Misteria Paschalia, a festival of music for Holy Week and Easter, opens in Krakow with Capella della Pieta de Turchini under Antonio Florio performing a selection of works typical of Neapolitan Baroque, focusing around Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.

The festival has brought together such leading ensembles as Il Giardino Armonico, La Venexiana, Accademia Bizantina, Europa Galante, Cappella della Pietà de' Turchini and Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble and prominent conductors including Marc Minkowski, Fabio Biondi, Giovanni Antonini and Christina Pluhar.

The highlights of the festival include a musical recollection of the journey undertaken by the 16th-century monk Francis Xavier – a unique project by the Catalonian musician Jordi Savall, with the participation of Montserrat Figueras, soloists from La Capella Reial de Catalunya, members of Hespèrion XXI and Japanese musicians playing on exotic instruments.

The concerts are held in the historic churches of Kraków and the city’s Philharmonic Hall. One of the event’s attractions is a concert in St Kinga’s Chapel of the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. The Festival lasts until Easter Monday.

Since its launch seven years ago, Misteria Paschalia has developed into one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe. (mk)