Italy’s Cagliari Opera at the Basilica

The Friends of the Erben Organ and the Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral are pleased to present a unique and historic musical concert fundraiser to restore our 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ and develop educational programs for children around it. We have invited Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Italy) who is graciously donating their time and talents to this effort by performing for free to help us in our efforts.

⇒ Donate Now to reserve your seats!

Seats are also available for a nominal donation. 100% of all donations for seat reservations go towards the Friends of the Erben Organ, Inc. and the pipe organ’s restoration. * There are a limited number of free seats available through the day of the event.  Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to check availability. 

⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org

"Sisters of Charity" by Pietro Gagliardi, 1873. Oil on canvas. 

Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of New York

The painting shows Sisters of Charity at their work, caring for orphaned children in New York. 

The program is a re-creation of the 1826 Benefit Concert for the Orphanage at 32 Prince Street, founded by the Sisters of Charity. Through research by Basilica Music Director Jared Lamenzo and Italian musicologist Francesco Zimei, the concert recreates as close as possible what was heard in 1826. The concert is essentially an oratorio of sacred music by well-known composers such as Handel and Haydn, as well as the first modern performances of rare works by Zingarelli and Cimarosa, originally sung by the famed Garcia Italian Opera Company.

The 1826 benefit concert featured the Garcia Company, the first Italian opera company ever to perform in America.  The Garcia Company included the famed Maria (Garcia) Malibran, the trailblazer for all subsequent prime donne. 

This concert is being produced with the cooperation of the famed Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the opera house of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy).  The concert will be preceded by a recital of period organ music performed by Jared Lamenzo.

Photo by Priamo Tolu

FEATURING:

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari

Conductor Donato Renzetti

Soprano Francesca Dotto, Soprano Salome Jicia, Tenor Leonardo Cortellazzi, Baritone Pierluigi Dilengite, Baritone Daniele Terenzi

Chorus Master Donato Sivo

⇒ Donate Now to reserve your seats!

Seats are also available for a nominal donation. 100% of all donations for seat reservations go towards the Friends of the Erben Organ, Inc. and the pipe organ’s restoration. * There are a limited number of free seats available through the day of the event.  Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to check availability. 

⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org

Concert Duration:

The concert will last for just over 1 hour, with no intermission.

ADA information:

The Basilica has ADA and companion seating available. Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to reserve. Restrooms and side exits are down a flight of stairs and not ADA accessible. The Basilica will provide ushers to escort patrons to a nearby location within the Basilica complex with ADA accessible restrooms.

Historical Note:

The Garcia Company arrived to America at the behest of Dominic Lynch, a well-to-do Irish businessman and trustee of the then Cathedral. By coincidence, Mozart’s librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was already living in America, and eagerly greeted the Garcias.  

The Basilica

Built in the early 19th century, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is over 200 years old and designated a New York City and National Historic Landmark. In 2013, the Basilica revived the Rite of Christian Burial in its historic cemetery and catacombs, becoming the only Catholic cemetery in New York City. With its recent renovation, unveiled in 2015, the Basilica is in a period of revitalization, of which the restoration of the Erben Organ is a vital part.

Friends of the Erben Organ

Friends of the Erben Organ is a 501(c)3, formed in 2017 with the mission of restoring and preserving the Basilica’s historical 1868 Henry Erben organ.

The famed Cagliari Opera, in addition to performing a benefit at the Basilica, will also participate in a daylong conference at Columbia University’s Casa Italiana, founded by Lorenzo Da Ponte.

This concert is offered to the community by the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the opera house of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy). A Bridge of Music Project “Refunctionalization of the Parco della Musica (Music Park) and Teatro Lirico (Opera House) in Cagliari – internationalization and innovation of productions, also aimed at the tourist-cultural development of local attractions." Financed by the Cohesion Action Plan “Strategic projects of regional importance” which increase the value of POR FESR in the context of Unified Planning 2014-2020.

⇒ Donate Now to reserve your seats!

Seats are also available for a nominal donation. 100% of all donations for seat reservations go towards the Friends of the Erben Organ, Inc. and the pipe organ’s restoration. * There are a limited number of free seats available through the day of the event.  Please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org to check availability. 

⇒ For premium reservations including a post-show reception with the artists, please contact us at music@erbenorgan.org