Sonata Organi International Organ Festival
The international organ festival in Arona, on Lake Maggiore
About Sonata Organi
A grand celebration of the organ on Lake Maggiore
Every year between May and June, the town of Arona, overlooking Lake Maggiore in the province of Novara, becomes a focal point for organ music enthusiasts. The Sonata Organi International Organ Festival is organized by the cultural association of the same name and its artistic director, organist Christian Tarabbia. It attracts internationally renowned performers from Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and, of course, Italy to Arona's churches.
The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria, the heart of the festival
The main venue for the concerts is the evocative Collegiate Church of Santa Maria in Arona, home to a magnificent organ. Other performances take place in the Church of San Graziano (known as the Church of the Holy Martyrs) and, during the summer, in numerous other churches throughout the Novara province as part of the "Organ Itineraries." All concerts are free to attend and generally begin at 9:00 PM, making this high-level musical heritage accessible to everyone.
Music and the spoken word: a journey through the Divine Comedy
One of the festival's most original features is the interplay between music and literature. For several editions, the program has accompanied concerts with readings from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. After traversing the Inferno, the journey now continues through Purgatorio, in a fascinating dialogue between organ sonorities and Dante's verses, brought to life by guest readers.
Performers from around the world
Over the years, the Arona stage has hosted some of the most important organists on the international scene. The festival alternates repertoires ranging from Baroque music and Johann Sebastian Bach to great Romantic composers and transcriptions of famous orchestral works, offering the public a comprehensive overview of organ literature.
A heritage for the region
More than just a series of concerts, "Sonata Organi" is a cultural project that highlights the organ heritage of the Novara province and the Piedmont region, promoting awareness of the ancient instruments preserved in local churches. The festival thus represents a precious opportunity to discover not only music but also the history and art of the places that host it.
Sonata Organi — edition 2026
20th edition — the twentieth anniversary of Sonata Organi
The 2026 edition marks twenty years of the Arona festival and proposes five events between the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria and the Church of San Graziano in Arona. The central theme is the Purgatorio of the Divine Comedy, with readings of selected Dante cantos by Maria Teresa Meardi. All concerts are free to attend and begin at 9:00 PM.
Programme Sonata Organi 2026
Friday, May 22 — 9:00 PM, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria
"Concert for 2 hearts, 4 hands, and 4 feet" — Finnish organists Markku Mäkinen and Airi Saloniemi open the festival with music by Albrechtsberger, Mozart, Bach, Hesse, and Merkel. Reading of Canto I of Purgatorio (Meeting with Cato) by Maria Teresa Meardi.
Friday, May 29 — 9:00 PM, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria
"Homage to Johann Sebastian Bach" — concert by organist Enrico Viccardi. Reading of Canto VI of Purgatorio (Meeting with Sordello da Goito).
Friday, June 5 — 9:00 PM, Church of San Graziano
"Bach and Venice" — the Baroque ensemble Armoniosa presents a repertoire dedicated to the relationship between Bach and the Venetian tradition.
Friday, June 12 — 9:00 PM, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria
"Music is Magic" — Christian Tarabbia, artistic director of Sonata Organi, celebrates the association's twentieth anniversary with a program of organ transcriptions of famous orchestral works.
Saturday, June 20 — 9:00 PM, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria
"De profundis Te Deum laudamus" — the festival closes with American organist Nathan J. Laube, professor at the Eastman School of Music and a world-renowned performer.
Following the five main concerts, the festival continues in the summer with "Organ Itineraries," concerts in churches throughout the Novara province.
Highlights Sonata Organi 2026
- Closing concert with American organist Nathan J. Laube (June 20)
- Opening with the Finnish duo Mäkinen & Saloniemi (May 22)
- Twentieth-anniversary concert with artistic director Christian Tarabbia (June 12)
- Baroque ensemble Armoniosa with "Bach and Venice" (June 5)
- Readings from the Purgatorio of the Divine Comedy by Maria Teresa Meardi
Prices Sonata Organi 2026
Practical information — Sonata Organi
How to get there
Arona is easily accessible by train (Arona station, on the Milan–Domodossola line) and by car via the A26 motorway (Arona exit). The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria is located in the historic center, just a short walk from the lakefront.
Admission
Admission to all festival concerts is free of charge. Concerts typically begin at 9:00 PM.
Contacts
Associazione Culturale Sonata Organi — [email protected] — www.sonataorgani.it
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Where does it take place — Sonata Organi
Chiesa Collegiata di Santa Maria
Piazza San Graziano, 28041 Arona