The Right to Play. The festival for equal opportunities in classical music
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On 14–15 June 2025, the second edition of Il Diritto di Suonare [The Right to Play] takes place in Milan. The Right to Play, which is the first festival in the country dedicated to overcoming gender stereotypes in classical music, is promoted by the Classical Rights Association and supported by the Bracco Foundation.
The gender gap in the world of music remains significant: in most orchestras, women represent less than 20% of musicians, and for certain instruments—such as double bass, brass, and percussion—the percentage drops to zero.
The festival, which has already been awarded the Medal of Representation by the President of the Republic, aims to break down cultural barriers related to instrument choice, conducting, and above all, composition, by encouraging greater female participation in the professional music world.
Fondazione Bracco, long committed to nurturing talent and promoting female empowerment, proudly supports the event as Main Partner, reaffirming its ongoing dedication to equal opportunities and to fostering culture as a driver of social cohesion.
A multi-venue, open and free programme
With free-of-charge symphonic concerts, outdoor chamber music, educational talks and urban performances, the festival enlivens the city with a diverse programme that caters for the broad range of tastes of an intergenerational audience.
The main event will be the symphonic concert on Saturday 14 June (8.30 pm, Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo), which will feature the Orchestra dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala, conducted by Anna Skryleva, one of the most acclaimed conductors on the international scene. Joining her will be flautist Sébastien Jacot, principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic. The programme highlights works by female composers such as Cécile Chaminade, Louise Farrenc, and Skryleva herself, alongside pieces by Bizet and Stravinsky.
The festival opens the same morning with a discussion featuring Silvia Colasanti, one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary composition. Moderated by musicologist Fabio Sartorelli and organized in collaboration with Fondazione Milano per la Scala, the event offers a moment of reflection on female musical language, including some thoughts from the young violinist Luca Kaufman.
Other highlights include a musical flash mob in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and, on Sunday 15 June, the return of the Breakfast Concert at Villa Scheibler, featuring the duo Chiara Kaufman (cello) and Emanuele Raviol (harp).
The festival concludes with Music & Art Talk – 80 Years Since Liberation, an event intertwining music and art in celebration of women such as Myra Hess and Fernanda Wittgens who helped save cultural artefacts from destruction during World War II. The discussions will be guided by Benedetta Colombo (@benedettaartefacile) and Ginevra Costantini Negri, two young cultural communicators.
A shared commitment
Fondazione Bracco, Founding Member of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, wholeheartedly supports the Right to Play in furtherance of its ongoing dedication to promoting equal opportunities, raising the profile of talented women and providing cultural education for young people.
Bracco’s support in this field also manifests itself through established projects such as #100esperte, which promotes the recognition of expert women contributing to vital areas of Italian social and cultural life and whose participation in festivals such as these is intended to make classical music more inclusive and representative of our time.
Illustration by Patrizia Forte Martinez
