Castel Gandolfo to host concert in honor of Pope Leo XIV

Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV will attend a concert offered in his honour by the Diocese of Albano on Saturday, 18 July, at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo.

The evening, beginning at 9:00 p.m. in the Palace courtyard, is intended as a gesture of affection and communion with the Holy Father.

The concert, for which all tickets have already been allocated, will open with Niccolò Paganini’s La Polacca from the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in E major, performed by internationally renowned violinist Marco Rogliano.

The programme will continue with pianist Rossana Tomassi Golkar performing Norma: An Immense Love Story – Free Fantasy and Variations for Piano and Orchestra, a new reworking of Vincenzo Bellini’s masterpiece written exclusively for her by Oscar-winning composer Luis Bacalov.

The soloists will be accompanied by the 55-member orchestra I Musici di Parma, conducted by Pier Carlo Orizio, artistic director of the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo since 2006 and professor of orchestral conducting at the Luca Marenzio Conservatory in Brescia.

The Bellini-inspired composition will be accompanied by a visual production highlighting key moments of the opera’s drama. The concert will feature a Bechstein grand piano from the Fabbrini Collection.

“The renewed presence of the Holy Father in our diocesan territory has filled our local Church and its people with joy,” said Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano.

Bishop Viva also expressed his gratitude to the benefactors and supporters who made the initiative possible, including the Banca di Credito Cooperativo dei Castelli Romani e del Tuscolo and numerous local businesses. He likewise thanked the artists, the diocesan Office for Sacred Music, the staff of the Pontifical Villas and the Prefecture of the Papal Household for their dedication in preparing the event.