Europe's Top Summer Music, Opera and Jazz Festivals

Apart from being one of the prettiest cities in Europe—and the birthplace of Mozart—Salzburg is home to one of the world's most renowned music and performing arts festivals. On Summer evenings, you'll find men in black-tie and women in gowns and high-heels strolling the historic cobblestone streets. "It attracts chic, cultured people who love music," says Marina Fogle, one of my trusted Insiders who grew up in Salzburg. "It's also the place to be seen—attendees include European royals, politicians and powerful businessmen with their glamorous wives. You're more likely to bump into the Aga Khan and Prince Charles than Posh Spice." The most in-demand tickets are those for the opening night premieres of the big operas, which are followed by various parties, some hosted by sponsors, others held privately. Also coveted is any post-performance dinner reservation at Goldener Hirsch where, according to Marina, a table is like gold dust and you'll more than likely see divas and conductors. Highlights of the 2009 program include concerts by the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras performing Beethoven, Haydn and Liszt, operas such as Fidelio and Le Nozze di Figaro, and the popular Mozart Matinees; new this year is a Festival Shop with CDs, DVDs and literature.

July 25 - August 30, 2009, tickets from €15.

More an international celebration of music than a mere jazzfest, the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival swings into action on July 3 for 16 days of music by top-name bands and partying by a 200,000-strong audience. Founded in 1967, and attracting music greats from Miles Davis and Ray Charles to David Bowie and Prince, the festival moves seamlessly from jazz to rock to blues to country—any music, says founder Claude Nobs, which "sounds good". The 2009 program is no exception with headline acts Donna Summer, Steely Dan, Diane Reeves, Seal, B.B. King and Herbie Hancock alongside current stars Lily Allen, Jamie Cullen, Lauryn Hill and Dave Matthews Band. Workshops, competitions, and free films and music in the park ... Summer at its best. Stay at the beautiful Le Mirador Kempinski.

July 3 - 18, 2009; tickets from €43.

So many gorgeous Summer events, so hard to choose. If you've not yet experienced Glyndebourne ... run, don't walk, it's truly memorable. 2009 marks the 75th anniversary of this glorious British opera festival near Lewes, East Sussex; the schedule is packed with great opera and music: Verdi's Falstaff, Handel's Giulio Cesare, and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Put on the glam jams ... attire is Evening Dress (black-tie, designer dresses, tiaras optional!) ... and pack a picnic and bubbles. Performances start in the afternoon, allowing Londoners to head down after lunch for an evening of great music, food and wine ... picnic on the lawn of the romantic house or there's a marquee if the weather turns. Book ASAP, tickets are going, going ... why not make a night of it and stay at Gravetye Manor. If you have children interested in learning more about opera, check out Glyndebourne's year-round workshops and performances for 8- to 19-year-olds interested in singing, acting, writing and design.

May 21 - August 30, 2009; tickets from £135.

Florence is fabulous at any time of year, but it's especially vibrant during Maggio Musicale Fiorentino when Italy's oldest music festival presents a tableau of elaborate sets and costumes alongside top-notch ballet, opera and concert performances. Festival founder Vittorio Gui's aim was to present visually arresting shows while championing contemporary or forgotten pieces as well as classics. Past artists have included Maria Callas, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Herbert von Karajan; the 2009 program features star Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and performances of Wagner's classic Gotterdammerung. Check out my top picks of hotels, restaurants, museums and boutiques in Florence.

April 21 - July 2, 2009; opera and concert tickets from €30, ballet tickets from €15.

This outstanding classical ballet, music and opera festival at the magnificent Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg is a popular and important event on Russia's annual performing arts calendar and attracts a super-glam Russian and international crowd. 2009 opera performances include Bryn Terfel in Die Walküre and Rene Pape in Parsifal; Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova and the National Ballet of Spain head the ballet program; and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra will showcase Beethoven's best-loved symphonies.

May 21 - July 19, 2009; ticket prices vary.

This little-known opera and ballet festival is a real gem, staged in a beautifully preserved 18th-century theatre in Drottningholms Palace in Stockholm. The performances are presented with authentic costumes, instruments and fireworks from the period—a true visual feast. The 2009 season includes two Handel operas, Ariodante and Orlando, and Monteverdi's L'incoronazione de Poppea. Guided tours of the theater and the palace's wonderful English Garden will also be available. Simply beautiful and very romantic—surprise someone special with a trip to Sweden this Summer.

May 30 - August 23, 2009; tickets from €16.

Whether it was generosity or foresight that made Gioachino Rossini dedicate his not inconsiderable fortune to Pesaro—the town on the Adriatic Coast where he was born—we'll never know, but in 1980 the people of Pesaro decided to invest part of it in a festival dedicated to honoring the lesser-known works of the legendary Italian composer. This annual event is a chance to enjoy a variety of Rossini operas, including Zelmira, La Scala di Seta, and Le Comte Ory in the Teatro Rossini and Adriatic Arena, as well as productions of minor works by Rossini's contemporaries, presented in the Teatro Sperimentale.

August 9 - 20, 2009; ticket prices from €10 in Teatro Sperimentale, €20 in Teatro Rossini, €30 in the Adriatic Arena.

From early July to late August, the delightful lakeside town of Bregenz springs to life as its open-air festival delights lovers of both opera and orchestral music. The festival's centerpiece is its extraordinary floating stage on Lake Constance, which in 2009 will be the setting for Verdi's Aida. The Bregenz Opera House will stage Szymanowski's King Roger and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde while the Vienna and Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestras will add their touch of musical magic. Once attended only by locals, the festival is gaining an international reputation, so book your tickets sooner rather than later.

July 6 - August 22, 2009; tickets from €25, talks and tours from €6.

While Verbier is better-known for its Winter skiing, this glamorous Swiss resort town offers a peak experience of a very different kind in Summer. The annual Verbier Music Festival in July and August attracts an audience of more than 40,000 who come to hear some of the biggest names in classical music, as well as young rising stars who are drawn to Verbier's prestigious Academy. The three-week festival features a program of ticket-only and free performances, special master classes, lectures and conferences, and educational activities for children, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Swiss Alps. Topping the bill in 2009 is Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel in a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni, along with concerts by the Verbier Festival and Chamber Orchestras, and music by Piazzolla, Stravinski, Brahms and Strauss.

July 17 - August 2, 2009; tickets from €26.

Could there be a more romantic setting for an opera festival? Built in 1475, Olavinlinna Castle is a medieval masterpiece on an island in the middle of a lake. The castle was originally designed to safeguard the eastern shore of Finland, but these days it's invaded every Summer by 60,000 opera fans who fill the contemporary auditorium—built into the castle ramparts—to capacity. In 2009, visitors will be treated to Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Turandot, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, concerts by leading Swedish musicians, and the popular Timo Mustakallio singing competition. There will be talks before each performance, but be warned: not all seats have a good view of the subtitles.

July 3 - August 1, 2009; tickets from €34.

Devoted almost entirely to the music of Franz Schubert, Schubertiade is the most significant event of its kind in the world. There are two festivals at Hohenems in the north-west corner of Austria (about 90 minutes' drive from Zurich)—one in Spring, the other in Autumn—with an extensive program of concerts, recitals and master classes featuring renowned musicians and conductors. The setting for the festival, amid the hills and villages of Austria's Bregenzerwald, is idyllic with wonderfully cozy country inns, top-notch restaurants and sightseeing tours to complement the music of Schubert. The 2009 program will be headlined by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra paying tribute to Schumann, Haydn, Brahms, Beethoven and, of course, Schubert, with concerts, piano recitals and master classes.

May 1 - October 18, 2009; ticket prices from €35.

This Suffolk-based festival features home-grown talent with international flair. Founded by Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Eric Crozier, it has an impressive pedigree and attracts a national audience well-versed in the classics, but locals are also encouraged to take part as performers and spectators. The 2009 program includes concerts by the London Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, a performance of Britten's Song Cycles, Festival Master Classes, and an Open Rehearsal for a behind-the-scenes peek into the preparation of an orchestral concert.

June 12 - 28, 2009; tickets from £10.