Organ Concert
July 29 – 9:15 PM
August 5 – 9:00 PM
August 12 – 9:00 PM
August 19 – 9:15 PM
August 26 – 9:15 PM
Organ Concerts at the Sanctuary of La Verna: Art, Spirituality, and Tradition
Every summer, the Sanctuary of La Verna hosts the International Organ Music Festival, a series dedicated to lovers of sacred music and the organ. This annual event unites art, spirituality, and history in a unique and evocative setting.
The International Organ Music Festival
The festival takes place on Wednesday evenings during the months of July and August, with free concerts beginning at 9:00 PM.
The event is organized by the Municipality of Chiusi della Verna in collaboration with the Sanctuary of La Verna, with the support of regional authorities and the Casentinesi Forests National Park.
The Monumental Organ of the Basilica
The true protagonist of the concerts is the great organ in the Basilica of the Sanctuary, built in 1926 by the Tamburini firm of Crema.
This majestic instrument has approximately 5,700 pipes and 90 stops, making it one of the most impressive organs in Italy.
The sonic power and timbral variety of the organ create a deeply moving atmosphere, perfect for the sacred and classical melodies that fill the Basilica.
Program and Artists
Organist: Pedro Alberto Sanchez (Spagna)
Program
- Juan Bautista Cabanilles (1640-1691) – Gallardas I
- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Preludio e Fuga in Re maggiore BWV 532
- P. Antonio Soler (1729-1783) – Sonata n° 104
- Eduardo Torres (1872-1934) – Impresión teresiana
- Jesus Guridi Bidaola (1886-1961) – Offertorio
- César Franck Finale (1822-1890) – op. 21
Pedro Alberto Sanchez began his musical studies in the choir of El Escorial and later graduated in organ at the “Arturo Soria” Conservatory of Music in Madrid under the guidance of Anselmo Serna.
He then continued his academic studies at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, where he studied with masters Ottorino Baldassarri, Jiri Lecjian, and Federico del Sordo, obtaining a diploma in Organ and Organ Composition. He further specialized at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, where he studied Gregorian chant with Daniel Saulnier and Alberto Turco, and organ improvisation with Theo Flury. Finally, at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, under the guidance of Miguel Bernal Ripoll, he obtained an advanced second-level degree specializing in Organ Pedagogy. During his stay in Rome, he was a member of the musical chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica.
An Augustinian priest, he holds a degree in ecclesiastical studies from the Pontifical University of Salamanca and a degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He is currently Organist and Chapel Master of the Royal Monastery of El Escorial. Since 2011, he has served as director of the International Organ Week of Madrid, an event that has been held for forty years at the Augustinian church of San Manuel y San Benito in the Spanish capital.
Organist: Eugenio Maria Fagiani
Program
- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Preludio e Fuga in Mi bemolle maggiore BWV 552
- Eugenio Maria Fagiani (*1972) – Jasmine Flower Variation. 3 variazioni su un canto popolare cinese
- Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) – Musica per i Reali Fuochi d’Artificio (Overture, Bourrée, La Réjouissance, La Paix,
Minuetto) - Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) – Adagio e Toccata (dalla Quinta Sinfonia)
Internationally recognized for his evocative and vibrant musical language, Eugenio Maria Fagiani is the protagonist of an intense concert career on some of the world’s most prestigious instruments: from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris to the Royal Albert Hall in London, including the Berlin Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Grand Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
In Italy, alongside his solo career, he has established long-standing collaborations with leading national symphonic institutions, including the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano (formerly “La Verdi”), the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, and the Orchestra Filarmonica della Fenice. In these contexts, he has performed under the baton of conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Jeffrey Tate, Kent Nagano, and Vasily Petrenko.
A versatile musician, Fagiani is also a distinguished composer and improviser; his works are included in the repertoire of world-renowned performers such as David Briggs and Stephen Tharp. Since 2008, he has served as organist of the Sanctuary of La Verna and, since 2022, as titular organist of the Cathedral of Arezzo.
His influence in the organ world also extends to artistic direction: he leads the Festival de La Verna, serves as Executive Artistic Advisor of the Terra Sancta Organ Festival in the Middle East, and directs the International Summer Organ Academy of Anghiari. Regularly invited as a juror in international competitions and as a masterclass teacher, Fagiani boasts an extensive discography with labels such as Decca and Warner Classics, warmly received by specialist critics.
n 2024, he became the first foreign musician to receive Russia’s “Organist of the Year” award, granted in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to building cultural bridges through music.
Organist: Tommaso Maria Mazzoletti (Italia/Svizzera)
Program
- Marco Enrico Bossi (1861-1925) – Inno Trionfale op.53, Pièce Héroïque op.128, Thème et Variations op. 115 (Introduzione, 7 Variazioni e Finale)
- Tommaso Maria Mazzoletti (*1991) – Berceuse, Danse perpétuelle
- Pietro Alessandro Yon (1886-1943) – Adagio triste dalla “Sonata Cromatica”, Rapsodia italiana
Tommaso Maria Mazzoletti (Novara, 1991) graduated with honors in Organ in Cuneo under the guidance of Massimo Nosetti, later refining his studies in Switzerland through two Master’s degrees at the Haute Écoles de Musique of Geneva and Lausanne.
Formerly titular organist in San Nazzaro Sesia, since 2016 he has served as titular organist in Gland and Vich (Switzerland), where he oversaw the construction of the new Brondino Vegezzi-Bossi organ, and since 2020 at the Church of Sainte-Thérèse in Lausanne. Founder and artistic director of the association Orgue en Jeux – La Côte, he pursues an intense international concert activity across Europe and the United States. His performances have been broadcast by networks such as RTS and Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Winner of the National Arts Prize (2012) and the Prix Pierre Segond (2016), he boasts a rich discography with the Brilliant Classics label, including the complete works of P.A. Yon and the ongoing recording of the complete works of M.E. Bossi (10 volumes). He regularly collaborates with chamber ensembles and soloists of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.
Since 2023, he has been Professor of Organ at the Conservatory of Trapani.
Organist: Levente Kuzma (Ungheria)
Program
- Johann Christian Kittel (1732-1809) – Fantasia in Re maggiore
- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Preludio e Fuga in do minore BWV 546, Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein BWV 734
- Guy Ropartz (1864-1955) – Introduzione e Allegro moderato
- Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) – Rhosymedre, da Tre preludi su Inni Gallesi
- Ferenc Liszt (1811-1886) – Variazioni su “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen”, S. 179
Levente Kuzma, a Hungarian organist born in Gothenburg (Sweden), began his piano studies at a young age with his father, Robert. He graduated in Music Education and earned two Master’s degrees in Organ Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Szeged under the guidance of László Csanádi. He also holds a diploma in the “Method and Art of Zoltán Kodály.”
His concert career has taken him to prestigious venues around the world, including the Basilica of Saint-Denis (France), the cathedrals of Glasgow and Southwark (United Kingdom), the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Oliwa Cathedral (Poland), the Monastery of El Escorial (Spain), the Abbey of Saint Gall (Switzerland), as well as important appearances in Jerusalem, the United States, and Japan (Kyoto Concert Hall).
He has made live recordings for Slovak Radio Devin and the Swiss broadcaster SRF 2 Kultur, and has also recorded the CD Masterworks for the Waltman’s Artists label. He is currently Professor of Organ at the Béla Bartók Faculty of Arts of the University of Szeged and Music Director of the Piarist Church in the same city.
Organist: Giulio Mercati (Italia/Svizzera)
Soprano: Lidia Basterretxea Vila (Spagna)
Program
- César Franck (1822-1890) – Prélude, fugue et variation
- Gabriel Fauré (1848-1924) – En prière (soprano e organo)
- Charles Gounod (1818-1893) – Le Calvaire (soprano e organo)
- Jean-Baptiste Fauré (1830-1914) – Crucifix (soprano e organo)
- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Toccata, Adagio e Fuga in do maggiore BWV 564
- Giulio Mercati (*1971) – Erma bifronte, Canzone di Arianna, Canzone di Maria (soprano e organo)
- Gabriel Fauré – Pie Jesu (estratto dal Requiem, op. 48) (soprano e organo)
- Johann Sebastian Bach – Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645
- Léon Boëllmann (1862 – 1897) – O salutaris Hostia (soprano e organo)
- Charles Gounod – Repentir (soprano e organo)
Giulio Mercati, born in Saronno, was introduced to music at the age of six by his grandfather, Maestro Lamberto Torrebruno, a member of a historic family of musicians. He furthered his studies in organ, composition, and harpsichord with internationally renowned performers, developing a versatility that has made him a highly regarded concert artist worldwide. He has performed as a soloist in more than twenty countries, appearing in prestigious concert halls and cathedrals, from the Grand Hall of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
Active as a continuo player and keyboardist, he regularly collaborates with leading ensembles such as the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, working alongside world-renowned conductors and soloists. As both soloist and conductor, he has performed the organ and orchestra repertoire ranging from Handel to Poulenc and Hindemith. He is currently titular organist at the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli in Lugano (Switzerland).
Founder and director of the «San Bernardo» Vocal Group and Concentus Lucensis (Galicia, Spain), he is an active composer in the fields of organ and choral music. His discography includes recordings for labels such as RTSI, Bottega Discantica, Tactus, and Dynamic-Naxos.
Alongside his artistic activity, he has a strong academic background: he graduated with honors in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Milan and is Professor of History of Sacred Music at the Faculty of Theology in Lugano. He is also the creator and artistic director of prestigious music festivals in Italy, Switzerland, and Spain, as well as Head of Musical Events for the Diocese of Lugo (Spain).
www.giuliomercati.it
Lidia Basterretxea Vila, born in Caracas, completed her vocal studies at the Conservatory of San Sebastián (Spain) under the guidance of Mariangeles Rodriguez, later refining her training in Italy with Vincenzo Manno and Biancamaria Casoni. She further specialized in chamber vocal music at the Civic School of Music in Milan and in music education at C.E.M.B. (Giordano Bianchi Method).
Her career has led her to perform in prestigious international festivals and opera seasons, including the Bilbao Opera Season, the Castell de Peralada Festival, the Opéra de Rouen, the Wiesbaden Staatstheater, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. From 2000 to 2010, she was director of the As.Li.Co. Choir of the Lombard Opera Circuit, participating in productions at distinguished venues such as La Scala Theatre in Milan, the Ravenna Festival, and the Operas of Massy and Vichy.
A versatile soprano, her repertoire ranges from Baroque music to contemporary works. She has collaborated with ensembles such as Capella Mauriziana and Madrigalisti Ambrosiani, and is currently soprano soloist and vocal coach of the «San Bernardo» Vocal Group and Concentus Lucensis (Galicia, Spain). She regularly performs in duo with organist and harpsichordist Giulio Mercati.
Highly active in educational and social work, she directed the Children’s Choir of the Teatro Sociale di Como for a decade (2011–2021), also developing educational projects on children’s vocal training and choral singing courses at the local correctional facility.
The event is open to all and is free.
To register, simply complete the form
