On Friday 24 July 2026 at 9.30 pm, Pisa’s majestic Piazza del Duomo will host “Accordo di Stelle”, a show that weaves together dance, music and the timeless beauty of one of the world’s most famous architectural complexes.
The event forms part of what could now be described as a tradition, which began in 2023 when the Opera della Primaziale Pisana chose to celebrate the 850th anniversary of its Campanile – the foundation stone was laid on 9 August 1173 – with a grand spectacle in Piazza del Duomo. Since then, every summer the Piazza dei Miracoli has become a spectacular open-air stage to celebrate the anniversary of the world’s most famous tower: ‘Accordo di Stelle’ opens this season of celebrations on 24 July.
Produced by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, the event will feature three leading figures on the international stage: Roberto Bolle, étoile of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala; Giovanni Allevi, one of the world’s most beloved composers, philosophers, conductors and pianists; and the Irish dancer Melissa Hamilton. On the podium, Giacomo Loprieno will conduct his Ensemble Symphony Orchestra in a programme dedicated to the great names of Italian film music: Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and Nicola Piovani. Micaela Palmieri will host the evening.
PROGRAMME
Ensemble Symphony Orchestra
Giacomo Loprieno conductor
music by Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Nicola Piovani
Roberto Bolle
WAVES
coreography by Massimiliano Volpini
music by Davide Boosta Dileo, Erik Satie
Roberto Bolle, Melissa Hamilton
CARAVAGGIO
coreografia di Mauro Bigonzetti
musich by Bruno Moretti (after Claudio Monteverdi)
Giovanni Allevi, piano
Back to Life, Tomorrow, Our future
Presented by Micaela Palmieri
The Ensemble Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Giacomo Loprieno, will set the tone for the evening with some of the most famous pieces composed by Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and Nicola Piovani – unforgettable soundtracks that have made Italian cinema great throughout the world. As conductor, arranger and founder of the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra, Loprieno is one of the most highly regarded interpreters of the cinematic repertoire, having for years been at the forefront of tours and productions that bring the music of the great composers of the silver screen to theatres. With his Symphony Orchestra, he tackles an exceptionally wide-ranging repertoire and boasts prestigious collaborations with artists from the worlds of pop, jazz and classical music, such as Andrea Bocelli, Stefano Bollani, Mario Biondi, Il Volo, Carmen Consoli and Renato Zero.
Roberto Bolle takes to the stage with *Waves*, one of his best-known solos, in which he interacts with an ever-changing, dynamic beam of laser light. The choreography is by Massimiliano Volpini, with music by Davide Boosta Dileo and Erik Satie. Roberto Bolle will once again take centre stage alongside Melissa Hamilton in *Caravaggio*, Mauro Bigonzetti’s brilliant choreography set to music by Claudio Monteverdi, reorchestrated by Bruno Moretti – one of the most significant works in contemporary dance, which had its Italian premiere in 2025.
The musical interludes on the piano feature Giovanni Allevi performing "Back to Life", "Tomorrow" and "Our Future", a composition that received its world premiere at COP26 in Glasgow. One of the best-known pianists, composers and conductors on the contemporary Italian music scene, Allevi has developed an original musical language that blends classical tradition with contemporary sensibilities, reaching an international audience.
Giacomo Loprieno. After studying piano and composition at the Conservatoire of La Spezia, Giacomo Loprieno went on to specialise in orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire of Cesena under Giovanni Bartoli, for whom he served as assistant in numerous opera and symphonic productions in Italy and abroad; the conductors Massimo De Bernart and Roberto Tolomelli also contributed to his training. He has worked with numerous symphony orchestras, conducting in Germany, France, Belgium, Romania and Croatia, as well as in Italy’s leading theatres, including the San Carlo in Naples, the Carlo Felice in Genoa, the Regio in Turin, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. He has worked with internationally renowned artists such as Sting, Richard Galliano, Robbie Williams, Sam Smith and Andrea Bocelli, as well as Enrico Rava, Paolo Silvestri, Rossana Casale, Mario Biondi and many others. He has also taken part in projects such as "The Legend of Zelda", "Distant Worlds", "Harry Potter" and "Frozen".
Ensemble Symphony Orchestra. A highly versatile ensemble, and one of the most active and sought-after both nationally and internationally, the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra has performed over two thousand concerts in sixteen years of activity, with extensive experience in amplified live performances. Its repertoire ranges from opera arias to film soundtracks, pop and jazz. It has collaborated with artists such as Stefano Bollani, Enrico Rava, Franco Battiato, Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, Renato Zero, Mario Biondi, Francesco De Gregori, PFM and Cristiano De Andrè, amongst many others.
Roberto Bolle. Trained at the Teatro alla Scala School in Milan, where he has been an Étoile since 2004, Roberto Bolle has danced in all the world’s major theatres and with the most prestigious companies. In 2009, he was appointed ‘Principal Dancer’ of the American Ballet Theatre, becoming a permanent fixture in the company’s season for 10 years – an honour never bestowed upon any other Italian dancer. His ‘Roberto Bolle and Friends’ Gala has attracted, and continues to attract, tens of thousands of people to major venues in Italy and abroad.
He has taken part in various film and television projects, often conceived by him, such as the programmes "Questa notte mi ha aperto gli occhi", "Danza con me" and "Viva la Danza". He is the creator and artistic director of the "OnDance | Accendiamo la danza" dance festival, organised for the city of Milan. He has served as an ambassador for some of Italy’s most prestigious brands, has won numerous awards and has been honoured with the highest national and international accolades. He is, amongst other things, a UNICEF Ambassador and, in 2014, received the UNESCO Medal in recognition of the universal cultural value of his artistic work. He has collaborated with artists such as Bob Wilson, Peter Greenaway, Anne Leibovitz and Bruce Weber, who dedicated the photography book "An Athlete in Tights" to him.
Melissa Hamilton. Born in Ireland, she trained at the Elmhurst School in Birmingham and later with Masha Mukhamedov in Athens. Melissa Hamilton joined the Royal Ballet in London in 2007, becoming a Principal Dancer in 2013. She has danced as a Principal Guest with the Polish National Ballet, the New National Theatre in Tokyo and the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 2009, she won the ‘Critics’ Circle Outstanding Female Classical Performance’ award; in 2011, she won the gold medal at the Eighth International Seoul Ballet Competition. She took part in the Roberto Bolle and Friends Gala in 2024 and 2025, dancing a duet in the ballet *Caravaggio*.
Giovanni Allevi. Composer, pianist, philosopher and conductor, Giovanni Allevi has performed in the world’s most prestigious concert halls, from Carnegie Hall in New York to La Scala in Milan, and the Forbidden City Auditorium in Beijing. NASA has named an asteroid after him: giovanniallevi111561. In 2025, at the Rome Film Festival, he presented the documentary film *Allevi Back to Life*, which recounts his return to music following a long illness. Giovanni Allevi is also a successful writer: his first autobiography, *La musica in testa*, won the Elsa Morante Literary Prize; his latest book, *I nove doni. Sulla via della felicità*, is a profound reflection on life.
Info
The show, which is free to attend with limited seating subject to availability, will take place at the foot of the Campanile, which will close early for the occasion so that it can be illuminated to provide a backdrop for the evening. BOOKINGS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
Monuments open free of charge
The evening of 24 July will be accompanied by free access to the monuments in Piazza del Duomo, which can be visited from 8.30 pm to 11.00 pm.
Access to the Baptistery, the Camposanto, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the Museo delle Sinopie is by booking only (from 13 July 2026) via the website www.scopripisa.it/calendario-eventi/.
The Cathedral will remain open to visitors without a booking, subject to limited entry numbers.
