Organ Festival in Moscow.

In early July in the Catholic Cathedral in Moscow, the second festival-competition of young organists, SOLI DEO GLORIA, was opened. The festival was organized by the Charitable Fund "Art of Good", which supports young musicians in the performing of spiritual music. The chief organist at the Vatican, Gianluca Libertucci, was invited to Moscow to be the chairman of the panel of judges. About 10 participants from Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia took part in the festival. The panel was composed of professors from France, Poland, Russia, and Austria.

"I was really surprised by the very high standard of these young people, which I really did not expect. Clearly the Russian organ school is one of the best in the world.
They are very promising young men and women, and I'm sure that in a few years some of them will be known on an international level and will win some very important competitions."

Gianluca thinks that there is one very important aspect not to forget: that an organist is not a concert artist, but is primarily an organist of the Church, a liturgical organist.