Paolo Fresu, the Devil Quartet and the Maggio Orchestra Perform in the Cavea

Arrangements and conducting by Paolo Silvestri

The Teatro del Maggio thanks Sammontana for the complimentary ice cream offered to the audience.

For all performances in the Teatro del Maggio's Cavea, the bar service will be open from 7 p.m.

Florence, 14 July 2026 – The Teatro del Maggio's summer season continues on Thursday 16 July at 9 p.m. with a concert in the Cavea, the Theatre's spectacular open-air rooftop venue, bringing together two musical worlds: jazz, represented by Paolo Fresu and the Devil Quartet, and opera, through Giacomo Puccini's La bohème.

One of the most respected and distinctive figures on the international music scene, Paolo Fresu turns to Puccini's masterpiece not with a simple transcription, but with a reinterpretation that preserves its themes, atmosphere and emotional depth while placing them in a contemporary musical context.

Joining him is the Devil Quartet, featuring Fresu alongside acclaimed jazz musicians Bebo Ferra (guitar), Paolino Dalla Porta (double bass) and Stefano Bagnoli (drums), four leading figures of contemporary Italian jazz. Together, they perform with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the baton of Paolo Silvestri, who also created the arrangements and makes his debut conducting the Maggio Orchestra on this occasion.

The programme explores some of the most celebrated moments from La bohème - from "Oh! Sventata!" and "Che gelida manina" to "Mi chiamano Mimì", "Quando me'n vo'", and the moving final scene, "Sono andati? Fingevo di dormire". Reimagined through the language of jazz, these iconic pages achieve a compelling balance between improvisation and orchestral writing, offering an original interpretation of Puccini's opera while remaining true to its enduring essence.