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SIENA and STARS: SUMMER FESTIVAL JULY AND AUGUST 2013

Siena's summer is dominated by the Palio races on the second of July and the 16th of August. But to bridge the hot weeks between the two horse crazy events, Siena has decided to keep itself busy with a new summer music festival stretching from July to August. 

The first edition of SIENA AND STARS will take place on piazza del Duomo, the medieval town square between the cathedral and the Santa Maria della Scala and OPA museums. 

Piazza del Duomo - concert stage for Siena and Stars
Siena, piazza del Duomo: from tourist hang out to concert stage

 Marco Menegoni, the winner of this year's San Remo music festival will open Siena and Stars on the 10th of July (expect to meet a lot of love crazy Italian teenagers at Menegoni's concert on piazza del Duomo). 

 Not to be missed are the concerts of Buena Vista Social Club with Omara Portuondo and Eliades Ochoa (19/7), Italian uber-musicians Mario Biondi and Pino Daniele (21/7) and Baustelle the great Italian indie pop band from Montepulciano in Southern Tuscany (27/7). 

Siena's traditional summer jazz festival has been integrated into Siena and Stars too and will guarantee for great gigs with a mix of well known international and Italian jazz musicians. The concerts of Siena Jazz have always been free and this won't change even with the new setup! 

 The Verdi year will be celebrated with a belcanto concert of the IKO international orchestra on the 30th of July, whilst the piano solo concert of Ludovico Einaudi on July 26 brings a fusion of popular and classical music to Siena. The tunes of the famous pianist from Turin have featured in some of Europe's best films (most recently in the wonderful French blockbuster The Intouchables).  

 The festival also dedicates an evening to comedy with the famous Tuscan actor/comedian Giorgio Panariello. Last but not least there will be dancing too on piazza del Duomo: Miguel Zotto's Tango Argentino and the evergreen Swan Lake by the ballet of Rome's opera theater. 

 SIENA AND STARS - Piazza del Duomo, 10th of July to the 2nd of August, 2013
Concerts start at 9.15 pm, gates open at 8.30 pm. 
Tickets can be bought online (via the link on the Siena and Stars website), in Siena at Corsini Dischi (the music store in piazza Matteotti, 5) or from 7 pm to 9.30 pm on the day of the concert at the ticket office in Via del Capitano, 17 (close to piazza del Duomo). 
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Location: Piazza del Duomo, 53100 Siena SI, Italia

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