On July 16, the inaugural "Festival del Sole" in Napa Valley opens a
week of classical music, meals and classes by some of top chefs, and
showcasing wines from the Valley.

The event will be the sister festival to the "Tuscan Sun Festival" in
Cortona, Italy, which was founded by author Frances Mayes and the owner
of IMG Artists Barrett Wissman.

Performers include singers Renee Fleming, Frederica von Stade, Anne Sofie
von Otter &Samuel Ramey; instrumentalists Nikolaj Znaider, Sarah Chang,
Joshua Bell, Nina Kotova, Emerson String Quartet & Piotr Anderszewski;
conductors Alan Gilbert, Stephane Deneve & Carlo Ponti Jr.

"Tuscan Sun Festival" -  August 5-20, 2006 - Cortona, Italy

Fourth annual festival in Cortona, Italy, presents singers Anna Netrebko,
Susan Graham, Marcelo Alvarez & Dmitri Hvorostovsky; instrumentalists
Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, Nina Kotova, Sarah Chang, Piotr Anderszewski,
Vadim Repin, Nikolaj Znaider & Pinchas Zuckerman; conductors Antonio
Pappano, Stephane Deneve & Dmitry Sitkovetsky

Festival Founder and General Director: Barrett Wissman
Festival Artistic Directors: Nina Kotova, Frances Mayes
Napa Valley Co-Founder and Co-Director: Richard Walker

Music Directors: Antonio Pappano, Stephane Deneve, Alan Gilbert, Dmitry
Sitkovetsky

Orchestras: Royal Opera House Orchestra of Covent Garden, Russian National
Orchestra

Performers slated for inaugural Festival Del Sole, Napa Valley, California,
2006

   July 16  Anne Sofie von Otter, Joshua Bell, Alan Gilbert, Russian
            National Orchestra
   
   July 17  Christopher Taylor in Recital
   
   July 18  Nikolaj Znaider, Piotr Anderszewski, Nina Kotova; Chamber
            Concert
   
   July 19  Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade, Carlo Ponti Jr.,
	    Russian National Orchestra
   
   July 20  Emerson String Quartet
   
   July 21  Stephane Deneve,  Nikolaj Znaider, Russian National Orchestra
   
   July 22  Sarah Chang, Russian National Orchestra
   
   July 23  Renee Fleming,  Nina Kotova, Stephane Deneve, Russian National
            Orchestra

Performers expected at Fourth Annual Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona, Italy

   Aug 5   Marcelo Alvarez, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, New European Strings
  
   Aug 6   Piotr Anderszewski in Recital
   
   Aug 7   Pinchas Zuckerman, Zuckerman Chamber Players
   
   Aug 8   Susan Graham, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, New European Strings
   
   Aug 9   Pinchas Zuckerman (violin), Stephane Deneve, Russian National
           Orchestra
   
   Aug 10  Chamber Evening: Susan Graham, Piotr Anderszewski, Vadim
           Repin, Nina Kotova
   
   Aug 11  Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Nina Kotova, Nicola
	   Luisotti, Russian National Orchestra
   
   Aug 12  Joshua Bell in Recital
   
   Aug 13  Joshua Bell, Piotr Anderszewski, Stephane Deneve, Russian
           National Orchestra
   
   Aug 14  Joaquin Achucarro in Recital
   
   Aug 15  Lang Lang, Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House Orchestra
           of Covent Garden
   
   Aug 16  Chamber Evening: Lang Lang, Nina Kotova and friends
   
   Aug 17  Sarah Chang, Cherubini Orchestra
   
   Aug 18  Chamber Evening: Sarah Chang,  Dmitri Hvorostovsky,
           Nikolaj Znaider and friends.
   
   Aug 19  Nikolaj Znaider, Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House
           Orchestra of Covent Garden
   
   Aug 20  Festival finale TBA

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
[log in to unmask]