Pope Leo XIV will attend this Saturday the concert that the Diocese of Albano has organized in his honor at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, an event with which the local Church wishes to express its closeness to the Pontiff during his summer stay in the traditional papal residence, restored this year as a place of rest for the Pope.
The concert will begin at 21:00 in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace and will be attended by the Holy Father. The initiative has been promoted by the suburbicarian Diocese of Albano as a gesture of affection toward Leo XIV on the occasion of his stay in Castel Gandolfo.
A tribute from the Diocese of Albano
The Bishop of Albano, Vincenzo Viva, explained that the concert is intended to be an expression of communion with the Pope and of gratitude for his presence in the diocese.
«The renewed presence of the Holy Father in our diocese has filled our local Church and its faithful with joy. We wish to offer this symphonic concert as a gesture of affection and communion», the prelate stated.
Viva also expressed the hope that the evening will be remembered «as a moment of authentic beauty and shared gift», accompanied by prayer for the Pontiff’s ministry.
A program dedicated to Paganini and Bellini
The concert will open with the performance of La Polonesa, from the Violin Concerto No. 3 in E major by Niccolò Paganini, performed by violinist Marco Rogliano.
Next, pianist Rossana Tomassi Golkar will perform Norma: Free Fantasy and Variations for Piano and Orchestra, a reworking of the celebrated opera by Vincenzo Bellini created by Argentine composer Luis Bacalov, winner of the Oscar Prize.
The performance will be accompanied by a visual projection inspired by some of the most representative moments of the work and will feature a Bechstein grand piano from the Fabbrini collection.
The two soloists will perform together with the orchestra I Musici di Parma, made up of 55 musicians and conducted by Pier Carlo Orizio.
Thanks to collaborators and benefactors
On the occasion of the concert’s presentation, Bishop Viva expressed his gratitude for the collaboration of the benefactors who made the initiative possible, as well as the work of the artists, the diocesan Office of Sacred Music, the staff of the Pontifical Villas, and the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
«Beauty, when it flourishes, is always the fruit of many hidden hands», the prelate concluded.