Bolkow – “Candlelight Concerts”: New season, new place, new work

Always looking for new venues, in 2024 Candlelight Concerts expands its scope to include a new performance site: the medieval St. Michael's Church in Bolkow. It dates back to the 12th century and combines several architectural styles. “Since its renovation, it has put on a great show,” says Robert Bobicka, director of the concert series. With the Gieswagener organ, it houses one of the most important Baroque organs in Lower Austria.

The Candlelight Concerts will open the 2024 season on Easter Sunday, March 31 at 7pm with a concert in St. Michael's Church in Bolkow, with Bobiška himself playing works by Bach, Liszt, Frescobaldi and Bruckner on organ. A highlight of the program is the premiere of a new piece by him, a setting of the 150th Psalm. This forms the finale of the Psalms and is also referred to as the “Last Hallelujah.”

Not only a passionate musician, but also a composer

In addition to interpreting piano, harpsichord and organ music in concerts at home and abroad, composition is the main focus of Robert Bobiczka's work. The premiere of the First Piano Concerto (“Deep blue”) took place as part of the “Carinthian Summer” festival. As a soloist with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, he played the premiere of the Second Piano Concerto. RSO Vienna and the Vienna Chamber Choir translated his oratorio “Atlantia Awakens”.

In the Easter premiere of his own work next Sunday, the organist will be supported by the “Vocal Toniker” ensemble, composed of soprano Andrea Binder, alto Gabriele Socci, tenor Kurt Kern and Josef Aigner as bass. The main focus of the ensemble's repertoire is the interpretation of church music and so they also perform the Easter sequences “Victimae paschali laudes” – “Sing to the Easter lambs” – and other purely vocal works.