The organ is widely regarded as one of the most complex mechanical inventions created before the Industrial Revolution. Despite their long history, they enjoy unwavering popularity, as evidenced by the 32nd Summer Organ Concerts International Festival and its programme featuring music from all of Europe, composed between the Renaissance and the 21st century. In the opening concert, Dariusz Bąkowski-Kois, the Festival’s artistic director, will play the works by Claude Balbastre to commemorate the 300th birthday of the Notre-Dame Cathedral organist and court harpsichordist, who taught Marie Antoinette to play the instrument. The selection of works will also include pieces by masters of French organ symphony: Tournemire, Widor and Vierne, as well as historic and contemporary Italian compositions, and the sounds of old London as scored by Byrd, Stanley and Handel. The invited guests, including Peter Van de Welde (Belgium), Marco D'Avola (Italy), Rolf Müller (Germany), Roman Perucki and Marcin Armański (Poland) will play showcase concerts at some of Kraków’s historic churches: The Church on the Rock, Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dominican Church and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Barbara Skowrońska)

• 2 June 2024 (Sunday), 6:30pm
  Pauline Basilica

Claude Balbastre (1724-1799) on the 300th birth anniversary
Dariusz Bąkowski-Kois (Kraków)
Concerto in D (Livre d'Orgue et de Clavecin, 1749): I. Prélude
Fugue pour l'orgue in d (1748)
Sonate in G ICB 25 (Pièces de Clavecin, 1749)
Magnificat du 7eme ton (2e série, 1750)
Sonate in G ICB 17 (Pièces de Clavecin, 1749)
La Castelmore, Air Champêtre (Pièces de Clavecin, 1759)
Magnificat du 8eme ton (2e série, 1750)
Sonate in a (Pièces de Clavecin, 1749)
La Malesherbes, Ariette Gracieuse (Pièces de Clavecin, 1759)
Cannonade in D
L'Air Ça-ira ICB 4/II (1792)

• 5 June 2024 (Wednesday), 8:15pm
  Dominican Basilica

Peter Van de Velde (Antwerp / Belgium)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) / Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) Intriduction to Parsifal
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) IV Organ Sonata No. 4 in B flat major Op. 65 No. 4
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Fugue in A flat minor WoO 8
Mieczysław Surzyński (1866-1924) /100th death anniversary/ Organ Sonata in D minor Op. 34: II. Andante
Ferenc Liszt (1811-1886) Prelude and Fugue B-A-C-H

• 9 June 2024 (Sunday), 7pm
  Jesuit Basilica

Roman Perucki (Gdańsk)
Mieczysław Surzyński (1866-1924) /100th death anniversary/ Organ Sonata in D minor Op. 34
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme! BWV 645
Felix Borowski (1872-1956) Organ Sonata No. 1 in A minor

• 11 June 2024 (Tuesday), 8pm
  Carmelite Basilica

Marcin Armański (Świdnica)
John Stanley (1712-1786) Voluntary in G major Op. 7 No. 9
William Byrd (1543-1623) The Queenes Alman
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Water Music (transcr. C. McKinley):
- Suite No. 1 in F major HWV 3481
- Suite No. 2 in D major HWV 3491: Hornpipe
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Prelude and Fugue in D minor BWV 539
- Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele BWV 654
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) Canon in D (opr. S. Astorino)
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911) Marche religieuse Op. 15 No. 2

• 14 June 2024 (Friday), 8:15pm
  Dominican Basilica

Italian Music of the 19th and 20th Centuries
Marco D'Avola (Ragusa / Italy)
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)
- Sonata per organo
- Casta Diva (Norma)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) Grande Offertorio in Do maggiore
Marco Enrico Bossi (1861-1925) Scherzo in sol minore
Giovanni Morandi (1777-1856) Offertorio in Re maggiore
Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) Sancta Maria
Vincenzo Antonio Petrali (1830-1889)
Sonata Finale dalla Messa Solenne
Marco D’Avola (*1959)
- Elevazione Op. 40 No. 2
- Intrada Op. 75

• 19 June 2024 (Wednesday), 8pm
  Pauline Basilica

Henny Heikens (Amsterdam / Netherlands)
Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) Toccata ex d BuxWV 155
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV 676
- Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam BWV 684
Cor Kee (1900-1997) Prelude and Fugue in A minor
Anton Pauw (*1961) Drone Music
Piet Kee (1927-2018) Voluntary on HSAE
August Gottfried Ritter (1811-1885) Organ Sonata No 4 in A major Op. 31

• 23 June 2024 (Sunday), 7pm
  Jesuit Basilica

French Organ Symphony Music
Marcin Kucharczyk (Kraków)
Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) Improvisation sur le Te Deum /transcr. M. Duruflé/
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) Organ Symphony No. 9 in C minor “Gothic” Puer natus Op. 70
Louis Vierne (1870-1937) Carillon de Westminster Op. 54 No. 6

• 26 June 2024 (Wednesday), 8pm
  Pauline Basilica

European Renaissance and Baroque
Rolf Müller (Altenberg / Germany)
Henry Heron (1738-1795) /Great Britain/ Voluntary in C
Mikołaj of Kraków († ca. 1550) /Poland/ Ave Jerarchia
Andrzej Rohaczewski (1590-1630) /Poland/ Canzon a 4
Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) /Denmark, North Germany/ Magnifcat primi toni BuxWV 203
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749) /France/ Suite du premier ton
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) /Italy/ Libro II: Toccata seconda
Georg Muffat (1653-1704) /Austria/ Apparatus: Toccata nona
Isfried Kayser (1712-1771) /South Germany/ Concerto in D
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) /Germany/ Fantasia et fuga in g BWV 542

Artistic director of the festival: Prof. Dariusz Bąkowski-Kois