Note sull'Aspromonte 2026, ninth edition: Giuseppe Timpano Memorial

Piazza Regina Margherita · Oppido Mamertina, Costa Viola, Calabria

20 August 2026

On 20 August 2026, from 6 pm, piazza Regina Margherita in Oppido Mamertina hosts the ninth edition of «Note sull'Aspromonte», the music festival dedicated to the memory of Giuseppe Timpano. It is organised by the Valle delle Saline association and the «Giuseppe Rechichi» Orchestra of Oppido, with artistic direction by Maestro Stefano Calderone. Giuseppe Timpano was a young musician of the local band who died prematurely: for some years now the festival has carried his name and awards a scholarship to students of the music school who stand out not only for artistic ability but for dedication, passion and generosity. Over the years the festival has become a bridge between the Aspromonte and the great European music schools: its seventh edition brought to Oppido a clarinettist from the Royal College of Music and a Portuguese soprano from the Royal Academy of Music in London. The ninth edition opened back in April with the Junior Band's Spring Concert at the municipal Cinema Teatro.

The ninth edition: 20 August, piazza Regina Margherita

«Note sull'Aspromonte» reaches its ninth edition. The 2026 date is Thursday 20 August, from 6 pm, in piazza Regina Margherita in Oppido Mamertina, one of the two squares where the programme is concentrated, along with piazza Umberto I.

The festival is organised by the Valle delle Saline association, chaired by Giovanni Demasi, together with the «Giuseppe Rechichi» Orchestra of Oppido Mamertina, with artistic direction by Maestro Stefano Calderone. The evening is part of the municipality's Aria d'estate mamertina programme.

It is the most institutional event of the Oppido summer, the one that brings the town's music school, its band and the orchestras of the surrounding area into the square: a festival built from the ground up, within a wind-band tradition that is still strong in Calabria and that here has years of continuity behind it.

Who Giuseppe Timpano was, and the scholarship

The festival is named after Giuseppe Timpano, a young musician of the Oppido band and orchestra who died prematurely, leaving — in the words of those who knew him — a legacy of values and memories among his fellow musicians.

During the event a scholarship in his name is awarded. It does not reward technical skill alone: it goes to young musicians who stand out for dedication, passion and generosity in the way they take part in the music school. It is how the festival holds together its artistic and educational sides, which for a village youth orchestra are one and the same.

A bridge between the Aspromonte and London

Over the years «Note sull'Aspromonte» has built an international profile you would not expect from a village festival. The seventh edition, in August 2024, brought to Oppido the clarinettist Sam Huston, from the Royal College of Music in London, and the Portuguese soprano Margarida Vaz Neto, from the Royal Academy of Music: the exchanges were made possible by Maestro Antonio Morabito, a pianist from Reggio Calabria living in London.

The format of that edition captures the spirit of the festival well: a first evening dedicated to the orchestras of the area — the Concert Band of Melicucco, the «Giuseppe Scerra» Orchestra of Delianuova and the «F.L.G. Raso» band of Cinquefrondi — and a second with the «Giuseppe Rechichi» Orchestra, the Junior Band and the international guests. The festival has been described as a musical bridge between Oppido and London, with masterclasses and concerts designed to bring different artistic cultures together.

The 2026 poster does not preview the artistic programme of the 20 August evening: it gives the title, the memorial, the time and the square.

The Giuseppe Rechichi Orchestra and the Junior Band

The «Giuseppe Rechichi» Orchestra is the musical heart of Oppido Mamertina: in 2024 it was marking its fifteenth year of activity. Alongside it works the Junior Band, the ensemble of the youngest players, effectively the nursery of the music school.

It was the Junior Band that opened the festival's ninth edition: on 24 April 2026, at the municipal Cinema Teatro of Oppido Mamertina, with the Spring Concert. That evening also had a practical purpose, supporting the A.I.D.A. project to bring the municipal Cinema Teatro back to life.

It is a detail that shows how the festival works: not an isolated August evening, but the visible endpoint of work that goes on all year.

The rest of the Valle delle Saline summer

The Valle delle Saline association does not only run «Note sull'Aspromonte». On the 2026 programme it also signs AsproSax, the series held from 18 to 21 July at the Affaccio in Borgo Piminoro, under the patronage of the Aspromonte National Park Authority: the belvedere overlooking the Gioia Tauro plain turned into a stage.

In the same week as the festival, Oppido lives the most intense stretch of its summer: on 18 August the historical procession of the Annunziata, from the 21st to the 23rd the patronal feast concerts with Amedeo Minghi on the 22nd, and on the 24th the Azzurra Film Festival in the same piazza Regina Margherita.

Practical information

The Aria d'estate mamertina poster lists no tickets, advance sales or prices for the evening: the festival takes place in a public square in the centre of Oppido Mamertina. The listed start is 6 pm, early compared with the other events on the programme, in keeping with a festival that features several performances in succession and the awarding of the scholarship.

Oppido Mamertina is reached by car from the Gioia Tauro plain: from the Gioia Tauro exit on the A2 motorway it is about twenty kilometres inland. The portal has holiday homes in the area and the businesses of Oppido Mamertina; the full programme is on the Aria d'estate mamertina 2026 page and other events are in the events section.

Frequently asked questions

When is Note sull'Aspromonte 2026?

Thursday 20 August 2026, from 6 pm, in piazza Regina Margherita in Oppido Mamertina, province of Reggio Calabria. It is the festival's ninth edition.

Who organises the festival?

The Valle delle Saline association, chaired by Giovanni Demasi, together with the «Giuseppe Rechichi» Orchestra of Oppido Mamertina. Artistic direction is by Maestro Stefano Calderone. The festival is part of the municipality's Aria d'estate mamertina programme.

Why is it called the Giuseppe Timpano Memorial?

Because it is named after Giuseppe Timpano, a young musician of the Oppido band and orchestra who died prematurely. During the event a scholarship in his name is awarded to young musicians who stand out for dedication, passion and generosity within the music school.

Who is performing in the 2026 edition?

The programme poster does not preview the artistic line-up for the 20 August evening: it gives the festival name, the memorial, the time and the square. In previous editions the bill alternated orchestras from the surrounding area, the Giuseppe Rechichi Orchestra, the Junior Band and international guests.

Does the festival host international guests?

Yes, it has over the years. At the seventh edition, in August 2024, clarinettist Sam Huston from the Royal College of Music in London and Portuguese soprano Margarida Vaz Neto from the Royal Academy of Music performed in Oppido, thanks to Maestro Antonio Morabito, a pianist from Reggio Calabria living in London.

Do I need a ticket?

The poster lists no prices, advance sales or box office. The festival takes place in piazza Regina Margherita, a public space in the centre of Oppido Mamertina.

When did the ninth edition begin?

On 24 April 2026, with the Junior Band's Spring Concert at the municipal Cinema Teatro of Oppido Mamertina, an evening also linked to the A.I.D.A. project to restore the theatre.

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