Kent Nagano conducts the world premiere of Yvonne Loriod’s »La Sainte Face« at Musikfest Berlin (September 2026)

On September 5, Kent Nagano will conduct the WDR Symphony Orchestra at the Berliner Festspiele. The program features Alex Nantes’ Eine feste Burg, Jean-Claude Touches’ Trois pièces pour orgue, Jehan Ariste Alain’s Première and Deuxième fantaisie, and the world premiere of Yvonne Loriod’s La Sainte Face. Yvonne Loriod, the wife of Olivier Messiaen, was born in 1924 and was a pianist and piano teacher. The WDR Sinfonieorchester and Kent Nagano will perform one of her numerous orchestral compositions for the very first time: La Sainte Face, a 15-movement musical description of the saint’s face for soprano and orchestra.

Program‍
‍Alex Nante (*1992)
‍‍Ein feste Burg (2025)
‍‍composition for orchestra over Johann Sebastian Bach’s chorale BWV 302
‍‍Jean-Claude Touche (1926–1944)
‍Trois pièces pour orgue (1940s)
‍Pastorale
‍‍Elévation‍
‍Thème et variations sur Veni Creator‍
‍Jehan Ariste Alain (1911–1940)‍
‍Première fantaisie (1943)
‍‍Deuxième fantaisie (1939)‍
‍for Organ‍
‍Yvonne Loriod (1924–2010)‍
‍La Sainte Face (1945)
‍‍Contemplations for soloists and orchestra‍
‍World premiere

WDR Sinfonieorchester
‍‍Kent Nagano – conductor
‍Henry Fairs – organ
‍Sarah Aristidou – soprano
‍Wendy Vo Cong Tri – flute
‍Emily Hoile – harp