For three Saturdays in October anyone is invited to attend the autumn cycle of free concerts hosted by the Church of Santa María la Antigua (Calle Virgen de la Antigua, 9) on the occasion of the International Festival of Organ and Baroque Music of Vicálvaro.
The event, organized by the district’s municipal board and the parish itself with support from the City Council’s Plan SURES -which focuses on the development of 9 districts in the south and east of the city-, aims to “bring Baroque musical culture closer to the citizens“.
To this end, the festival brings together musicians of great international prestige. Delica Chamber Orchestra was the group in charge of the inaugural concert on September 27, and there are still three more performances to be enjoyed on Saturdays October 4, 11 and 18 at 8 pm.
Complete poster and repertoire of the autumn cycle of concerts.
The concert on October 4 will feature the organist and pedagogue Katelyn Emerson, who will perform a repertoire ranging from Muffat, Sweelinck, van Noordt and Cabanilles to Bach, Boëly, Mendelssohn and Langlais.
A week later, on October 11, the ensemble La Basse Charmant – specializing in historically informed interpretation – will guide the audience through a musical journey from the origins to the height of the Baroque.
Finally, the autumn cycle of concerts will come to an end on October 18 with the performance of the Belgian pianist and organist Els Biesemans -a reference in the field of interpretation with historical instruments- who has selected for the occasion pieces by Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart.
A temple declared an Asset of Cultural Interest
In addition to the music and those who perform it, another compelling reason to come to this series of concerts is undoubtedly the place where it is held. This church was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument in 2022.
The importance of the building, according to the Community of Madrid, lies in the fact that it is an outstanding example of Madrid architecture of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century: “It was built in brick with masonry chains by Diego Sillero and Francisco Tofiño, following the traces of the Master of Royal Works, Francisco de Mora”.