Mozart Evenings Marks Halfway Point with Intimate Chamber Programme Featuring Fabrizio Meloni and Quartetto Pegreffi

Following two evenings of orchestral brilliance, the third day of Mozart Evenings 2026, on Tuesday 16th June, turned its attention to the expressive world of chamber music through a programme featuring famed clarinettist Fabrizio Meloni (Italy) and the renowned Quartetto Pegreffi (Italy).

Helmed by Artistic Director Tommaso Benciolini and President Konstantin Ishkhanov, the festival, which is being organised by CMDI, the Gaspari Foundation, and the Comune di Verona, kicked off on June 14th, and will be running until the 18th of the month, bringing together a host of acclaimed soloists from across the globe for a five-day celebration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s musical legacy, hosted in Verona’s beloved Sala Maffeiana, where Mozart himself once performed back in 1770.

For this third evening, the atmosphere shifted from the broader orchestral canvas of the previous concerts to the more intimate dialogue of the chamber repertoire. Taking to the stage was Fabrizio Meloni, one of Italy’s most distinguished clarinettists, who has served for many years as first solo clarinet of the Orchestra and Philharmonic of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. 

“It is wonderful to be here in this incredible hall”, Meloni said. “Mozart was here in January 1770, when he was only 13 years old, and that gives everything an incredible emotion. I am very glad to be here, and I am very grateful for this opportunity to perform with the wonderful Quartetto Pegreffi. This music is extraordinary. The Clarinet Quintet, K.581, is like a small testament. It is incredible music, full of harmony and atmosphere, and it is such a wonderful opportunity to have the Gaspari Foundation and CMDI supporting this festival. I know Konstantin Ishkhanov very well, and he is a very philanthropic person, so I am very grateful that he has helped to give us the chance to play this amazing music in such a beautiful hall!”

Joining him was the Quartetto Pegreffi, a young Italian string quartet whose name pays tribute to Elisa Pegreffi, the celebrated violinist of the legendary Quartetto Italiano, and whose work reflects a commitment to carrying forward the Italian string quartet tradition. Speaking before the concert, Emanuele Ruggero, a member of the ensemble, declared that “it is really thrilling to be here! We have already had two nights with the orchestra, but playing in a quartet is quite different. The expectation is different, but so is the joy. Right now, what we are thinking is that it is just us, and we have to bring all the beauty of Mozart by ourselves, together with Maestro Meloni. There is a reason why festivals dedicated to Mozart still exist today. It is important to celebrate the past in the present, and to learn from the past. I also think festivals like this are a perfect way to educate more people and to let them discover classical music and Mozart. They also give space and a place to perform to young ensembles like ours, as well as to beautiful orchestras like L’Appassionata. The more festivals like this there are, the better it is!”

“The role of CMDI and the Gaspari Foundation is fundamental”, he continued, “not only for a festival like this, but also for classical musicians in general. As we know, culture is not supported enough, or as much as it should be, in the world today. Our work is very important, especially in this moment of history, and organisations like this help us to do what we do and to share our music with the world, so thank you very much to them and to the Artistic Director Tommaso Benciolini for doing such a wonderful job!”

The evening opened with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K.421, one of the six quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn. Written with extraordinary craft, the work stands among Mozart’s most searching chamber compositions, moving between tension, lyrical beauty, and moments of quiet inwardness, with its minor-key atmosphere giving the concert a subdued, introspective opening.

The second part of the programme was then dedicated to the Clarinet Quintet in A major, K.581, one of Mozart’s great late masterpieces. Written for the clarinettist Anton Stadler, this work is beloved for its warmth and beautiful melodic grace. Rather than treating the clarinet as a purely virtuosic solo instrument, Mozart weaves it into a subtle and evolving conversation with the strings, allowing the instrument’s mellow tone to emerge naturally from the ensemble. In Meloni’s hands, the clarinet’s singing quality blended perfectly with the strings, while the music’s gentle lyricism offered a striking contrast to the darker intensity of the opening quartet. 

“Tonight’s concert offered a beautiful contrast within the festival programme,” said Konstantin Ishkhanov. “After the energy and scale of the opening evenings, it was very special to experience Mozart through the intimacy of chamber music, especially with artists of the calibre of Fabrizio Meloni and the Quartetto Pegreffi. This is one of the great strengths of Mozart’s music, that it can speak with equal power in a symphony, a concerto, or a chamber work. As the festival continues, we are seeing how each evening reveals a different side of his genius, while also bringing together musicians and audiences in the shared atmosphere of this extraordinary hall.”

Indeed, audiences present in the Sala Maffeiana responded warmly to this eclectic mix of works, acclaiming the musicians on stage with sustained applause. Audience member Aksat Shah, visiting Verona for the first time from the USA, remarked that, “I am a huge fan of classical music, and being able to experience it in this setting is amazing. I have had a few experiences listening to classical music live at my university, but I have never seen anything at this level of professionalism before. I think that this festival is such a rare opportunity, and I do not think it is something that most people get to experience all the time. It is definitely a must-see!”

With this third concert concluded, Mozart Evenings 2026 now looks ahead to its penultimate entry, which will take place on Wednesday 17th June, featuring the L’Appassionata Orchestra (Italy) alongside flautist Tommaso Benciolini (Italy) and harpist Mirjam Schröder (Germany) in a programme including Mozart’s Divertimento for Strings, K.136, Symphony No. 11 in D major, K.84, and the celebrated Concerto for Flute and Harp in C major, K.299.