Apulia Antiqua 2026 | Segnali sonori con Francesco Di Lernia e Carlo Torlontano

A rare and captivating musical event will take place on Sunday, April 12 at 7:30 PM at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Monopoli, where the concert “Sound Signals” will offer the audience a unique listening experience, based on the dialogue between the organ and the Alpine horn, an ancient and fascinating instrument that is still relatively uncommon today. The evening's protagonists, part of the “Contrappunti d’organo” series, which is part of the traveling festival Apulia Antiqua directed by Giovanni Rota, will be two exceptional performers: Francesco Di Lernia, one of the most esteemed Italian organists, also renowned for his intense musicological activity, and Carlo Torlontano, internationally recognized as one of the top virtuosos of the Alpine horn. Together, they form the duo Alphorn & Organ, which has contributed, through its performances at numerous international festivals and events over the past few years, to the dissemination and enhancement of an original repertoire.

The event is distinguished by a program that combines tradition and contemporary elements, enhancing both original repertoire and transcriptions for this unusual formation. “Sound Signals” is therefore anticipated as a highly appealing event, capable of merging timbral research, tradition, and experimentation, offering the audience an extraordinary sonic journey.

The musical journey unfolds through evocative and highly suggestive pieces: from the traditional “In den Alpen” to “Silent Mountains” by Rainer Bartesch, from Anton Zimmermann's “Sinfonia Pastoritia” to Arcangelo Corelli's “Concerto X op. VI in C Major,” presented in an adaptation for organ by Di Lernia himself. Completing the program are “The Great Horn of Helm” by Giovanni D’Aquila, a selection from “Contrastes” by Denis Bédard, and the “Sinfonia pastorella” by Leopold Mozart, the father of the great Amadeus.

Carlo Torlontano, a professor at the Conservatory of Pescara, after a prestigious career as the principal horn player with the Rai Orchestra and the San Carlo Theatre in Naples, has embarked on an artistic path dedicated to the Alpine horn, quickly establishing himself on international stages. His performances have taken him to some of the most important concert halls in the world, including the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as numerous cities across Europe, Asia, and America.

Alongside him, Francesco Di Lernia boasts a forty-year career in the main international festivals, with prestigious collaborations, including with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Wiener Akademie, and the Orchestra of Padua and Veneto. Also active in the publishing and recording fields, he is an organ professor at the “Umberto Giordano” Conservatory in Foggia, which he directed from 2011 to 2017.