It returns with its fourth edition Music in the Neighborhoods, the project promoted by the Music sector of the LAC Lugano Art and Culture The festival aims to extend the experience of music listening beyond the confines of traditional concert halls. From April 14th to May 23rd, the festival offers eight free events throughout the Lugano district, continuing a formula that has consolidated its audience over the years.
The initiative is part of the framework of LAC ed and is created in collaboration with the Music Association in Mendrisiotto and with Pro Senectute Ticino and MoesanoThe goal remains to promote culture as a tool for bringing people together, contributing to the quality of life in neighborhoods and promoting opportunities for meeting among all segments of the population.
Music in the Neighborhoods: Music as a Shared Experience
The project stands out for a specific choice: to bring music to informal, everyday spaces, often far from traditional cultural circuits. Daycare centers, community spaces, and schools thus become temporary stages, where listening becomes a moment of sharing.
More than creating new audiences, Music in the Neighborhoods aims to strengthen a sense of community by offering accessible and barrier-free opportunities. On several occasions, the concert is accompanied by convivial moments—snacks, aperitifs, or breakfasts—that foster social interaction.
Local artists and local promotion
The artistic direction has chosen to entrust the program to performers active in the region, strengthening the connection between the cultural offering and the local community. This approach enhances the regional musical heritage and helps make it recognizable even outside of institutional contexts.
Seven of the eight events take place in the centers and spaces managed by Pro Senectute Ticino and Moesano, while one is dedicated to elementary school students in Cassarate, with a concert-show designed for a younger audience.
The complete program of Music in the Neighborhoods
April 14 – Bedano
Al Posticino Meeting Center, 3:00 PM
Music by Fryderyk Chopin e Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with a chamber ensemble and piano. Afterwards, a snack will be served.
April 17 – Lamone
Pro Senectute “Talete” day center, 14.30 pm
Vocal and instrumental repertoire with pieces by Benjamin Britten, Maurice Ravel e Georg Friedrich HändelA snack is provided.
April 23 – Bioggio
CD3 Day Center at the Baretto del Parco, 3:00 p.m.
Music by Robert Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák e Nadia Boulanger. Snack to follow.
April 28 – Ponte Tresa
Tresa Town Hall, 5:00 p.m.
“OneCello” with music ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach a Ennio Morricone, up to The BeatlesFinal aperitif.
May 3 – Barbengo
Neverland, 10:30 a.m.
Chamber music program featuring works by Mozart and Beethoven, enriched by a musical narration inspired by Aesop. Aperitif at the end.
May 8 – Massagno
Pro Senectute “La Sosta” day center, 14.00 pm
Baroque itinerary with music by Antonio Vivaldi, Archangel Corelli and Handel. Afterwards, a snack.
May 22 – Cassarate
Elementary schools, 2:00 p.m.
A concert-show for students featuring an actor and ensemble, designed to introduce younger students to live music.
May 23 – Manno
Town Hall Courtyard, 10:30 a.m.
The event will conclude with a journey through gypsy music, jazz, and folk melodies. A breakfast will be served before the concert.
A widespread cultural model
In the context of the city's cultural policies, Music in the Neighborhoods It is an initiative consistent with an inclusive and widespread vision of culture. Bringing music into everyday spaces means bridging the gap—both physical and symbolic—between the public and the artistic offering.
The project thus confirms a growing trend: to consider culture not just as artistic production, but as a public service and an opportunity for connection. From this perspective, the festival contributes to strengthening the social fabric, offering simple, accessible, and shared moments of encounter.
Lugano, Locarno, and Mendrisio: three cities, one cultural vision for 2030
