An event that invites us to bring out our most spiritual side returns to Madrid: the International Festival of Sacred Art (FIAS), a journey through time through music that this year comes loaded with surprises: 41 concerts, 28 premieres and 9 exclusive commissions. Of all the participating groups, 24 (more than half) are making their debut at the festival.
In 2025, FIAS celebrates two important anniversaries: the 350th anniversary of the death of Carlos Patiño and the 300th anniversary of the death of Alessandro Scarlatti. For Patiño, there will be a special program with proposals around his work and the musical theater of the 17th century.
More than a series of concerts, the festival is an experience to connect with the sacred: it goes beyond the merely religious, exploring new transcendental languages. In addition, most of the performances take place in a mythical temple of the city (in this link you can find all of them).
Featured concerts of the festival
Homage to Alessandro Scarlatti
The concert of La Ritirata, directed by Josetxu Obregón, will feature the sopranos Núria Rial and Alicia Amo to perform Il giardino di rose, the oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti. This work, premiered in the early 18th century in Rome, is considered one of the composer’s most outstanding works and served as a model for the creation of oratorios for decades.
Date: Thursday, March 13 (7:30 p.m.)
Venue: Basilica of San Miguel
Priez pour nous
The orchestra and choir of the Community of Madrid will transport us to the France of the 18th century through three works: Litanies to the Black Virgin, by Francis Poulenc, and the only two religious pieces by Gabriel Fauré: the Mass of the Fishermen and Requiem.
Directed by maestro Josep Vila i Casañas, the choir of the Community of Madrid is one of the best and most dynamic in Spain. Its prestige has boosted its presence in important national and international stages.
Date: Sunday, March 23 (21:00 hours)
Place: Santísimo Sacramento Church
Il pianto della donna
The soprano María Espada from Extremadura will perform the repertoire of Il pianto della Madonna: a selection of sacred works by the great Italian composers of the 17th century, such as Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Felice Sances, Alessandro Grandi or Tarquinio Merula.
Date: Friday, March 21 (8:15 p.m.)
Place: parish of San Miguel Arcángel (Las Rozas)