Parish News

The 12th edition of Organ & Music Festival in Rhodes

Every day from 1 to 5 October 2024, the Church of St. Francis in Rhodes (28 Dimokratias st.- St. Athanasios
Gate) will host the twelfth edition of the Organ & Music Festival Rhodes. All concerts start at 8 pm with
free admission. The Festival is organized by the Roman Catholic Church of Rhodes and the Terra Sancta
Organ Festival, with the collaboration of the Italian Cultural Institute in Athens, the Embassy of Hungary in
Athens and “Pro Terra Sancta”.

The opening concert on Tuesday, October 1 was entrusted to the Hungarian Robert Kovács, titular organist
of the Church of St. Augustine in Vienna and partner of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony
Orchestra and other important orchestras and choirs (music by Liszt, J. S. Bach, Boëllmann and others). On
Wednesday, October 2, Robert Kovács himself will accompany the “Vocal Ensemble and Mandolin
orchestra of the City of Petaludes” conducted by Flora Pelekanou in a concert of sacred music. On
Thursday, October 3, the Italian Gianluca Cagnani will play a recital with music by German and Italian
composers (Bach, Mendelssohn, Marcello, Puccini). Gianluca Cagnani is regularly invited to the most
prestigious international festivals and holds the chair of organ and improvisation at the Turin Conservatory.
On Friday, October 4, the program features a special event, an experience from the past: a film-concert like
in the early days of cinema, when films were silent and the organ (or piano) provided musical commentary
to the scenes. It is the 1918 Italian silent film “Frate Sole” (Brother Sun) about the life of St. Francis, with
musical accompaniment by Gianluca Cagnani, who specializes in the art of improvisation. The texts of the
captions have been translated into Greek and English. The festival ends on Saturday, October 5 with a
concert of sacred music offered by “Les Solistes de Beyrouth” (The Beirut Soloists). The characteristic of
this Lebanese vocal ensemble led by Fernando Afara is to present both choral pieces and solo pieces such
as arias and duets.
The organ of St. Francis Catholic Church in Rhodes was built in 1939 by the well known Italian organ
manufacturer Pinchi, but its construction was not completed until after the start of the Second World War.
This organ is still the biggest church organ in Greece.

Organ Festival Program

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