There are evenings when a small town reveals itself as a place of great culture. This is exactly what happens every summer in Bagni di Lucca, where the chamber music concerts organised as part of Virtuoso & Belcanto and the Adolfo Betti Memorial bring musicians of international standing to this historic Tuscan setting.
I had the pleasure of attending the concert by the Pegreffi Quartet:

Emma Parmigiani First violin
Inesa Baltatescu Second violin
Emanuele Ruggero Viola
Lorenza Baldo Violoncello

They were the winners of this year’s Adolfo Betti quartet competition and I was again struck by the exceptional quality of the performers at these concerts. It is remarkable to think that in a town of this size one can experience performances marked by the same professionalism, refinement and intensity that one would expect in the famous concert halls of Europe. Incidentally the Pegreffi Quartet is called that because it pays tribute to Elisa Pegreffi (1922–2016), the great Italian violinist who was the second violinist of the renowned Quartetto Italiano. I have several of the Quartetto Italiano’s LP’s in my collection and they remain among my favourite quartet recordings. Theory Beethoven combines German studiousness with italian lyricism in a wonderful meld.

The evening’s programme offered a fascinating journey through three very different musical worlds. It opened with Haydn, who established the string quartet as one of the supreme forms of classical expression, with his characteristic elegance, balance and perfection of structure.
The audience was then taken into a very different sound world with Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for String Quartet specially written in 1914 for the Flonzaley Quartet, the ensemble of which Adolfo Betti was the first violinist. This short but revolutionary work revealed Stravinsky’s extraordinary imagination and his ability to transform the possibilities of the string quartet. Its inclusion in a concert dedicated to Betti created a particularly meaningful historical connection.
The evening concluded with Mendelssohn’s m String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13. It is difficult not to marvel at the fact that such a mature and deeply expressive work was written when Mendelssohn was only eighteen years old. His achievement recalls the astonishing brilliance of his earlier Octet, composed at just sixteen, a masterpiece that already displayed the imagination, technical command and emotional understanding of a fully mature composer. Few musicians in history have shown such extraordinary gifts at such a young age — placing Mendelssohn among the greatest musical prodigies, alongside Mozart.

Throughout the concert, the Pegreffi Quartet demonstrated remarkable unity and sensitivity.. They were not merely performing notes on a page; they were bringing to life three distinct musical voices, separated by time but united by genius.

The enthusiastic response of the audience showed once again how important these events have become for Bagni di Lucca. These concerts are now eagerly awaited moments in the cultural life of the town, bringing together residents, visitors and music lovers in a shared appreciation of great art.
Evenings like this remind us that great music is not the exclusive property of major cities. It can flourish anywhere — even in a small Tuscan town where history, beauty and culture come together in a truly unique atmosphere.

This is my list of all the Betti quartet winners since 2018. (The competition started in 1997). I have also made a link to any posts I have written about the winners

2018 Elmire Quartet
2019 Leonkoro Quartet

https://longoio3.com/2018/08/04/a-great-quartet-in-the-making/
2020—
2021 Ãtma Quartet https://longoio3.com/2021/07/31/a-very-polished-evening-of-music-at-bagni/
2022 Cong Quartet
2023 Kanus Quartet https://longoio3.com/2023/07/30/a-little-night-music/
2024 Doré Quartet
2025 Arola Quartet https://longoio3.com/2025/08/03/from-flonzaley-to-arola/
2026 Pegreffi Quartet

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