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This autumn Europe is alive with the sound of music…. In September head to Berlin to hear symphonic works and traditional orchestral music at the Musikfest Berlin 06 (1-17 September, www.musikfest-berlin.de). A showcase for innovative, new works, the Musikfest attracts soloists, orchestras and ensembles from around the world. This year sees guest appearances from the Royal Concertegbouw Orchestra Amsterdam with Mariss Jansons, the Philadelphia Orchestra with Christopher Eschenbach, and the Cleveland Orchestra with Franz Welser-Möst, among others. Also in Berlin, in November, hep cats can get down to big bands and big names such as Herbie Hancock, at the long-running annual Jazzfest (1-5 November, tel: +49 (0) 30 254 89 100, www.jazzfest-berlin.de).
If jazz is your thing, there are other highlights this autumn; not far from Malaga there’s the annual International Jazz Festival in Granada (tbc November, www.jazzgranada.net) and also in Spain, there’s the Barcelona Jazz Festival (dates tbc, October-December, www.the-project.net) which lasts over a month from around the end of October and attracts musicians from all over the world. Last year saw performances from the likes of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and Cameroon bassist Richard Bona. And in Belgium, Dinant Jazz Nights (29 Sept-1 Oct, www..ecmfestival.be), held in the Dinant Cultural Centre, the Dinant Collegiale and the church of the Leffe Abbey in Dinant, lures an international cast of artists and equally cosmopolitan audiences.
Those who prefer hipper, street sounds might prefer Marseille’s Marsatac Music Festival (21-20 September, www.marsatac.com) which features the Scratch Perverts, DJ Qbert and Sway, among others. Otherwise, get down to sounds from around the globe at Geneva’s Swiss World Music Festival (6-10 September, www.world-festival.ch), this year’s event stars Mory Kanté, Yuri Buenaventura and Kassav.
If in Spain, enjoy the equally hip and eclectic Barcelona Acció Musical, aka BAM festival (22-24 September, www..bam.es) later in the month. In Italy, you can catch Antony and the Johnsons (31 October & 1 November) and a variety of experimental music and electronica at the annual Roma Europa arts festival (29 September–9 December, www.romaeuropa.net).
The south of France offers soothing sounds in the form of the String Quartet Festival (20-27 October, tel: +33 (0)4 98 11 89 00 20) which sees the churches of Provence’s Village du Pays de Fayence – medieval villages perches such as Favence and Tourettes – singing with the sounds of strings for a week. Most concerts are at 3pm or 9pm.
Join yachties, sailing fanatics and the plain old rich in Monaco in September, and lust after the latest state-of-the-art yachts and gin palaces, from Rivas to schooners. All are on display at the Monaco Yacht Show (pictured, 20-23 September, www.monaco.yachtshow.com). If you prefer a bit more action, check out over 300 yachts racing into Cannes from Imperia in Italy and then on to St. Tropez, at the Royal Regatta Prada Trophy (24 September-1 October, www.regatesroyales. com), an annual event that dates back to 1929. Or stick around in St. Tropez to see traditional yachts race alongside sleek contemporary models in regattas at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (29 September-8 October, www.snst.org).
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