The "Cantus Ecclesiae" Organ Festivalwill take place between the 23^rd and the 30^th of May 2021 at the "Sf. Iosif" Cathedral in Bucharest, inviting the public to relive the exciting reunion between artists and spectators.

The event focuses its repertoire on Gregorian music and will comprise five concerts and three conferences. The lead players will be students of the organ classes from Romanian musical institutions: National University of Music Bucharest, "Gheorghe Dima" Music Academy of Cluj-Napoca and Transilvania University of Brașov. The conference speakers will pe professors, specialized in musical interpretation and sacred music.

With some exceptions, the names of the participants are less well known, which however doesn't make their music any less impressive. The classical pipe organ is generally too little known in Romania, and in the context of its culture being already quite fragile, this initiative, aimed at a potentially large public, wishes to bring to the people's attention this instrument and its music.

The five concerts organized during the "Cantus Ecclesiae" Organ Festival, we will be able to listen to pieces written by Nicolas de Grigny (1672-1703), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1680), Matthias Weckmann (1616-1674), Louis Marchand (1669-1732), Daniel Croner (1656-1740), Jean Langlais (1907-1991), Thierry Escaich (1965), Edward Elgar (1857-1934), Max Reger (1873-1916), Louis Vierne (1870-1937), Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937), Marcel Dupré (1886-1971), Jeanne Denisseux (1921-1968), Charles Tournemire (1870-1939), JehanAlein (1911-1940), Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986), Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), Hans Peter Türk (1940*).

The "Cantus Ecclesiae" Organ Festival will bring to light the beauty of organ music, laid on staves by various composers who drew their inspiration from Gregorian music. The scope is to motivate young organ players, students of music schools, to include Gregorian-inspired pieces into their repertoires and to encourage them to promote it during other concerts.

The event is organised by the Oficiul Pentru Bunuri Culturale Ecleziastice și Patrimoniu (n.t.: Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Goods and Heritage) from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest, together with the Enarmonia Cultural Association. This collaboration also includes the Pro Contempania Cultural Association. The concerts will take place at the "Sf. Iosif" Roman-Catholic Cathedral in Bucharest, and the conferences will be held and broadcasted online, on the web page of the festival, as well as on its social media accounts. Technical support will be offered by Signis România.

All concerts will take place at the "Sf. Iosif" Roman-Catholic Cathedral in Bucharest at 8 o'clock in the evening. The public's access is subject to availability, and all sanitary standards will be strictly enforced, according to current regulations.

The "Cantus Ecclesiae" Organ Festival

Concert Schedule

23^rd of May 2021

"Veni, Creator Spiritus" Organ Concert-interpreted by Eduard Antal

25^th of May 2021

Organ Concert interpreted by the PhD Associate ProfessorErich Türk's class, from "Gheorghe Dima" Music Academy of Cluj-Napoca

Performers: PhD Associate ProfessorAmalia Erdős, PhD Associate ProfessorErich Türk, Szintia Kulcsár (I^st year student), Cosmina Barna (II^nd year student), Sámuel Sógor (II^nd year student), Róland Réman (IV^th year student), Szilvia Szabo (M1 student).

27^th of May 2021

Organ Concerts interpreted by the PhD Professor Steffen Schlandt's class, Transilvania University of Brașov

Performers: Steffen Schalndt (professor), Iulia Reitu (IV^th year student), Geanina Sălăgean (M2 student), Török Orsolya (mezzo-soprano).

29^th of May 2021

Organ Concert interpreted by the PhD Associate Professor Dan Racoveanu's class, National University of Music Bucharest

Performers: PhD Associate Professor Dan Racoveanu, Maria Luisa Andrici (III^rd year student), Daniel Ciobanu (I^st year atudent).

30^th of May 2021

"Hommage à Marcel Dupré" Organ Concert-50 years since death, performed by Alexandru Catău-Paris