The Festival International do Órgão e da Música Sacra (FIOMS) announced today the division of the event into two seasons for the first time. The initial season will occur from Saturday to November 30, with the second set for January 17 to February 15.
Throughout these periods, the festival will feature a variety of “choral-symphonic performances, organ recitals, choral music, and educational activities” across Porto, Maia, Valongo, Gondomar, Vila Nova de Gaia, Espinho, Oliveira de Azeméis, Arouca, Vila do Conde, Felgueiras, Amarante, and Paços de Ferreira.
This Sunday, at the Sé Catedral do Porto, a concert by Gregório Gomes, Rui Fernando Soares, and Tiago Ferreira will take place from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Additionally, at 9:30 PM, German organist Wolfgang Zerer will perform in a commemorative concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the cathedral’s organ.
The organization assured that, “similar to previous editions, the region’s churches and historical monuments will once again serve as venues for cultural enjoyment and musical discovery,” highlighting the “diverse program” of the first season, which includes “30 free-entry concerts, an international masterclass, and a conference.”
Artistic director Filipe Veríssimo, in an official statement, described the event as “an open-access, decentralized project deeply rooted in the identity of the North.”
A “significant portion” of FIOMS’s programming will integrate the “Northern Organ Route,” as stated by the event’s organizers, who are supported by the Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte (CCDR-N).
