Chamber Music meets Southern Italian and Balkan Folk

NUBRAS Ensemble is one of the most fascinating realities in the Italian world music scene, seamlessly blending the elegance of chamber music with the vibrant energy of folk traditions from Southern Italy and the Balkans. An international project uniting musicians from Italy, Spain, and Romania, NUBRAS crafts a sonic journey where ancient roots and contemporary creativity intertwine in a boundless musical dialogue.

In 2025, the ensemble was honored with the Ethnos Generazioni Award, a recognition that celebrates its innovative spirit and commitment to cultural fusion and on recorded.

It’s special project BULGARIAN ROUTES – created with the Bulgarian ensemble featuring Borislav Galabov, singer, composer, and gadulka player with the Bulgarian National Radio Folk Orchestra, Diyana Vasileva, voice of the renowned Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir, and Kiril Belezhkov, kaval flute professor and composer – was recorded live for the prestigious program La Stanza della Musica on RAI RADIO TRE, the Italian National Radio.

In March 2025, the ensemble was invited to perform at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, one of the most important crossroads for the artistic growth of emerging musical talents for almost a century. During the summer of 2025, Nubras Ensemble performed at major festivals and events in Italy, including: Sponz Festival (artistic direction by Vinicio Capossela), Suq Festival in Genova, Drienok Festival (Slovakia), Alkantara Festival, Roccella Jazz Festival, Museo della Musica in Bologna, and Accademia Chigiana in Siena.

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Roxana Ene vocals
Giulia Anita Bari violin
Carla Mulas González violin
Igor Legari double bass
Giorgio Gadotti alto sax, gajda
Nino Conte accordion
Giovanni Lo Cascio percussion

In Arabic, نُبراس (nbrās) means lantern, and it is used figuratively to indicate a source of light or inspiration.

In 2023, Nubras was awarded the Culture Moves Europe grant, which enabled the ensemble to undertake an artistic residency in Bulgaria and record its debut album: Bulgarian Routes. For this project, Nubras expanded its line-up through the collaboration with three distinguished Bulgarian musicians: Borislav Galabov, composer and gadulka player with the National Ensemble of Bulgarian Music; Diyana Vasileva, voice of the renowned Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir; and Kiril Belezhkov, kaval flutist, composer, and professor of traditional music.

The project was performed live at the prestigious program La Stanza della Musica on RAI RADIO TRE, the Italian National Radio, at the H/Earthbeat Festival in Florence, and at Sala Biavati in Rome, showcasing its dynamic international appeal.
Read their bios.

In 2024, Nubras records live album Live in Rome, in Studio Coni Stella, which permanently hosts artistic projects of cultural and social significance. This work marks the participation of Roxana Ene, the Italian-Turkish singer and actress Yasemin Sannino and the jazz trumpeter Giacomo Serino.
Read more.

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TOUR 2026

23/09

ETHNOS GENERAZIONI CONCERT

TBA

18/08

TEATRO CAPOVOLTO
TEATRO SANTA CHIARA

TRENTO

12/08

POGGIO MIRTETO FESTIVAL

POGGIO MIRTETO

11/08

VALFINO AL CANTO

ARSITA

08/08

SUONI DELLA MURGIA

ALTA MURGIA

17/07

FIESTA GLOBAL
CASTELLO DI MONTEFABBRI

LE MARCHE

15-16/07

JEFF FESTIVAL SKOFJA LOKA

SLOVENIA

1-3/07

A TO JAZZ! SHOWCASE

BULGARIA

11/06

CANTIERI DELLA ZISA

PARLEMO

05/06

FESTIVAL TICINO MUSICA

SWITZERLAND

02/06

SULLE TRACCE DELLA RESISTENZA

ALBANO

29/05

LA CARRETTERIA

ROMA

31/03

ETHNOS PER LE SCUOLE

SAN GIORGIO A CREMANO

TOUR 2025

ACCADEMIA CHIGIANA – SIENA * SUQ FESTIVAL – GENOVA * SPONZ FESTIVAL – CALITRI * ROCCELLA JAZZ – ROCCELLA IONICA * EARTHBEAT FESTIVAL – FIRENZE * VINCITORI PREMIO ETHNOS GENERAZIONE * (S) NODI FESTIVAL – BOLOGNA * LA STANZA DELLA MUSICA RAI3 * ENOTICA – ROMA * RITMOFESTIVAL – PAGANI * ALKANTARA FEST – CATANIA * FESTIVAL ADRIATICO MEDITERRANEO – ANCONA * DI STRADA IN STRADA FESTIVAL – SANTA SOFIA * PARCO DEI SEMIRURALI – BOLZANO * SANTA LIBBIRATA-LA CARRETTERIA – ROMA * CAPO D’ARTE – ROMA * PAESSAGGI DELL’ARTE – TARQUINIA * BRAVETTA MUSIC FEST – ROMA * STRADE AD ALTO CONTENUTO DI CULTURA – PERUGIA * CASTEL THUN – TRENTO * BASILICA ARA COELI – ROMA * NOTTE DI STELLE – SORRENTO * FESTIVAL MARGINI – PAOLA * CIRCO MASSIMO – ROMA * TEATRO BIAVATI – ROMA * ZAVOD 973 – SLOVENIA * ATRIJ ZRC – SLOVENIA * DRIENOK FESTIVAL – SLOVAKIA *

TOUR 2024

NAPOLI WORLD BEAT SHOWCASE * TEATRO INSTABILE – FIRENZE * TEATRO SANTA LUCIA – ROMA * FOLKEST SHOWCASE – UDINE * FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL FOLKLORE – ALATRI * SANTA LIBBIRATA-LA CARRETTERIA – ROMA * CONCERTO DI CAPODANNO – LATINA * NOVELLO AL CASTELLO – CATIGNANO * TEMPLE BAR – PESCARA * TEATRO COMUNALE CANALE MONTERANO * LATINA MUSICA ESTATE * COMINI ESPRESS – BOLOGNA * BORGO SONORO – SOGLIANO AL RUBICONE * EFFETTO VENEZIA – LIVORNO * MONTESPERTOLI FESTIVAL – TOSCANA * PODERE LE FORNACI – TOSCANA * G-ROUGH – ROMA * MAGMA ROOFTOP – NAPOLI * CIRCOLO ARCI SOMMA VESUVIANA * TOM FESTIVAL – TORINO * MUSICA NEI CASTELLI DI LIGURA * ARS NOVA FEST – NAPOLI * CPA FIRENZE * ANIENE FESTIVAL – ROMA

TOUR 2023

ExWIDE – PISA * TEATRO INSTABILE – FIRENZE * BOOGIE CLUB – ROMA * BINARIO 69 – BOLOGNA * FESTIVALE MUSICALIE – ITRI * LA CARRETTERIA – ROMA * AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL * HABICURA – ROMA * PESSOA LUNA PARK – NAPOLI * FONDACO DEI TEDESCHI – VENEZIA * FOLKEST FESTIVAL – UDINE * PARADISO PERDUTO – VENEZIA * DIOBAR – BARCELONA * FESTIVAL OLOCAU, SPAGNA * FÁBRICA DE HIELO – VALENCIA, SPAGNA * FLOATING CASTLE FESTIVAL – SLOVENIA * KESTÉ – NAPOLI * FESTIVAL LIUTERIA JONICA – MONTEGIORDANO * RITI E MUSICHE DALLA TRADIZIONE – ALESSANDRIA DEL CARRETTO * SEGESTA TEATRO FESTIVAL * FESTIVAL TRANSPORTO * SUNSET JAZZ FESTIVAL – SELINUNTE * Festival L’UVA E IL VENTO – CATANIA * CASA DEL POPOLO SOMMA VESUVIANA