The second annual Waterford International Organ Festival features a varied programme across three days celebrating the organ. The festival theme ‘Fireworks from Aloft’ reflects the star role played by the organ as a solo concert instrument, as well as in orchestral and choral contexts in collaboration with the Symphony Club of Waterford and the Mornington Singers. The festival is structured around three major evening concerts. This ticket is your pass to each evening concert of the festival, and offers a discounted rate by comparison with purchasing tickets for each concert individually.

Concert 1 (Works for Organ Solo): ‘Fireworks from Aloft’

Friday, 10 June 2022 - 20:00

A concert featuring solo works for the organ performed by Laura Schlappa, recent winner of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition.

Charles Tournemire – Choral-Improvisation sur le „Victimae paschali”

Louis Vierne – Pièces de Fantaisie op.53 – Clair de lune, and Pièces en style libre en deux livres op.31 – Scherzetto

César Franck – Cantabile from Trois Pièces

Georges Bizet – Carmen-Phantasie paraphrased by Edwin H. Lemare

Charles-Marie Widor – Symphonie Nr. 6 Op. 42, 2 ‘Allegro’, 4 ‘Cantabile’

Jehan Alain – Deuxième Fantaisie

Jean Guillou – Toccata op.9

Concert 2 (Organ and Orchestra): ‘All Stops Out’

Saturday, 11 June 2022 - 20:00

This concert pulls out all the stops with music for organ and orchestra presented in partnership with the Waterford Symphony Club.

Richard Wagner – Overture from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Piotr Tchaikovsky – Serenade melancolique

John Williams – 3 pieces from Schindlers List

Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No 3 in C minor (Op 78), often referred to as ‘the organ symphony’

Simon Harden, Organ, and the Hibernian Orchestra conducted by John Finucane, with Patrick Rafter violin soloist.

Concert 3 (Choral Concert with Organ Improvisation): ‘Night on Earth’

Sunday, 12 June 2022 - 20:00

This concert will feature a broad mix of music from such diverse voices as Clara Schumann, Heinrich Schutz, Karin Rehnqvist, Fanny Hensel, Felix Mendelssohn, Anna Cederberg-Orreteg, Anna-Karin Klockar, Xabier Sarasola, Eriks Esenvalds and more.

Mornington Singers, conducted by Orla Flanagan, and Aleksandr Nisse, organ

The festival programme also features opportunities for people of all ages to engage with the ‘king of instruments’ through a children’s workshop, choral workshop, and festival eucharist. The workshops can be booked separately here through Eventbrite.

Children under the age of 18 attend for free when accompanied by a ticket holder.

This festival is made possible through the generous support of the Arts Council and Waterford City and County Council.

For more information about the festival, visit waterfordinternationalorganfestival.ie