A festival of organists - The Zagreb Cathedral Organ

Visitors of this year’s edition of the Organ of the Zagreb Cathedral Festival, which began in mid-July and will go on until September 15th, have the opportunity to enjoy concert performances by virtuoso organists from Croatia and abroad.

If you enjoy the magical sound of the organ, do not miss the concerts which will take place at the Zagreb Cathedral. The largest sacral structure in Croatia has been the venue for the festival “Organ of the Zagreb Cathedral”, which started in mid-July and will last until September 15^th. This is the seventh edition of the festival, and like in previous years it will feature performances by virtuoso organists from Croatia and abroad. In the remainder of the festival programme, the very valuable organ of the Zagreb Cathedral, one of the ten greatest organs in the world, will be played by the renowned Croatian organist Neven Kraljić, as well as Manuel Tomadin from Italy, Tuomas Pyrhönen from Finland, etc. 

The organ of the Zagreb Cathedral, which was built in 1855 by the German company E.F. Walcker, is protected as a zero grade cultural monument. It features four manuals, a pedal board, 78 registers and 6068 pipes. The organ is special because of the pieces which have been preserved since the first day of use. This includes an original keyboard mechanism dating back to 1855 which can be played by mechanically treading the bellows. Also preserved, but located in a side-room, are the keyboards dating back to 1939 and the so-called American Setzer combinations. They are the only authentic examples in Europe. There is also a set of pipes from 1855, featuring the original “Agram” sign, which has also been preserved.

More information about this festival, including the concert schedule, can be found online at www.zagreb-cathedral.org.