The Montegrotto Terme European Gospel Festival was founded in 2019 under the artistic direction of Stefania Mauro and a passionate, interdisciplinary team originally formed within the Harmony Gospel Singers.

From the very beginning, the festival has been driven by a shared vision — to create a European meeting point where Gospel music becomes a bridge between cultures, languages and generations.

Now reaching its sixth edition, the festival has built an international network of choirs from Spain, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Italy, establishing itself as one of the most vibrant Gospel events in Europe.

Each edition brings together choirs, musicians, conductors and teachers from across the continent, creating a unique atmosphere of exchange, friendship and artistic growth.

Organised in partnership with the Municipality of Montegrotto Terme, located in the heart of Italy’s Veneto region, the festival contributes to the town’s growing role as a cultural and musical hub, strengthening its ambition to become a recognised centre for Gospel in Italy and Europe.

Our festival embodies the European Union’s motto, “United in Diversity”, promoting cultural differences through Gospel music. We are an international hub where diverse backgrounds and generations meet, learn and share lived experience, spreading the positive and powerful message that Gospel proclaims.

The Contest is the spark that brings choirs, conductors and musicians together in a friendly, learning-oriented environment. Here they can share ideas, study with masters and perform their repertoire with confidence and joy.

This mission is made tangible through a high-level two-day workshop led by Trini Lopez Massie and his team. Designed for conductors, choristers, soloists and instrumental musicians, the workshop offers professional coaching that deepens knowledge, strengthens groove and interpretation, and expands creative potential.

REALNESS
Gospel is not just a style. It is a music with lineage, context and history, born within the African American experience. We honour that origin.

LEARNING FROM THE SOURCE
We listen to the people who carry this tradition in their bones and in their lived experience. Within the festival we platform, study with and learn directly from African American teachers, culture bearers, artists and practitioners—because authenticity starts with knowing where the music comes from.

HUMBLE PROXIMITY
Every choir, from every country, can approach Gospel with respect—through curiosity, humility and true listening. During the festival we recognise and celebrate those who step closer to authentic practice with an open heart, not through imitation but through understanding.

TOGETHERNESS
Gospel grows when we grow together. We create a space where communities, cultures and generations meet, sing, exchange and evolve—in communion, not in appropriation.