A program of ten events between Milan Cathedral and the Church of San Gottardo in Corte for a year of great music. Free admission with mandatory reservation
The Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae inaugurates its concert season for the year 2026.
After the celebrations dedicated to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina that marked 2025, the vocal ensemble, established by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo for concert activities based on study and research, with a particular focus on Renaissance music, continues its work of promoting the sacred repertoire with A 2026 calendar of ten concerts ranging from Renaissance polyphony to Baroque masterpieces.
The series benefits from the collaboration of the Officium Musicum instrumental Ensemble and the laBarocca instrumental and vocal ensemble, with Monsignor Massimo Palombella S.D.B. and Ruben Jais alternating on the podium.
The performances, conducted according to philological criteria and based on new critical editions, will take place in the symbolic venues of cultural events in the shadow of the spires: the Church of San Gottardo in Corte, the cultural centre of the “Scuola della Cattedrale”, and the naves of Milan Cathedral.
The scheduled events are part of the “Scuola della Cattedrale”, a series of in-depth studies conceived and directed by the Archpriest of the Cathedral, Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo. In this context, listening to music becomes a path of knowledge and spirituality.
Regarding the value of the proposal, Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo emphasises: «The repertoire that the Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae and its partner orchestras are about to explore represents not only the pinnacle of human creativity, but a true ‘sound exegesis’ of the Word. In Marenzio’s counterpoint, in the severity of de Victoria or in the genius of Bach, musical form becomes visible—indeed, audible—theology. To approach these pages is to rediscover how beauty can serve as a conduit of Truth, leading the listener into a dimension where art and faith engage in a supreme synthesis, capable of speaking to the heart of contemporary humanity with the same power it held centuries ago.»
GREAT MASTERPIECES IN THE CATHEDRAL BY TOMÁS LUIS DE VICTORIA AND JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
While the “Scuola della Cattedrale” favours intimate dialogue and in-depth exploration, the season reaches its artistic peak with a series of extraordinary concerts at Milan Cathedral. These are monumental productions that will bring together all the musical forces in the field (Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, laBarocca, Officium Musicum) for the performance of important works in the history of music.
These concerts represent the beating heart of the season, offering the city a listening experience of rare intensity in the architectural and spiritual context of the Cathedral.
All events are free of charge, but booking is required.
You can book your place shortly before each concert by visiting the website duomomilano.it.
THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAMME FOR THE 2026 CONCERT SEASON
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Thursday, 22 January 2026, 7.30 p.m. – Church of San Gottardo in Corte
In hoc anni circulo. Luca Marenzio’s motets for the feasts of the whole year (Motecta Festorum totius anni cum communi sanctorum, quaternis vocibus [Rome, apud Alexandrum Gardanum, 1585]). Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Massimo Palombella.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday, 26 February 2026, 7:00 p.m. – Church of San Gottardo in Corte
Antonio Vivaldi, Le quattro stagioni. Concerti per violino, archi e basso continuo (RV 269, 293, 297, 315 [Op. 8, n. 1-4]). Ensemble strumentale Officium Musicum, direttore: Ruben Jais.
Per informazioni: [email protected].
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Thursday 19 March 2026, 7.30 p.m. – Cathedral (Ferial Chapel)
Ecce Rex vester. The Passion of Jesus in the Office of Holy Week by Tomás Luis de Victoria (Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae [Romae, apud Alexandrum Gardanum, 1585]). Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Massimo Palombella.
For information: [email protected]
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Wednesday 1 April 2026, 7.30 p.m. – Milan Cathedral
Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Passion (BWV 245). LaBarocca instrumental and vocal ensemble, Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Ruben Jais.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday, 21 May 2026, 7.30 p.m. – Milan Cathedral
Johann Sebastian Bach, Mass in B minor for soloists, choir and orchestra (BWV 232). LaBarocca instrumental and vocal ensemble, Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Ruben Jais.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday, 25 June 2026, 7:00 p.m. – Church of San Gottardo in Corte
Giacomo Carissimi, Historia Ionae; Claudio Monteverdi, Mass for four voices, (SV 257, from Selva morale e spirituale). Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Ruben Jais.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday 24 September 2026, 7 p.m. – Church of San Gottardo in Corte
Nova et vetera. The Missa cum iubilo in polyphony alternating with Gregorian chant. Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Massimo Palombella.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday, 22 October 2026, 7:00 p.m. – Church of San Gottardo in Corte
Music between Milan and Rome: Giovanni Battista Sammartini and Arcangelo Corelli. Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, conductor: Ruben Jais.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday, 26 November 2026, 7.30 p.m. – Cathedral (Ferial Chapel)
Tomás Luis de Victoria, Missa pro defunctis (Missarum libri duo quae partim quaternis, partim quinis, partim senis, concinuntur vocibus. Missa pro defunctis quatuor vocibus [Romae, ex typographia Dominici Basae, 1583]). Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductor: Massimo Palombella.
For information: [email protected].
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Thursday 17 December 2026, time to be confirmed – Milan Cathedral
Christmas Concert. LaBarocca instrumental and vocal ensemble, Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae, conductors: Massimo Palombella and Ruben Jais.
For information: [email protected].
BIOGRAPHIES
Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae
Established by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano with the aim of promoting and supporting young professionals at an international level, this group is specifically dedicated to concert performances based on study and research. It is recognised for its methodological rigour and quality of research, with a specialisation in the Renaissance repertoire.
laBarocca instrumental and vocal Ensemble
laBarocca instrumental and vocal Ensemble boasts a rich repertoire, ranging from late Renaissance compositions to 18th-century classical works. Great Baroque masterpieces such as Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christmas and Easter Oratorios, which are performed annually, have become traditional events for the city of Milan during the respective festive seasons. The instrumental and vocal ensemble laBarocca regularly collaborates with internationally renowned artists such as Stefano Montanari, Karina Gauvin, Roberta Invernizzi, Sonya Yoncheva, Deborah York, Maria Grazia Schiavo, Celine Scheen, Lenneke Ruiten, Stefanie Iranyi, José Maria Lo Monaco, Sonia Prina, Filippo Mineccia, David Hansen, Paolo Lopez, Cyril Auvity, Makoto Sakurada, Clemens Loeschmann, Randall Bolls, Christian Senn, Benoit Arnould, Klaus Kuttler, Carlo Vincenzo Allemano, and Ugo Guagliardo.
Officium Musicum Cultural Association
The Officium Musicum instrumental ensemble, which is part of the cultural association of the same name, performs and interprets works primarily from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, without excluding later periods. The individual musicians have diverse and rich academic and professional backgrounds, having successfully completed their training mainly at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music and the Claudio Abbado Civic School of Music in Milan, the two most important academic institutions in the Lombard capital. In addition to the pride of being young, some of them already have important experiences in their CVs, having taken part in events both in Italy and abroad, in venues and musical groups of international renown.
Massimo Palombella
Born in Turin in 1967, he was ordained a priest for the Salesian Congregation in 1996. Founder and Conductor of the Interuniversity Choir of Rome, he worked in university pastoral care in the Diocese of Rome from 1995 to 2010. He taught Sacramental Theology, Eschatology and “Music and Liturgy” at the Pontifical Salesian University and at the “Guido Cantelli” Conservatory in Novara, during the two-year specialisation course in Sacred Music, Composition for the Liturgy, Roman Polyphony and Sacred Music Legislation. He also taught Languages of Music at La Sapienza University in Rome. He taught Liturgy at the Turin Conservatory and the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. From 1998 to 2010, he edited the music magazine for liturgy ‘Armonia di Voci’ (Harmony of Voices), published by ElleDiCi. From 2010 to 2019, he was Maestro Director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and reconfirmed in 2015 by Pope Francis. Under his direction, the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir began recording exclusively with the Deutsche Grammophon label, winning the 2016 Echo Klassik award in the Choral Recording of the Year category for the CD Cantate Domino. The Sistine Chapel and the music of the Popes’. From 2021 until June 2025, he held the position of Maestro Director of the Milan Cathedral Music Chapel which, under his direction, not only ensured the completeness of the Ambrosian chant for all liturgical celebrations, but also became a regular feature in concert reviews and was called to the Teatro alla Scala on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, for the performance of the Missa Papae Marcelli.
Since June 2025, he has been Superintendent of Musical Heritage at the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano.
Ruben Jais
Born in Milan, while attending university he also studied music at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music, graduating with honours in Choral Music and Choir Conducting and in Polyphonic Vocal Composition. He also graduated in Composition from the same Conservatory, where he also studied Orchestral Conducting, later perfecting his skills with masterclasses abroad. He was Choir Master at the Milan Symphony Choir from its foundation in 1998 until 2007. In this role, he collaborated with R. Gandolfi, R. Chailly, C. Abbado, L. Berio, O. Caetani, C. P. Flor, C. Hogwood, V. Jurowski and H. Rilling. From June 2016 to July 2019, he was Artistic Director and Executive Director of the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra and Choir Foundation in Milan, where he held the positions of General Manager and Artistic Director. His repertoire ranges from the great masterpieces of Baroque music to those of classical music (symphonies and sacred music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven), as well as the rediscovery of lesser-known pieces by composers from the 16th to the 19th centuries (Zelenka, Scarlatti, Durante, Sammartini, etc.). He conducts contemporary music, especially by Italian composers, from Castiglioni to Zanolini, from Anzaghi to Nova, from Ligeti to Messiaen, from Califano to Vacchi.
In 2008, he founded the Ensemble Strumentale e Vocale laBarocca, an ensemble specialising in the performance of music from this historical period, with which he tackles the major masterpieces of both the instrumental and operatic repertoire: since 2009, the Ensemble Strumentale e Vocale laBarocca has accompanied the Foundation’s Seasons with a series of concerts dedicated to masterpieces from the 16th to 18th centuries, both on and off site. He has conducted instrumental, choral and symphonic music at various Italian and foreign institutions, such as the Venice Biennale, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Milano Musica, Teatro alla Scala, RTSI Lugano, Festival di Saint Moritz, Teatro Real di Madrid, Orchestra Nacional de Chile and UiS Stavanger Norway. He was Music Director of the Mailänder Kantorei, an ensemble linked to the German community in Milan, with which he devoted himself mainly to the repertoire of that country, from Baroque to Romanticism, also tackling the complete performance of J.S. Bach’s sacred cantatas. Of particular note are several important events in which he has featured alongside the ensemble laBarocca. In 2016, he made his debut at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London, where he has been invited back several times, regularly participated in the MITO Festival with concerts in Milan and Turin, inaugurated the restored Teatro Gerolamo, where he performs annually, and participated in other important international festivals such as the Enescu Festival (Bucharest) and the Gluck Festival (Nuremberg). He will soon take part in a second Italian tour organised by CIDIM, which will involve various Italian cities from north to south.
Since November 2023, he has held the position of Superintendent of the Toscanini Foundation.
