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Why the Organ?
Did you know that the organ is called “Rex Instrumetorum” (the King of Instruments)? No other musical instrument is so complex, so complete and so diverse… A violin always has 4 strings and a piano, 88 keys. A organ, however, can have several keyboards with each 24 to 56 keys, a pedal board or not, a bit more than a hundred registers and so many combinations and variations that we can say there was practically no equal to organs until the 19th century.
Why in Santo Tirso and Vila Nova de Famalicão?
Did you know that Santo Tirso and Famalicão are both organ-buildingcenters concentrating the largest number of organ business compagnies in Portugal? Tubes and components for many important organs worldwide are produced in both cities. Furthermore, Portugal is one of the countries with the most historical organs in working condition in the world.
“International” festival?
We do believe that culture must be accessible to all. We equally believe in cultural decentralization and that is why we assemble the best well known organists, singers and other musicians from Portugal and beyond to share their talents and art with our public.
The FIO : International Organ festival in Vila Nova de Famalicão and Santo Tirso!
The FIO is the common thread linking the municipalities of Vila Nova de Famalicão and Santo Tirso, organizing organ solos, organ and voice, or other instrument recitals, organ and orchestra concerts, organ and dance, etc. An organ can be a solo instrument or accompaniment, during a liturgical service or in a concert hall, permanently installed or portable, presenting medieval , renaissance , baroque , romantic or contemporary music compositions. Consequently, there is a vast repertoire for all kind of instruments. An organ is as diverse as all the multiple possibilitiess. So we can propose concerts not only in the most importants churches of the municipalities of Famalicão and santo Tirso , but also in venues and parishes out of the center of the cities. And if there are no instruments , no problem, we can bring one!
Who are we?
With artistic direction by Rodrigo Teodoro de Paula, the FIO is organized since 2011 by Tagus-Atlanticus Associação Cultural , a nonprofit cultural association, presenting events to promote and disseminte Iberoamerican culture and patrimony, as well as by the JMS Organaria, an enterprise founded in 2015 specialized in the construction and restauration of historical organs . This was how an organist/organ expert, two organ builders and a lyric singer enamored with organs came together to realize the idea of this festival . We must not forget that this festival would not have been possible without the financial assistance of both city councils and local businesses who believed in this project since the first edition and the others still who joined us in the last years . Do you know what happens when so many forces join together in a common cause? More than 6500 people have attended our concerts and around 15,000 on social media. And through the incentive of the festival, 10 churches have restaured their organs or bought a new instrument.
Because:
“When you dream alone , it’s just a dream. When you dream together, it’s the beginning of a reality!” (Miguel de Cervantes)
