21-30 July 2011. This is a delightful chamber music festival organised by a cultural association, founded in 1989 in memory of Antonio and Iris Origo, who dedicated their lives to the development and appreciation of the Val d'Orcia.

It is based at Villa La Foce and in a mediaeval castle nearby, Castelluccio di Pienza.

In her second year as artistic director, Kathryn Stott, has brought back the concept of a core group of musicians at the heart of the festival, plus a splendid constellation of big names like Vladimir and Vovka Ashkenazy, the award-winning British a cappella choir