[1] Described by the International Herald Tribune as "a blend of Mozart and massages, Debussy and Dante, Tchaikovsky, and cuisine",[2] the evening musical programme is balanced with daytime events including art exhibitions and culinary sessions with some of Tuscany’s chefs and winemakers.
The Tuscan Sun Festival presents international soloists, conductors and chamber orchestras who perform in Florence's beautiful Teatro della Pergola.
From 2012, the Tuscan Sun Festival also includes a film initiative called Tribeca Firenze.
The Tuscan Sun Festival was founded in 2003 by Barrett Wissman, cellist Nina Kotova and writer Frances Mayes, whose bestselling books helped to make Tuscany a popular tourist destination.
Past festivals have included visits and performances by renowned artists such as Piotr Anderszewski, Joshua Bell, The Bolshoi Ballet, José Cura, Stéphane Denève, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Lang Lang, Danielle de Niese, Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Ana Maria Martinez, Gabriela Montero, Anna Netrebko, Antonio Pappano, Robert Redford, Sibylle Szaggars, Giuseppe Tornatore, Angela Gheorghiu, Barry Unsworth, Nina Stemme, Renée Fleming and Pinchas Zukerman.