From October 4 to 18, Monaco will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Monaco International Organ Festival, a cultural event that has become a cornerstone of the Principality’s artistic calendar. Over the years, the festival has not only showcased Monaco’s rich organ heritage but also highlighted the instrument’s unique ability to bridge tradition and innovation.
This milestone edition features four concerts, each offering a distinctive interpretation of the organ’s vast repertoire. The festival opens on Saturday, October 4 at Monaco Cathedral, where Olivier Vernet, the Cathedral’s titular organist, will perform a programme dedicated to Bach in honour of the jubilee of Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274–1323). Alongside the concert, an exhibition of the saint’s relics will take place, linking music and spirituality.
On Friday, October 10, also at the Cathedral, American virtuoso Cameron Carpenter will present a bold performance. Known internationally for reinventing the image of the organ, Carpenter’s concerts fuse technical brilliance with theatrical flair, offering audiences a transformative musical experience.
The following evening, Saturday, October 11, the Sacré-Cœur church will host Swedish organist Gunnar Idenstam and violinist Lisa Rydberg, who will merge Bach’s timeless works with Scandinavian folk traditions. Their cross-genre approach promises a rare and unexpected journey through sound.
The festival concludes on Saturday, October 18 at the Église Saint-Charles with the return of the Pêr-Vari Kervarec trio, whose past performance at Monaco’s royal wedding earned wide acclaim. Their programme will reflect the historic ties between the Grimaldi family and Brittany, blending memory, tradition, and spirituality to close the jubilee edition on a resonant note.
