The Dawn of the Dolomites, a Natural Stage

“The Dolomites. Are they stones or clouds? Are they real, or is it a dream?” – Dino Buzzati

There is a moment, between night and day, when the world seems suspended and muffled. Slowly, the sun rises, and the sky is painted in golden hues, while the peaks of the Dolomites turn pink. The Enrosadira lights up the stage of the Dawn of the Dolomites, and the music comes to life, blending with nature in a perfect embrace.

It is a collective ritual that repeats every year. In the darkness of the night, in that instant before the first rays of the sun arrive, spectators set off along the trails. The silence is broken only by the sound of footsteps, while headlamps trace moving streaks of light.

The luminous procession slowly reaches the concert site, gradually dissolving into a thousand colorful dots scattered across the grass and rocks. Padded jackets, woolen hats, heavy gloves—the people of Sounds of the Dolomites are ready to welcome the dawn to the rhythm of music.

There are no grandstands or conventional stages—only the artists, their instruments, and the Dolomites, gradually filling with light. Every note blends with the wind and glides along the rocks, making the Dawn of the Dolomites an immersive experience that strikes the deepest chords of emotion.

In August 2004, the artists Mario Brunello, Paolo Fresu, Erri De Luca, Marco Paolini, Stefano Benni, and Alessandro Baricco were the protagonists of the first edition of The Dawn of the Dolomites. The chosen locations paid tribute to different areas of Trentino: Rifugio Alimonta in the Brenta Dolomites, Rifugio Damiano Chiesa on Monte Baldo, Rifugio Vajolét in the Fassa Dolomites, and Rifugio Giovanni Segantini in Presanella.

It was at Rifugio Vajolét that Fresu discovered a wealth of inspiration in the site’s natural resonance. The sound waves of his flugelhorn struck the rocks, and the nearby walls of Punta Emma responded with a sharp, powerful, and brilliant echo. The mountain backdrop was ever-present, filled with reflections, reverberations, and echoes.

In 2013, on Col Margherita in Val di Fassa, it was Ezio Bosso who filled The Dawn of the Dolomites with Beauty, performing a new composition with the Italian Cello Consort and stirring a wave of emotion and gratitude among the audience. Tears, smiles, and even a marriage proposal—there was magic in the air, a tangible electricity.

More recently, in 2023, The Dawn took place at Camp Centener, above Madonna di Campiglio, and in 2024 at Prà Castron di Flavona, once again in the Brenta Dolomites, featuring the Camerata RCO – Musicians of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

For the 2025 edition, the Dawn concert will return to Col Margherita on September 4. An experience never the same, because every dawn is different, every concert is unique, and every emotion is unrepeatable.

“Music needs the silence that precedes the first note and weaves between one note and the next. In the mountains, this silence becomes profound, just as a rock face can be immense. Dawn adds something more to this silence: it pairs it with magic, color, and a special, tangible emotion from the people. This extra touch of emotion seems to bring musicians and audience even closer together. It was worth learning to play the cello just to take part in events like this.”

— Mario Brunello —