20th International Organ Festival: four concerts for your October diary

Monaco Cathedral's organ - © Eric Meurant

The Principality is celebrating the 20th edition of its organ festival from 4 to 18 October, in three iconic venues.

A formal opening at the Cathedral

The festival opens on Saturday 4 October at 8.30 pm in the Cathedral with a concert by Olivier Vernet, titular organist and artistic director of the event. The opening evening is part of the celebrations of Saint Thomas Aquinas’ triple jubilee, marking his birth (1225), death (1274) and canonisation (1323). Audiences will be able to discover major works by Johann Sebastian Bach, while an exhibition of the saint’s relics will be on show alongside the concert.

Friday 10 October at the Cathedral

American organist Cameron Carpenter will be performing as part of the anniversary edition celebrations. Recognised as one of the most influential figures of his generation, the artist has transformed today’s perception of the organ through his daring transcriptions and dynamic theatrical performances.

Saturday 11 October at Sacré-Cœur

Organist Gunnar Idenstam and violinist Lisa Rydberg, who played to great acclaim in a previous edition, will be performing an original programme combining Bach’s repertoire with Scandinavian folk melodies. Their creative approach imagines what it might have sounded like if German organists and traditional Swedish violinists had played together during the Baroque period.

Saturday 18 October at Saint-Charles church

The Pêr-Vari Kervarec trio, who made an impression at the 2011 royal wedding, will close the festival on Saturday 18 October in Saint-Charles church. The Breton musicians will be evoking the former Grimaldi sites from their region.

All concerts begin at 8.30 pm and admission is free subject to availability.