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” Children’s 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 Weckmann’s death
The 2024 Waterford International Organ Festival is generously supported by:
