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Saturday, 27 January, 2018
Eglise du Sacré Cœur – Beirut
Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard, studied at the Paris National Superior Conservatory where he was taught by such personnalities as Olivier Latry, Thierry Escaich, Pierre Pincemaille, Philippe Lefebvre, Jean-François Zygel, and François-Xavier Roth.
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He got there 8 first prizes (organ, improvisation, continuo, polyphony of Renaissance, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration) and a Orchestra direction certificate.
He was awarded various competitions prizes :
-1° Prize and Public prize in the International Improvisation Competition – Leipzig (Germany 2009)
-1° Prize an Public prize in the International Improvisation Competition – Luxembourg (Luxembourg 2011)
– Prize-winner in the International Competition “Mickaël Tariverdiev” in Kaliningrad (Russia 2011)
– 2 ° Prize ex-aequo for Improvisation – Grand Prix de Chartres – First Prize not awarded (France 2012)
– Prize-winner in the International Competition of Longwood Gardens (USA 2013)
Organist of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Clichy-la-Garenne (Paris), he was appointed in 2015 as Titular Organist at Saint Eustache Main Church in Paris. He appears regularly in concert in France and abroad (Germany, UK, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, USA, Russia). He taught improvisation and composition at the Conservatory of Viry-Chatillon (Essonne). He also created in 2007 his Oratorio “Noah’s Ark” for chorus, orchestra and organ. The magazine “Organ – Journal für die Orgel” gave him the title of “Organist of the Year 2007”. He regularly collaborates with the French Cinematheque for film concerts where he was artist in residence for 2015.
At the same time, he enjoys flying and, he obtained his Private Pilot Licence in 2008.
Sunday, 28 January, 2018
Église de la Medaille Miraculeuse – Achrafieh – Beirut
Eugenio Maria Fagiani is not only a virtuoso organist, but also a very talented composer
Eugenio Maria Fagiani n’est pas seulement un organiste virtuose, mais aussi un compositeur de grand talent – Marcel Bitsch
He is a brilliant, virtuoso organist, but his great mastery is entirely subservient to the realization of a larger musical experience – John Scott
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As an affirmed international concert organist he performs in whole Europe, Jordan, Russia, Belarus, Syria, United Kingdom, Canada and the USA on the most important instruments.
He is invited to hold masterclasses (both in Interpretation and Improvisation) and lectures for several top-class music institutions around Europe and North America as the Cambridge University Organ Scolar’s Forum (UK) and the RCCO, Toronto (CDN). He is also invited to serve as juror in international competitions.
From 2008 he is the Guest Organist of the Franciscan Shrine of La Verna, Arezzo. In 2010 he started the collaboration as the organist with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano LaVerdi (with which he recorded several times for the Italian’s state broadcasting company Radio Tre Rai). He also performed, both as a soloist as well as with the orchestra, in the recording project of the symphonic music of Nino Rota, published by Decca (8 CD’s, up to now, under the conduction of maestro Giuseppe Grazioli) that started in 2013. With LaVerdi he performed at the BBC-Proms in London (broadcasted worldwide live by the BBC), on the magnificent instrument of the Royal Albert Hall, under the baton of Xian Zhang. He was also the organist in the highly praised performances of the Mahler’s 8th Symphony that the LaVerdi gave with maestro Riccardo Chailly in Milano.
During February 2017 he has been the first Western musician since 2011 invited to perform in Syria. Two historical concerts were given in the Damascus Opera House, with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by maestro Missak Baghboudarian (the program includes Jongen’s “Symphonie Concertante” and Saint-Saëns “Third Symphony”, recorded live by the Syrian National TV) and then in the Saint Anthony’s Church, in the First Syrian Pipe Organ Week.
His works as a composer (as well of a successful series of organ transcriptions) are now part of the repertoire of some of the most prestigious artists of our time as Stephen Tharp and David Briggs.
With the CD “Crucis Christi Mons Alvernae”, recorded with the choir of La Verna’s friars, obtained the “Recording of the year 2009” acknowledgement from Alias, cultural review of the Italian National newspaper Il Manifesto.
Eugenio is the Artistic Director of the Festival Internazionale di Musica d’Organo de La Verna from November 2014. In April 2015 he received by the Archbishop of Arezzo the title as the Artistic Director of the new Festival Organistico “S.Donato” in the Arezzo’s Dome on the astonishing Luca da Cortona organ (1534-36). From 2016 he has also been appointed as the Artistic Advisor of the Terra Sancta Organ Festival, organized by the Custody of the Holy Land (a Festival that include many Countries in the middle east region in a unique season of organ concerts).
He records with: VDE-Gallo (Switzerland), Spektral Records (Germany) and Decca (UK).
Tuesday, 30 January, 2018
Couvent St. Elie – Maayssra
Giovan Battista Vaglica attends successfully his musical studies contemporary with the classical ones at the Conservatory of Music “V. Bellini” in Palermo, and here he got he’s degrees in organ and in piano.
He amplified his musical knowledges by attending several specialization courses, studying thoroughly the old, baroque and romantic executive procedure and he got a diploma at the “Corso di Perfezionamento Liturgico Musicale” (Musical Liturgical Specialization Course ) representing the Archdiocese of Monreale.
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He got several publications, together with articles and activities on organ building and on musical Sicilian tradition, among them, it is particularly relevant the book “Gli Organi antichi nel territorio Monrealese” (Old organs in Monreale ) ed. Augustinus 1991, the first congress on sicilian organ building art (1990), a series of concerts in the Cathedral of Monreale, and in several towns in Sicily (1990/1993), the first performance in Sicily of the “Mass for Blessed Virgin Maria” by Giovan Battista Fasolo (1645), the first book’s recording of I. Sgarlata’s first musical opera (ed. Pantocratore 2003).
As organist, he performed in relevant festival and musical seasons such as: “the week of sacred music” in Monreale, the “Organ festival in S. Martino delle Scale”, the Ragusa Organ Festival, the “F. Ferrara” Philarmonic orchestra, the “Opera Laboratory”, and last but not least he performed for different associations as “Amici della Musica” and for the “Provincia regionale di Palermo”.
He continuously co-operates with the gregorian group and the poliphonic chorus “Cum Jubilo”, since he is initiated in a polyhedrical activity of recording.
Respecting the nature of his instrument, the organ, he chooses in an appropriate way the repertory to the different kinds of organs, in order to exalt their own timbre-phonic traits.
He is member of the “Diocesan Commission of Sacred Music” in the Archdiocese of Monreale; “Honorary inspector” in subject of Old and Historical Organs of the Regione Siciliana; Regular Organist at the Basilica Benedettina in S. Martino delle Scale, where he took care of the restoration and reconstruction work on big organs; Organist in the church of S. Teresa del Bambino Gesù; he teaches piano at the secondary school and also “Introduction to liturgic music” at the Institute of Religious Science in the Archdiocese of Monreale.
Quoted by dailies and magazines, he is esteemed by national and foreign musical personalities.
Thursday, 1 February, 2018
Notre Dame de Louaizé – Zouk Mosbeh
Juan de la Rubia was born in Valencia in 1982. He studied organ, piano and harpsichord in Valencia, Barcelona, Berlin and Toulouse with Montserrat Torrent -who has been a great influence both for him and for organ music in Spain-, Óscar Candendo, Wolfgang Seifen and Michel Bouvard.
In 2002 he won first prize at the Concurso Permanente de Juventudes Musicales de España and began his career as a concert musician. He has performed at the most prestigious music venues in Spain as well as in Andorra, Germany, Belgium, France, Monaco, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Palestine, the Philippines, Peru and Equatorial Guinea.
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Juan de la Rubia has won prizes at many organ competitions like Santiago de Compostela, Valencia and Barcelona, and took first prize from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes in Granada.
His repertoire covers every era, but his own particular interest lies with Bach and the Romantic composers who wrote for symphony organ. Juan de la Rubia performed as an improviser at the inaugural ceremony for the organ at the Auditorio de Tenerife alongside the acclaimed German organist Wolfgang Seifen.
The organist’s repertoire also features contemporary music. He has given premiere performances of works by contemporary composers at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, the Cathedrals of León and San Sebastian and at the Ensems contemporary music festival in Valencia. Juan de la Rubia works with many acclaimed music ensembles, among them the Grup Instrumental de Valencia, the Spanish Radio and TV Chorus, the Chorus and Orchestra of Valencia, the Madrid Camerata, the National Chamber Orchestra of Andorra, the Royal Filarmonía de Galicia, the Kammerorchester Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach and the Joven Orquesta Nacional de Cataluña.
The organist’s performances have been broadcast by Radio Clásica, France Musique, RNE, Catalunya Música and RTV Slovenia. He has recorded five discs of organ music by Spanish and French composers from the Romantic era as well as works by contemporary composers.
Since 2005, Juan de la Rubia has taught improvisation at the Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña in Barcelona. He is organist of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
Saturday, 3 February, 2018
American University of Beirut
Dr. Jennifer Pascual was appointed Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in 2003. Jennifer earned a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Organ Performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she studied with David Higgs. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Mannes College of Music. She received the Bachelor of Music Degrees in Piano and Organ Performance and Music Education from Jacksonville University in Florida. She has served as an organist and choir director in the Dioceses of St. Augustine, FL and Rochester, NY, and the Archdioceses of Newark, NJ and New York City, NY, and has served at three Roman Catholic Cathedrals. She currently serves as the Director of Music of the New York Archdiocesan Festival Chorale. Jennifer has performed as an organist and conductor in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Russia and the United States.
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As the Director of Music, Dr. Pascual had the privilege of overseeing all of the liturgical music for His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York in 2008 in addition to conducting music for the Masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Yankee Stadium. She conducted the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir for President Bush at the White House for National Day of Prayer. In December 2008 Dr. Pascual was named a Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, papal recognition of service to the Church. In September 2015, Dr. Pascual conducted both the New York Archdiocesan Festival Chorale and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir and orchestra during the Mass at Madison Square Garden celebrated by Pope Francis in 2015. She also conducted the music for Papal Vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. With the broadcast of live Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral on The Catholic Channel, SIRIUS/XM 129, the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir which she conducts can be heard from 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. on Sundays from September to June.
She also hosts a radio talk and music show called “Sounds from the Spires” broadcast on the same channel, Saturdays, 1:00am – 2:00am and 11:00pm – 12:00am and Sundays, 6:00am – 7:00am and 5:00pm – 6:00pm (all Eastern times).
Sunday, 4 February, 2018
The National Evangelical Church of Beirut
Krzysztof Musiał was born in 1992 in Brzesko, Poland. He is currently a student at the Academy of Music in Kraków under the supervision of Prof. Andrzej Białko. He also studied at Musikhochschule Lübeck as an Erasmus+ Student under Prof. Arvid Gast. He participated in masterclasses led by professors Johannes Geffert, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Bernhard Haas, Michel Radulescu, Julian Gembalski i Józef Serafin.
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He has participated in numerous organ competitions and was awarded several prizes, such as:
– III prize in the 10 International Mikael Tariverdiev Organ Competition in Kalingrad (2017)
– III prize in the 6 International Feliks Nowowiejski Organ Competition in Poznań (2017)
– II prize in the 3 International Organ Competiton “Barock and Romanticism” in Katowice ( 2016)
He was awarded also special prizes for the performances of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
He gave concerts in Poland (as in the Festivals in Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław and Pasłęk), France, Germany, Holland, Lithuania and Russia.