The festival opens on September 13 at St. Pölten Cathedral with Hector Berlioz’s "Trilogie sacrée" on the childhood of Jesus. As the largest and oldest sacred music festival in Lower Austria, Musica Sacra will present performances over five weekends at St. Pölten Cathedral; the abbeys of Herzogenburg, Lilienfeld, and Göttweig; the Prandtauer Church; and the concert hall of the Conservatory for Church Music in St. Pölten.
On September 20 at 7:00 PM, the Prague-based female ensemble Tiburtina—specializing in early music—will perform in the crypt of the Göttweig Abbey Church.
On September 27, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 will be performed in a chamber orchestra arrangement at the Prandtauer Church in St. Pölten. The performance will feature members of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz under the direction of Artistic Director Kunert.
On October 3, the Lower Austrian Military Band will present a concert themed "Music and Prayer" at the Herzogenburg Abbey Church. The program includes Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Trombone Concerto featuring soloist Florian Strasser, as well as the finale of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3.
For children and families, the theater-concert "Katze Carmen & der mutige Jona" (Carmen the Cat & Brave Jonah) is scheduled for October 2 and 3 at the Conservatory for Church Music. On October 4, French percussionist Adélaïde Ferrière and Stuttgart collegiate organist Kay Johannsen will join forces for "Marimba Meets Organ" at St. Pölten Cathedral.
The festival concludes on October 10 with Claudio Monteverdi’s "Vespro della Beata Vergine" at the Lilienfeld Abbey Basilica. Performed by Cappella Nova Graz under the direction of Otto Kargl.
www.festival-musica-sacra.at