SUBURBICARIAN DIOCESE OF ALBANO
Social Communications Office
PRESS RELEASE
ON SATURDAY 18 JULY, AT THE APOSTOLIC PALACE OF CASTEL GANDOLFO
“CONCERT IN HONOUR OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV”
A GIFT FROM THE DIOCESE OF ALBANO TO POPE LEO
ALBANO LAZIALE, 16 JULY 2026 – On Saturday 18 July at 21.00, the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo will host the “Concert in honour of the Holy Father Leo XIV”, who will be present at the event – offered by the diocese of Albano. A gift for the Holy Father, to express closenes and affection to him, with a moment of genuine beauty.
“The Holy Father’s renewed presence in our diocesan territory” says the Bishop of Albano, Vincenzo Viva, “has filled our local Church and the people who live here with joy. We wish to offer this symphonic concert as a gesture of affection and communion, and the programme we have devised features works of rare splendour. We hope that this evening will be remembered as a moment of genuine beauty and a shared gift within our Church in Albano, accompanied by affection and prayer for the Pope and the ministry entrusted to him”.
The programme for the event opens with a performance of Niccolò Paganini’s ‘La Polacca’, from the Violin Concerto No. 3 in E major, performed by the master violinist Marco Rogliano, an internationally renowned artist who graduated with honours from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and has won several national and international awards.
This will be followed by a piano performance by Rossana Tomassi Golkar, an internationally renowned pianist who graduated with top honours from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. She will perform “Norma, an immense love story. Free fantasy and variations for piano and orchestra”, a reworking of Vincenzo Bellini’s masterpiece, written exclusively for her by Oscar-winning composer Luis Bacalov.
“The idea of conceiving, composing, rehearsing and staging ‘Free fantasy and variations for piano and orchestra’ based on Bellini’s ‘Norma’ undoubtedly stems from an artistic gamble, a challenge as intriguing as it is complex”, says Rossana Tomassi Golkar: “to bring “Norma” to life for the first time exclusively through the sublimation of the emotions conveyed by sound, rather than through the performing arts. To touch and stir the strings of the soul through the notes of the piano rather than the voice. Norma is ‘Life’ confronting blinding despair and a fatal, vengeful rage that flares up to the point of threatening to take over, yet which rises and is sublimated, redeeming herself and her own heart in a yearning for Love which, through the final sacrifice of earthly life, becomes pure and eternal. I believe this represents the magic and sublime tragedy of ‘Norma’, capable of transcending eras and circumstances and speaking to our hearts with the complex and profound simplicity of artistic masterpieces. Timeless art and mystery which, beginning with Bellini, reach the heart and pen of Luis Bacalov, eventually becoming notes that soar across the piano”.
The soloists will be accompanied by the 55-piece orchestra “I Musici di Parma”, conducted by Pier Carlo Orizio, who has been artistic director of the Brescia and Bergamo International Piano Festival since 2006 and teaches orchestral conducting at the Luca Marenzio Conservatory in Brescia, having conducted over 80 orchestras during his career.
The performance of “Norma. Free fantasy and variations for piano and orchestra” will be accompanied by a visual display that will beautifully highlight the key moments of Bellini’s opera.
The piano used by Maestro Rossana Tomassi Golkar in the “Concert in Honour of the Holy Father Leo XIV” will be a Bechstein grand piano, a masterpiece from the Fabbrini collection.
Bishop Viva adds, “A very special acknowledgement is due to the benefactors, without whom this gift could not have come to fruition, such as the Banca di Credito Cooperativo dei Castelli Romani e del Tuscolo, and numerous local businesses: to all of them goes our most sincere gratitude. Special thanks are also due to the artists, first and foremost Maestro Rossana Tomassi Golkar, the orchestra ‘I Musici di Parma’, conductor Pier Carlo Orizio and Maestro Marco Rogliano; and a heartfelt thank you must also go to Don Franco Ponchia, director of the Diocesan Office for Sacred Music, who has worked tirelessly in close collaboration with the other offices of the Curia, and to the staff of the Pontifical Villas and the Prefecture of the Papal Household, who have overseen every detail with discreet and skilful dedication. ‘Beauty, when it blossoms, is always the fruit of many unseen hands’”.
The “Concert in Honour of the Holy Father Leo XIV” has been made possible thanks to the contribution of the Banca di Credito Cooperativo dei Castelli Romani e del Tuscolo and the support of various local sponsors: Antares Energia, Regina Apostolorum Hospital, Lifenet Healthcare, Ruocco Distribuzione Srl, Mastè Ristorante, BIMgo 5.0, Villa Altieri Ristorante, Conad Marino, the Centro Ad Gentes Foundation and Acquaviva, a public association of the faithful of the Diocese of Albano.
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The Artists
Pier Carlo Orizio, Conductor
Pier Carlo Orizio has been Artistic Director of the Brescia and Bergamo International Piano Festival since 2006. He is a lecturer in orchestral conducting at the Luca Marenzio Conservatory in Brescia. The more than 80 orchestras conducted by Pier Carlo Orizio include ensembles of great international prestige, including the St Petersburg Philharmonic at the invitation of Yuri Temirkanov, the Russian National Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Belgian National Orchestra and the Camerata Salzburg. With the Prague Philharmonia, he recorded Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 and Schumann’s Concerto in A minor for Rai, with Martha Argerich as soloist. Pier Carlo Orizio has collaborated with legendary figures, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Mikhail Pletnev, Rudolf Buchbinder, Paul Badura-Skoda, Uto Ughi, Salvatore Accardo and Daniil Trifonov. Born in Brescia in 1963, he owes his musical training to his father, Agostino Orizio, and to Sergio Marengoni, under whom he graduated with a degree in piano. He also studied composition with Giancarlo Facchinetti and orchestral conducting, attending courses led by Daniele Gatti, Donato Renzetti and Leonard Bernstein.
Rossana Tomassi Golkar, Pianist
Rossana Tomassi Golkar made her mark on the international stage at a very young age: from New York, through all the major cities of the US, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Australia and Europe. Conducted by Noseda, Calderón, Herrera de la Fuente, Batiz, Proost, Lu Ja, Agostini, Severini, Carminati, Caldi and Bacalov, Rossana has been a guest soloist with some of the world’s greatest orchestras. She has performed with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; the Teatro Colón Philharmonic Orchestra in Buenos Aires; the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall; the San Carlo Theatre Orchestra of Naples at Palazzo Montecitorio – Chamber of Deputies; the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra – Ollin Yolintzy Auditorium; the Rome-Lazio Symphony Orchestra at the Parco della Musica; the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan – Milan Auditorium; the Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra of Milan – Dal Verme; the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra at the Politeama Theatre in Palermo; the Bari Symphony Orchestra; the Lecce Symphony Orchestra; the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico; the Teatro Massimo in Catania; the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; the Sydney Opera House; the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival in Brescia and Bergamo; the Serate Musicali in Milan at the Sala Verdi; and the Auditorium of La Sapienza University. Oscar-winner Luis Bacalov rewrote “Norma – Free fantasy and variations for piano and orchestra” exclusively for her; she performed the world premiere of this work in 2009 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Santa Cecilia, which was sold out for the occasion. Subsequent performances at La Fenice in Venice and the Teatro Massimo in Catania cemented its success. Most recently, she has enjoyed tremendous success with audiences and critics alike, once again as a guest at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, as well as in Hong Kong, Beijing, London, Berlin, Vienna, Paris and Tokyo, where her performance of “Norma”, honoured with ten minutes of applause, was described as “sensational”.
Marco Rogliano, Violinist
Marco Rogliano began studying the violin with Aldo Spizzichino before going on to study at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome with Antonio Salvatore, graduating with honours in 1986. He furthered his studies with Ruggiero Ricci at the “Mozarteum” University in Salzburg, with Riccardo Brengola at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, and with Salvatore Accardo at the “Walter Stauffer” Academy in Cremona. He was the winner of the International Competition for Young Concert Artists in Helsingborg (Sweden), where he made his debut as a soloist in 1988 performing Sibelius’ Concerto, conducted by the Finnish conductor Ari Rasilainen leading the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. He was a prize-winner at the “Valentino Bucchi” International Competition in Rome (1988). He was a winner (in a duo with pianist Maurizio Paciariello) of the 47th ARD International Competition in 1998, performing at the Herkulessaal in Munich, and went on to win, with the same duo, the “East and West Artists New York International Selection”, making his debut in 2003 at Carnegie Hall in New York. As a concert performer (both as a soloist and chamber musician), he has performed in major Italian and European cities. He has also toured in Japan, Mexico, the USA and China. He has been invited as a soloist by institutions and organisations such as the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra, I Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, the Orchestra of the Teatro di S. Carlo in Naples, and the Italian Chamber Orchestra, and has given recitals for the St Petersburg Philharmonic, Casals Hall and Asahi Hall in Tokyo, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the Musikgebouw in Amsterdam, La Scala in Milan, the S. Carlo in Naples, and the Accademia di S. Cecilia in Rome. Committed to the rediscovery of the 19th- and 20th-century Italian repertoire, his discography includes numerous world premieres of works by Paganini, Rolla, Bignami, Austri, Giorgetti, Respighi, Zanella, Thuille, Sciarrino, Guarnieri and Fedele. In 2008, he won the French critics’ award, the ‘Diapason d’Or’. Since 1996, he has taught chamber music and violin at the conservatories of Rovigo, Fermo, Piacenza and Florence, and has held masterclasses at the “Mozarteum” in Salzburg, the Academy of Pavia and the Steinway Academy in Verona.
I Musici di Parma, Orchestra
Founded in 2002 with the aim of promoting and developing orchestral, operatic and chamber music activities, I Musici di Parma quickly established themselves as one of the most dynamic and recognized ensembles on the Italian and European music scene. The orchestra stands out for the quality of its performances, the originality of its programmes and its ability to combine tradition, research and innovation. Each artistic project begins as a journey of exploration that brings together different eras, musical languages and styles, broadening the boundaries of interpretation and offering the audience new ways of listening. Through collaborations with internationally renowned conductors, soloists and singers, I Musici di Parma have garnered significant acclaim from both audiences and critics, performing in world-renowned theatres, festivals and concert halls. The orchestra is now acclaimed for its versatile identity and its ability to tackle diverse repertoires whilst consistently maintaining a high level of cohesion and musical finesse. In 2010, the orchestra founded its own Academy of Advanced Studies, now based at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Salsomaggiore Terme: a centre for advanced training that welcomes young Italian and international musicians. The Academy has gradually evolved into a true centre of artistic production, where teaching meets orchestral practice through projects, masterclasses, festivals and series involving internationally renowned teachers and artists. In January 2022, I Musici di Parma completed its transformation into the Fondazione I Musici di Parma – ETS, which represents a solid, innovative and acknowledged institution on the European scene.
Cesare Buccitti, Curator of the revision
Educator, composer, choir and orchestra conductor. He has curated the orchestrations of famous film scores, popular pieces and more. He has collaborated with prestigious symphonic and choral institutions, both as a conductor and as an arranger/orchestrator. For the Prague Music Museum, he oversaw the revision of Leopold Koželuh’s Concerto for Fortepiano and Orchestra in B flat major. He has collaborated with the University of Rome Tor Vergata on transcription and revision work. He served as musical consultant for Astra Film on the film “Oliviero Rising” (2007). He is the author of a nine-volume Manual of Music Theory, formerly used as a textbook at the “Anton Giulio Brafaglia” Music High School in Frosinone.
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DIOCESE OF ALBANO
Office for Social Communications
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