Organizzando - IUC Organ Festival
The IUC University Concert Institution's organ festival at the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli in Rome
About Organizzando
Organizzando, the organ takes center stage in the heart of Rome
Organizzando is the organ concert series promoted by the Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti (IUC), one of the oldest and most prestigious musical institutions in the capital. Every spring, the event transforms the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli in Rome's historic center (Municipality of Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio) into an exceptional listening venue, where the voice of the grand organ intertwines with the beauty of sacred architecture.
A historic organ as the protagonist
At the heart of the festival is the monumental Mascioni opus 369 organ, built in 1925 and expanded in 1955. The electric-action instrument features thirty-two stops distributed across two sections located behind the high altar and inside a 1726 Baroque case. Its tonal richness allows for a vast repertoire, from German counterpoint to French impressionism and grand symphonic transcriptions.
Young organists and great masters
The festival's format entrusts the concerts to young organists already established on the national and international scene, who are invited to create personal thematic journeys around the instrument's infinite possibilities. The audience can discover how the same sound machine can evoke vastly different worlds: the severity of Bach's chorales, the lyricism of the Romanticism of Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Reger, the mystical intensity of the Easter repertoire, and the coloristic vertigo of the symphonic organ of Ravel, Debussy, Vierne, and Duruflé.
Three free evenings in May
The festival consists of three evening concerts, held on Wednesdays in May, starting at 8:00 PM. Admission is free and no reservation is required, a choice that reflects the IUC's commitment to bringing great music to a wide and diverse audience, introducing even non-specialists to a repertoire that is often rarely heard.
An appointment in the Historic Center
The setting of the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli, with its neoclassical facade by Giuseppe Valadier and frescoes by Antoniazzo Romano and Baciccia, adds charm to the listening experience. Located just a few steps from Piazza Venezia and the Trevi Fountain, the basilica is an ideal place to combine the discovery of Roman artistic heritage with the pleasure of an organ concert. Organizzando thus confirms itself as a precious element of the cultural offering of Rome and the Lazio region during the spring season.
Organizzando — edition 2026
Organizzando 2026, the eighth edition
The eighth edition of the Organizzando organ festival, promoted by the Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti (IUC), was held at the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli in Rome with three evening appointments on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, with free admission and no reservation required. Three young organists guided the audience through centuries of the instrument's history, from German counterpoint to French impressionism, utilizing the potential of the great Mascioni opus 369 organ.
A journey through the ages
The program offered three distinct thematic paths: from the Baroque and Romantic universe to the intensity of the Easter repertoire, and finally to the coloristic richness of the symphonic organ. An edition that reaffirmed the IUC's dedication to enhancing the organ heritage and offering it for free to a wide audience, within the splendid setting of Rome's historic center.
Programme Organizzando 2026
Concert program (8:00 PM, free admission)
- Wednesday, May 6 - Efisio Aresu, "From Bach to Romanticism: forms and languages of the organ": Bach (Fantasia and Fugue in G minor BWV 542, Chorale BWV 622), Mendelssohn (Sonata No. 3 in A major op. 65 No. 3), Brahms (Prelude and Fugue in G minor WoO 10), Reger (Benedictus op. 59 No. 9, Choralphantasie op. 40 No. 1).
- Wednesday, May 13 - Davide Bucci, "Post Tenebras Lux: sound architectures towards the light": program on the Easter mystery with works by Mendelssohn, Haselböck, Peeters, Reger, and Vierne.
- Wednesday, May 20 - Antonio Pantalone, "The symphonic organ": transcriptions and original works by Ravel, Reger, Vierne, Duruflé, and Debussy, exploring the infinite tonal possibilities of the instrument.
Highlights Organizzando 2026
- Three free evening concerts in the heart of Rome's historic center
- The monumental Mascioni opus 369 organ (1925, expanded in 1955) in the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli
- Three established young organists: Efisio Aresu, Davide Bucci, and Antonio Pantalone
- Repertoire from Bach's Baroque to German Romanticism and the French symphonic organ
Prices Organizzando 2026
Practical information — Organizzando
Location
The concerts are held in the Basilica of the Santi XII Apostoli, Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 51, 00187 Rome, in the historic center.
How to get there
Metro: Line A, Barberini stop (about a 10-minute walk); Line B, Cavour or Colosseo stop. Bus: Numerous lines stop at Piazza Venezia, just a short walk from the basilica. The area is a restricted traffic zone: using public transport is recommended.
Admission and times
Free admission without reservation. Concerts begin at 8:00 PM. Arriving early is recommended to secure a seat.
Contacts
Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti (IUC) - tel. +39 06 3610051 - www.concertiiuc.it
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Where does it take place — Organizzando
Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli
Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 51, 00187 Roma