# Santander International Festival programming

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/santander-international-festival-programming
> Updated: 2026-08-27T06:52:16.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

The 75th Santander International Festival features several high-profile classical music performances in Spain.

The event includes a Lyric Gala at the Palacio de Festivales on August 22, featuring soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Piotr Beczała performing with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra under maestro José Miguel Pérez-Sierra. The program consists of arias and duets from composers such as Verdi, Donizetti, Bizet, and Puccini.

On August 28, La Filarmonica della Scala de Milán begins its European tour at the festival. Led by maestro Riccardo Chailly, the orchestra will perform works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This performance is noted as one of Chailly’s final major international appearances before he concludes his leadership of La Scala at the end of 2026.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-27: La Filarmonica della Scala begins European tour in Santander

La Filarmonica della Scala begins a European tour led by Riccardo Chailly, starting at the Festival Internacional de Santander with a program of Russian symphonic music.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/la-filarmonica-della-scala-begins-european-tour-in-santander

### 2026-08-20: Santander International Festival hosts Lyric Gala with Bilbao Symphony Orchestra

Soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Piotr Beczała will headline the 75th Santander International Festival's Lyric Gala, accompanied by the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/santander-international-festival-hosts-lyric-gala-with-bilbao-symphony-orchestra

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Cite as: Santander International Festival programming. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/santander-international-festival-programming