Celebrating the ‘king of instruments’ across Malta and Gozo for 12th year

Now in its 12th edition, the Malta International Organ Festival returns from November 20 to December 7, once again transforming churches and historic spaces across Malta and Gozo into grand stages for the “king of instruments”.

Under the artistic direction of Joseph Lia, this year’s festival presents 11 concerts featuring leading international organists, ensembles and soloists, celebrating the instrument’s remarkable range – from sacred baroque splendour to cinematic innovation.

A grand opening in Valletta

The festival opens in Valletta’s collegiate parish church of St Paul’s Shipwreck, with a concert dedicated to the Neapolitan baroque school. The Kyiv Baroque Consort, directed by Italian conductor Nancy Milesis Romano, performs Stabat Mater by Maltese composer Girolamo Abos, paired with selections from Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.

The Kyiv Baroque Consort, directed by Italian conductor Nancy Milesis Romano, opens the festival.

Both composers studied under Francesco Durante, whose influence bridged Maltese and Italian musical traditions in the 18th century. This opening concert offers a rare glimpse into how sacred music evolved across the Mediterranean, uniting two distinct yet deeply connected cultures through devotional art.

From Gozo’s baroque organs to the cinema screen

The festival’s journey continues to Gozo, where its rich organ heritage takes centre stage. On November 21, at the parish church of St Margaret V.M. in Sannat, acclaimed Polish organist Wacław Golonka performs a baroque recital featuring music from the Tabulatura of John of Lublin, alongside works by Pachelbel, Froberger, Kerll, Muffat and Bach.

Two days later, on November 23, the Sacred Heart of Jesus church in Fontana hosts The Trumpet Shall Sound, a spirited concert with Franco Cefai and Jason Camilleri. Their programme blends sacred hymns, classical favourites and cinematic music by Clarke, Saint-Saëns and Morricone, reimagined for organ and trumpet.

The festival features a live performance of an original score for Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece Battleship Potemkin.

A particularly innovative highlight arrives on November 26 at Eden Cinemas in Paceville, where Chris Jarrett – renowned for his live performances accompanying silent films – and percussionist Joseph Bibi Camilleri perform an original score for Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece Battleship Potemkin. Jarrett’s powerful live music transforms this cinematic classic into a visceral dialogue between image and sound, underscoring the organ’s capacity for both subtlety and drama.

The Russian masters and the organ’s dual role

The focus shifts 20th-century Russian music on November 28 at St Augustine church in Valletta, marking 50 years since Dmitri Shostakovich’s death. Russian organist Svetlana Berezhnaya performs a programme featuring Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Mussorgsky, revealing the emotional and tonal richness of modern organ composition. The following evening, November 29, the basilica of Jesus of Nazareth in Sliema hosts Le Roy Danse – The Organ Between Classical Music and Popular Tradition.

Chris Jarrett is renowned for his live performances accompanying silent films.

Italian duo Silvano Rodi (organ) and Sonia Borella (historical percussion) explore the organ’s dual life between sacred ceremony and folk festivity, tracing the vibrant dance rhythms that once animated Europe’s courts and village squares.

Community, reflection and opportunity

Community remains at the heart of the festival. On November 30, the Rotunda of Mosta presents its annual lunchtime community concert, a free event featuring the parish choir Kor Marija Assunta under Bernard Bezzina, alongside young Maltese musicians.

The festival then turns contemplative on December 1 at Our Lady of Pompei parish church in Marsaxlokk, where Latvian organist Ilona Birğele performs a luminous solo recital exploring spiritual resonance through sound.

The festival’s artistic director Joseph Lia. Photo: Matthew Vella

On December 2, St Mark’s church in Rabat hosts Sacred Arias, featuring Marco D’Avola and Joseph Lia. Their programme includes beloved oratorio arias and multiple interpretations of Ave Maria, culminating in the world premiere of a new organ work by D’Avola, dedicated to the late George Lia (1949-2025). This deeply personal piece offers a poignant moment of remembrance within the festival’s wider celebration of musical legacy.

Pipes and reeds in harmony

On December 5, the newly restored Onorati oratory of the Jesuits’ church in Valletta hosts Pipes and Reeds – An Encounter of Sounds. German organist Ralf Borghoff joins Italian saxophonist Cesare Travagin for an imaginative programme uniting two instruments rarely heard together.

Italian conductor Nancy Milesis Romano

Their selections include Michat’s Adagio dolcissimo, Genin’s Variations sur un thème espagnol and Bolero, and Bozza’s Aria, offering a dialogue of breath, resonance and emotion in a sacred setting.

A symphonic finale in Valletta

The festival concludes on December 7 at the basilica of Our Lady of Porto Salvo and St Dominic in Valletta. Conducted by Johannes Skudlik, with Winfried Lichtscheidel as organ soloist, the Malta International Organ Festival Orchestra performs Rheinberger’s Symphony No. 1, Op. 137, alongside works by Handel, Vivaldi, and contemporary composer Naji Hakim.

This grand finale unites organ and orchestra in full splendour beneath the basilica’s new majestic organ – a fitting culmination for a festival devoted to harmony and heritage.

The festival opens in Valletta’s collegiate parish church of St Paul’s Shipwreck.

Across its 11 performances, the Malta International Organ Festival 2025 reaffirms the organ’s role as both a historical treasure and a living voice of cultural identity.

From Gozo’s intimate chapels to Valletta’s monumental basilicas, audiences are invited to experience Malta’s spiritual and architectural beauty through sound.

The festival runs from November 20 to December 7, supported by Visit Malta, Festivals Malta, APS Bank, Biz Consult Ltd, the German Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute. Full details and ticket information are available here.