Dear Grace Friends,
It gives me great pleasure to announce that in honor of the 40th birthday of our A. David Moore organ, Italian concert organist, Salvatore Pronestì and I will perform a duo organ recital at Grace Church on Monday, November 15th at 7:30 pm.
Many of you know that Reverend John Graham is a scholar of the works of Dante Alighieri. In honor of John’s 37 years as a priest, and his 17 years as Rector at Grace Church, Salvatore has dedicated his new tone poem improvisation “Purgatory” from the trilogy “The Divine Comedy” to John Graham. Salvatore’s performance of this work will be the American premiere of this tone poem. The three tone poems were also written by Salvatore to honor the 700th Anniversary of Dante’s death on September 13/14, 1321.
Those of you who were able to view all the concerts in our Virtual Bach Festival will remember Italian concert organist, Salvatore Pronestì. Salvatore is from Sant’Onofrio, Italy, and is not only a concert organist, but is also an organ builder who specializes in the construction, restoration, and maintenance of pipe organs.
His firm, Bottega Organaria, is based in Sant’Onofrio, Italy, and his work extends throughout Italy, especially in Rome, at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Salvatore Pronestì is Artistic Director International of the Concerts Section of the Organ Festival at the Pantheon in Rome, for promoting international sharing of musical events.
The recital will be a free event, however we will gratefully accept donations. These donations will go to the Grace Church Organ Fund.
Please note that there will be free 2-hour parking with Grace validation at the Colonial Garage for AMC Cinema at 3171 K Street that evening.
Do mark your calendars for Monday, November 15 at 7:30 pm to attend this very special event at Grace Church. We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you,
Francine Maté and Salvatore Pronestì
Bach Festival
Every July, Grace welcomes Bach lovers to its historic church. The Washington Post noted that “…set quietly back from Wisconsin Avenue and a hairbreadth from the Potomac…the church offers one of Washington’s supreme concert series, its annual Bach Festival.” The festival was created in 1993 as a way to share, through a series of innovative and integrated programs, the incomparable music of J.S. Bach as well as compositions by his contemporaries and those he influenced. The acoustics of Grace Church are well suited to chamber ensembles, and the A. David Moore Organ (1981) is a fine partner for performances of the music of Bach and his contemporaries. Organist/choirmaster Francine Maté has directed the festival since 2000.
27th Grace Church “Virtual” Bach Festival
This year, Grace Church will once again welcome all music lovers to enjoy performances of some of the greatest music ever written in its first Virtual Bach Festival. All concerts will be streamed via video links and the links to each concert will be first available at the time specified in the schedule below. Following the initial release, each concert will be available for later viewing. All times are US Eastern Daylight Time.
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SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 17 at 7:30 pm – Grace Church Organist/Choirmaster and Director of the Bach Festival at Grace Church, Dr. Francine Maté, performs works by JS Bach, Nicolaus Bruhns, and Dieterich Buxtehude on the Grace Church A. David Moore organ. The program concludes with the famous JS Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565.
Sunday, July 18 at 1:30 pm – Organist Dr. Michał Szostak plays works by JS Bach and Dieterich Buxtehude on various organs in Europe including Saint-Eustache, Paris, France, and Legnica, Poland.
Friday, July 23 at 7:30 pm – Organist Salvatore Pronestì presents a program of his improvisations titled “An Italian Concert Organist/Organ Builder from Leipzig to Atlantic City: Improvisations from Both Sides of the Pond.”
Saturday, July 24 at 7:30 pm – Shaughn Dowd and Martha Molinaro, flutes, Erika Sato, violin, Grace Molinaro, cello, and Larry Molinaro, harpsichord perform a program featuring trio sonatas by Quantz and J.S. Bach as well as Bach’s sublime Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034 for flute and continuo.
Sunday, July 25 at 1:30pm – Organist Michael Koenig performs an all JS Bach recital on the St. George’s Hannover Square, London, England, American organ built by Richards, Fowkes, & Co.
Friday, July 30 at 7:30 pm – Soo Young Chrisfield, soprano, Regino Madrid, violin, Fatma Daglar, oboe d’amore, Charlie Powers, cello, and Larry Molinaro, harpsichord, perform movements from Bach cantata, BWV 210, and organ music performed by Larry Molinaro on the Grace Church A. David Moore Organ.
As noted above, the links to each concert will be available for future viewing on this page after their initial launches. For more information, please contact the Bach Festival Director, Francine Maté at bach@gracedc.org
Music on the Lawn
Grace Church offers concerts on the lawn on Thursdays in September, from 6 to 7:30 pm, and two or three times a year after a Sunday service. It is expected to return in 2022.
Arts and Literature Club
This group organizes outings to various cultural events, including concerts at the National Cathedral, plays and movies of interest, and other performances. Often a shared meal and conversation follow the principal event. Contact the Arts and Literature Club leader: arts@gracedc.org.