June 28 – July 25, 2009

Bella Musica – Millikin in Italy is a four-week music festival held during the month of July in Urbania, Italy. Urbania is a beautiful medieval city located in Le Marche region of Italy between the Adriatic Sea and Tuscany, with a population of about 6,600. With breathtaking landscapes, a mild climate, and hospitable people, Urbania is a wonderful place for intensive music, language, and culture study.

Bella Musica is open to talented instrumentalists and vocalists. Students must register for a minimum of 7 credits: 4 credits of Italian and 3 credits of music. Students will receive 20 – 25 hours/week of intensive language study at the internationally renowned Centro Studi Italiani (http://www.centrostuditaliani.org/millikin_it.htm). All classes fulfill graduation requirements for Millikin students or may be transferred to other institutions. Students may choose music credits from a variety of offerings. All course offerings are for 1 credit unless otherwise indicated.

An exciting additional component of the Bella Musica 2009 curriculum will be an overnight excursion to the famous opera festival held in the ancient Roman outdoor Arena in Verona. In past summers students and faculty have enjoyed productions of Tosca and Aida. A highlight of the excursion is a day trip to Venice.

During the four weeks of the Bella Musica festival, students may stay in apartments or with host families, absorbing local culture on a daily basis. The combination of studying music and the Italian language while living with native Italians is truly a unique opportunity. For those wanting to explore Italy, weekly excursions are offered Wednesday afternoons and Sundays for a nominal fee. Students may visit neighboring towns such as Florence, Siena, Assisi, and picturesque coastal towns. Regional cooking and ceramic classes are also available for non-credit through Centro Studi Italiani.

Bella Musica is open to college students and junior or senior high school students. All students may receive credit for the language and music components of the program by paying summer school tuition through Millikin University.