Juan de la Rubia masters organ music like few others. The likeable Spaniard not only delights international audiences in concert halls from Europe to South America with the great classical organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, but also impresses as an organist, pianist, and harpsichordist with modern improvisations and magnificent arrangements of organ literature. In addition to his concert activities, the Castellón-born musician is the organist at the famous Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Just as unique as his workplace in the Catalan capital is the organ on which he will make his debut at this year's Rheingau Music Festival: the instrument in the Church of St. Martin in Lorch not only has a magnificent sound, but also the unique "Riesling register" with its chirping tones, two wine glasses, and a bottle of Riesling. This evening promises an enticing composition of new impressions, excellent organ playing, and magnificently sonorous tradition.

Juan de la Rubia, organ

Church of St. Martin

This will be a dazzling performance on our very own queen of instruments! Our guest is the Spaniard Juan de la Rubia, organist at the famous Sagrada Família cathedral in Barcelona. He begins his multifaceted program with the magnificent overture to Handel's 1743 psychological drama "Samson." A superb example of French Renaissance music is Eustache du Caurroy's 1610 Fantasia on the then-popular and enchanting song "Une jeune fillette." Profound emotion stands alongside explosive outbursts in Bach's legendary Chaconne in D minor. Charles Tournemire never wrote down his choral improvisations, such as the one on the Easter sequence "Victimae Paschali Laudes"—they survive only because he recorded them as early as 1930. Jehan Alain, who died young in World War II, wrote impressive variations on a folk song by the 16th-century master Clément Janequin.

Juan de la Rubia

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 8, 2026

Organ concert: Juan de la Rubia · Bamberger Symphoniker

Past events

Aug 31, 2025

Juan de la Rubia, organ · Rheingau Musik Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Organ in Samson (HWV 57) by Handel

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in Four Fantasias on "Une jeune fillette" by Caurroy

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in Improvised Interlude I by Rubia

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 by Bach

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in 5 improvisations by Tournemire

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in Variations on a Theme by Clément Janequin by Alain

Bamberger Symphoniker

Organ in Improvised Interlude II by Rubia

Bamberger Symphoniker

About

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