How to attend
Admission to the concerts is free for residents; non-residents only need to pay the Villa Rufolo entrance ticket.
Bookings: prenotazioni@villarufolo.it · Tel. 089 857621
Information and updates on the websites of Villa Rufolo and the Fondazione Ravello.
Our tips
The Sunday matinées are perfect for an off-season day on the Amalfi Coast: arrive in the morning, enjoy the concert and then take a stroll around the Cathedral, the alleyways and nearby Villa Cimbrone, which we tell you about in Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. The Friday concerts at 5 pm, on the other hand, fall at sunset: in autumn the light over the Gulf of Salerno is worth the trip on its own. For everything else to see in town, there is our guide Ravello: what to see.
In winter the Amalfi Coast road is quieter, but buses run less often: check the timetables before you set off, or read our page on getting around Campania.
