The Cathedral of Santa Maria is the seat of the Archbishop of Toledo, who is also the Primate of Spain. The building, begun in 1226, is considered to be the magnum opus of Gothic architecture in Spain. It has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1986, along with the center of the historic city. It houses an impressive art collection, including works by Goya, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, and El Greco.
The events celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Toledo Cathedral begins on November 9 with a concert by the Rachmaninoff International Orchestra, conducted by Massimo Quarta.
The event is organized with the support and collaboration of the Cathedral Chapter of Toledo, the Auxiliary Foundation of Malta, and the Very Illustrious Mozarab Community of Toledo. It is sponsored by the Investment Program Foundation and the Foundation for Global Arts.
See related news article, “Music is Above War”
Concert Program
Johann Sebastian Bach. Violin Concerto in A minor BWV1041
Johann Sebastian Bach. Partita for solo violin (Chaconne) BWV 1004
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Stabat Mater
Sarah Charles Soprano
Natalia Kawalek Mezzo-soprano
Rachmaninov International Orchestra (RIO)
Massimo Quarta Conductor and Violin
About the Artists
Sarah Charles, soprano
Sarah Charles, soprano, studied at the 18th arrondissement Conservatory in Paris in Sophie Hervé’s class, while also completing a degree in musicology at the Sorbonne in Paris. After studying at the Notre-Dame de Paris school, she started her opera career as one of the soloists of the Academy of the Versailles. Her recent performances included Belinda in Dido and Aeneas at the Royal Opera of Versailles, in April 2024. In December, she will perform Charpentier’s Te Deum at La Fenice in Venice.
Natalia Kawalek, mezzo-soprano
Natalia Kawalek studied in Warsaw, Rome and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She is the winner of the famous Hilde Zadek singing competition. She made her Austrian debut in Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide at the Theater an der Wien. She appeared as Virtù in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, as well as in the new production of Macbeth with Plácido Domingo
Massimo Quarta Violin and conducting
The American Record Guide has described Massimo Quarta as "the embodiment of elegance" and according to Diapason "the brio and the sensuality of his playing, the purity of his sonority and the elegance of a diction deprived of emphasis, give to his view a tenderness and a refinement rarely heard." Along with his intense career as a soloist, Massimo Quarta has been acclaimed as one of Europe's most dynamic and exciting conductors, appearing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherland Symphony, the Berliner Synfoniker, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana OSI and other great orchestras.