If hearing music in the place for which it was written is a special joy, imagine the experience when that place is the most beautiful city on Earth, the performers among the finest living interpreters of music of the region and the venues some of the most glorious interior spaces in Europe.

Venice may be utterly enchanting to look at and her art and architecture among the finest achievements of western civilization, but the maritime republic happens also to have been the centre of European musical life from the Renaissance to the Age of Baroque.

Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Vivaldi – the early music revival has placed these names alongside the great names of the Classical and Romantic periods. But they were not alone: for over two hundred years there were countless other composers and performers in Venice, an astonishing profusion of talent which fed the voracious appetite for spectacle and beauty which so distinguished Venetian life, both public and private.

This festival provides a unique opportunity to hear the authentic sound of La Serenissima in a balanced programme of seven concerts in seven contrasting venues played by some of the world’s leading specialist musicians. Just look at the names in the next couple of pages.

Admission to the concerts is exclusive to those who take a package which includes a choice of eight different four- or five-star hotels, flights from the UK, talks about the music, receptions and dinners. There are also several optional walks and visits led by art historians to choose from.