The world-renowned Hungarian organist, improviser, composer and lecturer Xaver Varnus delighted a large international audience in a packed Zadar Cathedral and brought the third edition of the International Organ Festival “Organs of St Anastasia” to a close with a magnificent improvisation on the Hymn to St Anastasia.

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International audience fills Zadar Cathedral

On Sunday, 20 September, Xaver Varnus brought the Third International Organ Festival “Organs of St Anastasia” to a close. The eleventh and final concert of this year’s Festival was held in a packed Cathedral of St Anastasia before a large international audience, with visitors queuing before the concert to attend this special musical event.

Alongside visitors from Zadar and other parts of Croatia, the concert was attended by numerous guests from abroad, including Italy, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia. We were particularly delighted to welcome Scott Maloy, who travelled from Canada especially for the concert, as well as Jacopo Agnelli from Italy and Dr Ferenc Wiesler and his wife, Dr Edit Tilinger, from Hungary. Their attendance, together with that of visitors from many other countries, confirms the Festival’s growing international recognition and the appeal of organ music in the unique setting of Zadar Cathedral.

A magnificent improvisation on the Hymn to St Anastasia

Xaver Varnus captivated the audience with his exceptional interpretative power, technical mastery and richness of sound, revealing the magnificent capabilities of the Cathedral’s great organ. The programme featured works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor, offering the audience a diverse and engaging musical experience while showcasing the full splendour of the Zadar Cathedral organ.

The highlight of the evening was Varnus’s improvisation on the theme of the “Hymn to St Anastasia”, performed in honour of the titular saint of Zadar Cathedral and the heavenly patroness of the Archdiocese of Zadar, after whom the Festival proudly takes its name. During the improvisation, which lasted more than sixteen minutes, the familiar melody gradually unfolded into a magnificent musical fresco, filling the Cathedral with a powerful and solemn sound. It was a unique and unrepeatable musical tribute to St Anastasia and a memorable conclusion to both the concert and the entire festival season. The audience rewarded the artist with prolonged applause and a standing ovation.

As a token of gratitude and a lasting memento of his first performance in Zadar, Xaver Varnus was presented with a statue of St Anastasia, a certificate of appreciation and flowers. He then addressed the audience, expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome and the exceptional atmosphere that marked this special evening.

An artist with an impressive international career

Born in Budapest, Xaver Varnus knew from the age of six that he would devote his life to music. His first piano teacher was Emma Németh, one of Claude Debussy’s last pupils. Throughout his exceptional international career, he has performed on some of the world’s most famous organs, including those of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Berlin Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and St Thomas Church in Leipzig.

As an organist, improviser, writer and lecturer, he has made a significant contribution to popularising organ music, performing before more than seven million listeners worldwide. He has recorded 53 albums and 60 concert films, while his performances on YouTube have received tens of millions of views. Today, he also serves as the artistic director of his own international music festival in Nova Scotia, Canada, and has received numerous awards for his artistic and cultural contribution.

Get to Know Xaver Varnus Through an Interview

To mark his first performance in Zadar, an interview was recorded in which audiences can learn more about Xaver Varnus, his musical journey and international career, as well as his relationship with the organ and the art of improvisation.

A festival season marked by outstanding concerts and educational programmes

The fourth edition of the International Organ Festival “Organs of St Anastasia” has been announced for 2027, featuring its most extensive programme to date. It will comprise as many as 18 concerts, the continuation of educational programmes and organ masterclasses, as well as a new edition of the international Church Music Week seminar. By the opening of the fourth edition of the Festival, the great organ of Zadar Cathedral is expected to shine in renewed splendour, with enhanced tonal possibilities that will open a new chapter for organ music in Zadar Cathedral.

The educational programmes will be held with the approval of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of the Republic of Croatia. The knowledge acquired and the certificates of participation awarded to attendees will support their further professional and formal education, as well as their career advancement.

A particularly significant new initiative will be the first international organ competition, “The Anastasia Organ Grand Prix – International Grand Prix of St Anastasia for Organists”. The competition rules, application requirements and further details will be published in due course on the Ars Organi Zadar Association’s website.

Thanks to partners, collaborators and audiences

The organisers expressed their gratitude to the Archdiocese of Zadar, the Parish Office of St Anastasia, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Zadar County, the City of Zadar and the Zadar Tourist Board, as well as to all donors, sponsors, artists, collaborators, volunteers and media representatives who contributed to the organisation and promotion of the Festival’s programmes.

Above all, heartfelt thanks were extended to the audience, whose faithful support continued throughout the entire season. Their attendance, encouragement and love of music give meaning to everything the Ars Organi Association does and remain the greatest inspiration for the Festival’s continued development and enrichment.

Xaver Varnus’s concert brought an exceptionally successful festival season to a close—a season marked by outstanding artistic performances, valuable educational programmes and encounters between musicians and audiences from Croatia and abroad. The powerful impression left by his performance and the audience’s enthusiastic response provided a fitting conclusion to the third edition of the International Organ Festival “Organs of St Anastasia” and opened the way for new festival achievements.