Syros: Olivier Latry opens the ANO Festival

This year’s edition of the “ANO” Festival in Syros opens with one of the most recognizable names in the international church organ repertoire. Organist Olivier Latry, titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris, performs on the evening of Monday, August 17, in Ano Syros, at the opening of the 10th International Church Organ Festival, as reported by Koini Gnomi and Cyclades24. The position of titular organist at one of the world’s best-known churches is among the most sought-after roles in this repertoire and carries responsibility for the church’s musical life. The presence of an artist of this stature on a Cycladic island is in itself an event for the local cultural calendar in August.

The church organ is an instrument inseparably bound to the space it occupies: each church shapes a different acoustic, and each organ has its own arrangement of pipes and timbres, meaning the performer must adapt his approach to every new instrument. An international festival dedicated to this repertoire is not a common undertaking for an island community, since it requires both an available organ and an audience familiar with a repertoire ranging from the Baroque tradition to contemporary composition and improvisation. This year’s edition marks ten instalments, a sign of continuity over time rather than a one-off initiative.

Ano Syros is the medieval settlement built amphitheatrically on one of the two hills above Ermoupoli, with narrow cobbled lanes, steps and views over the Aegean. Syros has historically maintained a distinctive blend of Catholic and Orthodox tradition, a fact that has left its mark on the island’s architecture, music and festive calendar and explains why an event devoted to the church organ finds a natural setting here. As the capital of the South Aegean Region and seat of administrative services, Syros also gathers a stable audience that does not depend solely on tourist traffic, allowing institutions with a specialised focus to survive beyond the season.

Tonight’s concert marks the opening of the festival, which is expected to continue with the rest of its programme. The detailed schedule, the dates of upcoming performances and participation details are announced by the organisers and are not included in the information available so far. For Syros, hosting such a performance at the height of summer works both as a cultural event for residents and as a point of distinction for its tourist identity, at a time when the islands of the Cyclades are seeking reasons for visitors to come beyond the beaches. More from the island is published on the Syros page.