Portuguese Institute of Santo Antonio in Rome - Permanent Organ Music Programme 2024

For sixteen editions now, the church of Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi has hosted the eagerly awaited permanent organ music season of the Portuguese Institute of Sant'Antonio, which once again this year offers a rich repertoire exploring the most significant works of organ literature.

The star of the musical performances is the extraordinary Mascioni pipe organ, built in 1748 by Manuel Pereira de Sampayo for the Universal Jubilee of 1750.

During the Second World War, the precious instrument suffered serious damage, but in 1956, after careful restoration, it was replaced by a new organ by the Fratelli Ruffatti company, which used the original case. In 2008, the master organist Jean Guillou carried out further conservation work by fitting a new organ case and new registers.

The artistic direction is by Giampaolo Di Rosa, titular organist of Sant' Antonio dei Portoghesi. His repertoire includes every era, his own compositions and transcriptions and the complete cycles for organ by J. S. Bach, C. Franck and O. Messiaen. Di Rosa dedicates himself to the pedagogy and dissemination of improvisation, to musicological and organological research and to artistic direction, having assumed the liturgical function of titular and resident organist of several European churches and cathedrals, including the Cathedrals of Vila Real (2016) and Bragança (2021) in Portugal. He currently carries out concert activity in the world.

Photo: Redazione Turismo Roma