From this Thursday until early December, the sound of the pipe organ will roll from Valletta to Gozo as the Malta International Organ Festival returns for its 12th edition. Between 20 November and 7 December, 11 carefully curated concerts will turn historic churches and unique venues into resonant stages for the organ, under the artistic direction of Joseph Lia (below).

This year's festival presents the organ as a living, versatile instrument; heard with choir and solo voices, in dialogue with trumpet, historical percussion and saxophone, and even providing a live soundtrack to a classic film.

Baroque Valletta: Malta and Naples in dialogue

The journey begins in the Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, Valletta, with an opening night steeped in Neapolitan Baroque. The Kyiv Baroque Consort from Ukraine, led by Italian conductor Nancy Milesis Romano, will place Maltese composer Girolamo Abos side by side with Giovanni Battista Pergolesi in a programme centred on their Stabat Mater settings.

Both composers were pupils of Francesco Durante, one of Naples' most influential teachers. 18^th century Naples resonates differently in Maltese and Italian sacred music - yet remains rooted in the same expressive language.

Gozo: historic instruments, village churches and a trumpet's call

Gozo plays a prominent role in the early part of the festival. The second evening shifts to Sannat, at the parish church of St Margaret V.M., where Polish organist Wacław Golonka delves into early repertoire. His recital ranges from the Tabulatura of John of Lublin to works by Pachelbel, Froberger, Kerll, Muffat and Bach - music that allows Gozo's baroque organ colours to shine in a purely instrumental context.

The next day, on 23 November, the focus moves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Fontana. There, Franco Cefai and Jason Camilleri present The Trumpet Shall Sound - a programme that weaves together hymnody, celebrated classical pieces and film music. Clarke, Saint-Saëns and Morricone all feature, recast for the striking combination of organ and trumpet, in a concert that promises both solemnity and cinematic flair.

From church loft to cinema pit: Battleship Potemkin with live score

One of this year's boldest experiments takes the festival out of ecclesiastical spaces and into Eden Cinemas, Paceville, on 26 November. The 1925 Soviet silent classic Battleship Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein will be projected with a live score by Chris Jarrett, a specialist in improvising for silent film, joined by Joseph Bibi Camilleri on percussion.

Instead of a traditional cinema soundtrack, audiences will experience the montage of Eisenstein's images against a live, constantly evolving musical commentary. The organ and percussion will respond in real time to the film's rhythm, turning this milestone of early cinema into a one-off encounter between image, noise and resonance.

Russian voices and dancing organs

The festival also marks a major anniversary in 20^th century music. On 28 November, St Augustine Church in Valletta will host a recital dedicated to Russian masters as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's death. Russian organist Svetlana Berezhnaya will explore works by Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Mussorgsky, highlighting the way the organ can articulate the weight, irony and lyricism of Russian modernism.

The following evening, the Basilica of Jesus of Nazareth in Sliema will resound with Le Roy Danse - The Organ Between Classical Music and Popular Tradition. Italian organist Silvano Rodi and historical percussionist Sonia Borella trace how, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, courtly dances and popular rhythms cross-pollinated each other. Their programme explores repertoires from Italy, France and Germany.

Community voices, quiet reflection and a personal tribute

Accessibility and participation are folded into the schedule. At the Rotunda of Mosta on 30 November, the annual lunchtime community concert returns, featuring the local choir Kor Marija Assunta under Bernard Bezzina together with young Maltese performers. Offered free of charge, this event keeps the festival rooted in parish life and opens its doors to audiences who might not habitually attend evening concerts.

On 1 December the atmosphere turns contemplative at Our Lady of Pompei Parish Church, Marsaxlokk, where Latvian organist Ilona Birğele presents a solo recital focused on music of spiritual radiance and meditative character.

The next day, St Mark's Church in Rabat hosts Sacred Arias, a collaboration between organist-composer Marco D'Avola and baritone Dr Joseph Lia. The programme includes cherished oratorio arias and multiple settings of Ave Maria. It also carries a deeply personal note: D'Avola will premiere a new solo organ work dedicated to the memory of George Lia (1949-2025), transforming the concert into a space of remembrance as well as performance.

Organ meets saxophone: an unexpected pairing

On 5 December, attention turns to the newly-restored Onorati Oratory of the Jesuits' Church in Valletta. Pipes and Reeds - An Encounter of Sounds sets German organist Ralf Borghoff alongside Italian award-winning saxophonist Cesare Travagin. Their programme, featuring works such as Michat's Adagio dolcissimo, Genin's Variations sur un thème Espagnol with Bolero, and Bozza's lyrical Aria, explores how the sustained breath of the saxophone and the wind-driven organ pipes can intertwine.

The concert promises an unusual timbral dialogue, rarely experienced within a sacred baroque interior.

A symphonic conclusion on a new majestic organ

The festival's final chapter unfolds on 7 December at the Basilica of Our Lady of Porto Salvo and St Dominic in Valletta. Under the baton of Johannes Skudlik (above), with Winfried Lichtscheidel as organ soloist, the Malta International Organ Festival Orchestra takes on a large-scale symphonic programme. Rheinberger's Symphony No. 1, Op. 137, sits alongside works by Handel, Vivaldi and contemporary composer Naji Hakim - scores that, although premiered abroad many years ago, appear to be receiving their first performance in Malta on this occasion.

This closing concert will be performed on the basilica's new monumental organ, allowing the instrument's full range - from whispering sounds to blazing tutti - to engage in conversation with the orchestra in one of Valletta's most impressive sacred spaces.

More than a series of concerts

Across its 11 events, the Malta International Organ Festival 2025 uses the organ to tell multiple stories: of Malta's baroque heritage, of European musical exchange, of modern experimentation, and of local communities gathered in familiar churches to hear something fresh.

Running from 20 November to 7 December, the festival is supported by Visit Malta, Festivals Malta, APS Bank, Biz Consult Ltd, the German Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute.