Neither petite or particularly solemn, Gioachino Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle was composed in 1863, 34 years after his retirement as a wildly succesful composer of opera. Even though Rossini later orchestrated this work (partly out of fears that someone else would orchestrate it anyway), Petite Messe Solennelle will be presented in Rossini’s preferred and unusual original scoring for piano and harmonium, with the newly installed organ at the Templo filling in for the harmonium. This unique masterpiece abounds in operatic writing for the soloists as well as ingenious and virtuosic writing for the chorus. Eight outstanding graduates of the Bel Canto Institute San Miguel will join Chorale San Miguel as featured soloists, including some of the finest singers of Mexico recruited from accross the country. Soloists include sopranos Yamel Domort & Erika López, mezzosopranos Diana Peralta & Vanessa Jara, tenors Mario Canela & Alonso Sicairos, basses Luis Briones & Juan Carlos Villalobos.

Other featured performers include Mauro Ledesma conducrting the Rossini, as well as pianist Malcolm Halliday and organist Rogelio Alvarez Meneses. The concert will begin with the Hymne, op. 78 of the Belgian composer Joseph Jongen for harmonium and piano. The concert includes an intermission and shoyuld end around 7 PM.