A festival of organ music

Continuing the tradition of organ concerts at the cathedral of the Holy Virgin’s Ascension, this year’s Zagreb Cathedral Organ Festival will be held between the 8th and the 22nd of July. The organ of the Zagreb cathedral is among the ten most beautiful organs in the world.

After a several-year break, the tradition of organ concerts at Zagreb’s cathedral will resume this year in July. These concerts will take place between the 8th and the 22nd of July as part of the independent Zagreb Cathedral Organ Festival, with support from the City of Zagreb.

The Zagreb cathedral organ is exceptionally valuable as it is among the ten most beautiful organs in the world, and one of the largest in Europe. It was built in 1855 by the German company, E. F. Walcker, and is nowadays protected as Grade Zero listed cultural monument.

The organ has four manuals, a pedal-board, 78 stops, and 6068 pipes. Parts that have been preserved since the first day of the organ’s use make this instrument extra special. Within the organ, there is an original console dating from 1855, on which music can be created by mechanical treading on the bellows. Also preserved are the console from 1939, located in the side room, and the originally built, so called, American Setzer combinations, which are the only original example in all of Europe. There are also pipes dating from 1855, featuring an original “Agram” inscription.

Visitors of the festival will have an opportunity to enjoy the majestic sounds of the Zagreb cathedral organ and the first concert will be held on July 8th. Violinist, Goran Končar, and Croatian organist, as well as director of the festival, Edmund Andler-Borić, will perform known works by Mendelssohn, Vitali, Widor, Part, Bovet and Rachmaninoff. A week later, visitors at the cathedral of the Holy Virgin’s Ascension will have an opportunity to hear works by Liszt, de Grigny, Widor, and Franck performed by Slovenian organist, Renata Bauer, while the final festival concert on the 22nd of July will feature Croatian organist, Ljerka Očić, who will perform works by Franck and Liszt.

All three concerts will begin at 8 p.m. and entrance is free.