Annual Waterford International Organ Festival
‘From the Deep Sea to Lofty Heights’
13-16 June 2024

Waterford International Organ Festival (WIOF) 2024 takes us From the Deep Sea to Lofty Heights” and includes special concerts inspired by Hamburg and Parisian composers.  As we celebrate the significant anniversaries of Gabriel Fauré, Théodore Dubois and Matthias Weckmann, WIOF brings world famous organists to Waterford to perform programmes from the golden eras of organ composition.

From the ocean depths and the deep bottom “C” of the organ to the heights reached from the organ loft, there is something for everybody at this year’s festival. With a Bach Cantata, a Handel Organ Concerto, arias and choral masterpieces and an “Underwater Creatures” musical adventure for children, WIOF is truly rich in variety and colour.

WIOF welcome virtuosi Prof Matthias Havinga (Amsterdam) and Eric Lebrun (Paris) as well as many distinguished artists from around Ireland.  Join us in June!

Programme Overview

All festival events take place at Christ Church Cathedral Waterford

Thursday, 13 June 2024

20:00 – ‘The Lofty Heights of Handel and Bach’

Musici Ireland
Simon Harden (Organ)
Roisin O’Grady (Soprano)
WIOF Chamber Choir

Programme to include:
GF Handel: Organ Concerto Op 4 No 1 in g-minor, Aria: Eternal source of light etc.
JS Bach: Cantata ‘Gott soll allein mein Herze haben’ BWV 169

 

Friday, 14 June 2024

20:00 –  ‘Parisian Prowess’

Solo organ: Prof Eric Lebrun (Paris)

Honouring the 100th anniversary of the deaths of Parisian composers Gabriel Fauré and Théodore Dubois

Saturday, 15 June 2024

11:00 – Children’s Workshop

Underwater Creatures” Childrens workshop with compositions by Andreas Willsche
Organ: Simon Harden

 

15:00 – Masterclass with Professor Matthias Havinga (Amsterdam) 

A three-hour masterclass for organ students.  All welcome to apply!

 

18:30 – Post – Masterclass Concert

Sunday 16 June

10:00 – Festival Eucharist with the Cathedral Choir

Featuring works by C. V. Stanford during his centennial anniversary year.

 

16:00 – ‘From one port city to another’

Organ: Prof. Matthias Havinga (Amsterdam)

Marking the 350th anniversary of Weckmanns death

The 2024 Waterford International Organ Festival is generously supported by: