Together with musicians of Collegium Vocale Gent and a number of sponsoring friends (one of them is our honorary president Carol van Wonterghem), the Belgian conductor and Italy lover Philippe Herreweghe founded in 2001 the “Accademia delle Crete Senesi”. In response to the hectic every day concert life during the regular season, this yearly summer festival south of Siena developed into a charming and inspiring meeting place for both musicians and audiences.

Since 2017, the festival is organized by Collegium Vocale Ghent.

The concerts take place in small but marvellous churches, chosen because of their adequate acoustics for the repertoire on the program. On dream locations such as the churches of Santo Stefano (Castelmuzio), Sant’Anna in Camprena (Pienza) and San Francesco (Asciano) both music lovers and performers can discover the Crete Senesi, one of the most beautiful and authentic regions of Europe, situated near well known cities such as Florence, Siena, Montepulciano or Montalcino, an amidst one of the most prestigeous wine areas of Italy.

The international level of the performances and the perfect marriage between the beautiful landscapes and a culture going back to the Etruscan era, make of this festival a unique experience for both the Italian and international public. Next to concerts with top soloists and experienced musicians from my own ensembles, Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi also aims to give opportunities to new talent. The programme is wide but high level and spans ‘five centuries of contemporary music’, presented in a new and refreshing approach.