Voices for Peace – Epiphany Concert in the Cathedral

The Epiphany concert in the Cathedral of Messina

Amidst the lights and atmosphere of the Christmas season, the Cathedral of Messina, located in Piazza Duomo, hosts one of the city's most anticipated musical events every year: the Epiphany concert by the Exsultate Jubilate Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Nazzareno De Benedetto. The nave of the Cathedral, with its solemn acoustics, provides the perfect setting for an evening that blends sacred music, operatic repertoire, and traditional Christmas carols, symbolically marking the start of the new year for the city on the Strait.

"Voices for Peace": the 2026 edition

The January 4, 2026 edition, titled "Voices for Peace," featured a program designed as a collective message, where music became a universal language capable of uniting, inspiring reflection, and renewing hope. On the podium was Maestro Nazzareno De Benedetto, with Don Giovanni Lombardo on the organ, and a talented group of soloists: trumpeters Giuseppe Ruggeri and Carmelo Garufi, sopranos Jennifer Schittino and Santina Tomasello, alto Alessandro Carmignano, tenor Angelo Quartarone, and bass Marcello Vargetto. The evening was hosted by Rachele Gerace.

A consolidated tradition

The concert is part of a deeply rooted tradition: the Exsultate Jubilate Musical Association has been bringing great music to the Cathedral during the holidays for years. In previous editions, the ensemble has brought together professional choristers and instrumentalists, teachers and students from the "Arcangelo Corelli" Conservatory, and professors from the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele orchestra, performing works by Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, Saint-Saëns, and Adam, with the participation of renowned soloists. This is how the concert has become one of the symbolic events of the Messina Christmas calendar.

Sacred music and spirituality in Messina

More than just a concert, the Epiphany event is a moment of reflection and celebration for the community of Messina and the entire province, in Sicily. The choice of the Cathedral, the religious and identity heart of the city, underscores the deep bond between music and spirituality: operatic arias, motets, organ pieces, and choral works alternate in a journey that speaks to both believers and lovers of classical music.

• Where: Cathedral of Messina (Duomo), Piazza Duomo
• When: During the Epiphany period, early January
• Who: Exsultate Jubilate Choir and Orchestra, cond. Nazzareno De Benedetto
• Genre: Sacred, operatic, and classical music