Organ and Music Festival
Event Starts In
Description
The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi in Rhodes will host the 14th Organ and Music Festival from 27 September to 4 October 2026, an international cultural event with an established presence in the island’s musical life.
Audiences will have the opportunity to attend four concerts featuring Greek and international artists from Austria and Italy. Alongside the concerts, Master Classes for organists and students will also be held.
On Sunday, 27 September at 8:00 PM, the programme opens with a Concert of Choral Sacred Music, featuring the Mixed Choir and Mandolin Orchestra of the Municipal Unit of Petaloudes, conducted by Flora Pelekanou, with Christos Paraskevopoulos on organ.
On Wednesday, 30 September at 8:00 PM, Klaus Sonnleitner from Austria will present an Organ Recital. The concert is held with the kind support of the Embassy of Austria in Greece.
On Friday, 2 October at 8:00 PM, the Organ Concert by the Master Class Students will take place, showcasing the work and performances of the participants of the master class.
The programme continues on Sunday, 4 October at 8:00 PM with a Concert for Strings and Organ, featuring Adriano Falcioni (organ, Italy) and the Monteverdi Academy String Ensemble (Italy). The concert is held with the kind support of the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens.
Admission to all concerts is free.
This year’s Festival coincides with the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, giving the event an additional and deeply symbolic significance.
The pipe organ, a fundamental element of European and Western sacred music, has its roots in ancient Greece. Its precursor is considered to be the hydraulis, the ancient Greek hydraulic organ invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria in the 3rd century BC, linking the musical heritage of ancient Greece with the later European musical tradition.
The 14th Organ and Music Festival is organised by the Catholic Church of Rhodes, with the blessing of Fr Luke Gregory OFM, Episcopal Vicar of the Catholic Archdiocese of Rhodes, and under the Artistic Direction of Christos Paraskevopoulos.