More Than Just “Concerts”

More Than Just “Concerts”

By: Bénédicte Cedergren

One of the first concerts of the festival featured a powerful rendition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, performed by the Orchestra di Roma and the Illumniart Chorus, conducted by Tomomi Nishimoto at the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Composed in 1791, Requiem is one of Mozart’s – and the world’s – most famous and emotionally stirring works, celebrated worldwide for its profound depth and grandeur.

The piece, left incomplete at the time of the Austrian composers’ death, has become a hallmark of the classical repertoire, its haunting melodies and intricate harmonies evoking both the solemnity and mystery of life and death.

The concerts featured at the International Festival of Sacred Music are more than just musical performances for entertainment; they are a profound expression of worship rooted in tradition.

Since sacred music is meant to always be at the service of the liturgy, many of the festival’s concerts included Masses in Latin composed by some of the greatest musicians in history, such as Mozart’s Requiem.

Founder and General President of Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra Hans-Albert Courtial explained, “We celebrate both Gregorian chants and polyphonic music, and we also focus on grand Masses, which is very important because here in Rome, we’re not accustomed to hearing works like Mozart’s Coronation Mass or Requiem, or even Bruckner’s symphonies. For all these pieces, we bring them here with a deep sense of religiosity and profound faith, reflecting the beliefs of the great composers who wrote them.”

While the musical events organized by the foundation are publicized as concerts, they go far beyond mere performances of music: they aim at sanctifying the faithful and elevating their souls and hearts to God.

Courtial added, “I want to emphasize that, unfortunately, we have to talk about concerts in churches because, for many people, when they hear ‘spiritual elevation,’ they immediately think of a Mass or a religious ritual. But our concerts are not just concerts; they are pure spiritual elevations. We see many young people coming to experience these works in these beautiful basilicas, and we are very happy because they come and are truly enthusiastic.”