Agenda 2025
Coverphoto: Silva Manfrè (© Julia Wesely)
Musical Meditations in the Advent 2025
»Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.«
(Mt 11:28)
Every Wednesday | 6:00 PM | Piarist Church of St. Thekla
1040 Vienna, Wiedner Hauptstraße 82
Free admission!
Artistic Direction: Silva Manfrè
3.12.2025
Silva Manfrè Organ
Father Pius Platz Meditation
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Andante
Dieterich Buxtehude Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, Chorale Prelude BuxWV 211
Bernardo Pasquini Pastorale
10.12.2025
Duo Laetus:
Romana Pulvermacher, Guitar
Rosemarie Pulvermacher, Dulcimer
Father Pius Platz Meditation
Program will be announced.
17.12.2025
Martina Steffl Mezzo-soprano
Silva Manfrè Organ
Father Pius Platz Meditation
Johann Sebastian Bach Bereite dich Zion. Arie aus dem Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Suscepit Israel (Aus dem «Magnificat»)
Johann Sebastian Bach Schäme dich, o Seele, nicht. Arie aus der Kantate BWV 147
In times of ever-increasing demands in our professional and daily lives, “Musical Meditations” seeks to offer a haven of peace. In preparation for the upcoming festival, the combination of meditation and music opens a space for reflection and contemplation.
This shared experience creates a mental and artistic sanctuary, allowing individuals to discover their own awareness and artistic connection—both for themselves and within the community—during this time of reflection.
“Musical Meditations” was founded in 1998 by organist Silva Manfrè and Father Pius Platz. It was born from the idea of thematically combining the spoken word with music, reflecting the liturgical themes of Advent and Lent. The performers feature young artists from Austria and around the world. The musical selection ranges from selected works of traditional sacred music to world music, improvisation, and folk music.
Photo © Albert Seitlinger
CD-Release 2023
reviews
F. X. A. Murschhauser: Prototypon Longo-Breve Organicum
Brilliant Classics, 2023
5. Oktober 2023
Johan van Veen | MusicWeb International
»Murschhauser’s music is really good, and Silva Manfrè is a fine organist, who knows how to bring these short pieces to life. Her lively playing, convincing tempi and precise articulation make this a disc that every lover of organ music of the baroque era should add to his collection.« (Johan van Veen)
22. September 2023
Johannes B. Ring | organ – Journal für die Orgel 2023/03
5 von 5 Pfeifen
»Neben Silva Manfrès überzeugender Interpretation der 46 abwechslungsreichen, teilweise sehr kurzen Sätze, die zum einen dem teilweise hohen virtuosen Anspruch der Toccaten, zum anderen der polyphonen Klarheit der Fugen gerecht wird, vermag besonders das Instrument aus Oberösterreich das Gemüt zu ergötzen. […] So kommen F. X. A. Murschhausers beachtenswerte Paradestücke nach zwanzig Jahren (Aeolus, Léon Berben) durch Silva Manfrè und Brilliant Classics zu einer geglückten Neuauflage.« (Johannes B. Ring)
17. Agosto 2023
Andrea Bedetti | MusicVoice
Disco des mese di Agosto 2023 (Giudizio artistico 5/5)
»In breve, è riuscita a rendere visionaria un’opera che sotto la sua interpretazione viene trasfigurata di brano in brano, andando a delinearne quell’arcata complessiva, cogliendone le affinità e le differenze e omogeneizzandole all’interno di un sublime edificio sonoro.« (Andreas Bedetti)
19. July 2023
Wilhelm Sinkovicz | Sinkothek
„Silva Manfrè nutzt die Chancen, die ihr die Freundt/Richter Orgel der ehemaligen Stiftskirche Baumgartenberg bietet. Die Klangfülle und Farbenvielfalt haben die Tontechniker eingefangen und zu einem herrlich sonoren Hörerlebnis gemischt.“
(Wilhelm Sinkovicz)
18. July 2023
Miriam Damev | Neue Platten, FALTER 29/2023
„Der Klang ist selbst auf der heimischen Stereoanlage eine Wucht. Noch besser aber wirkt diese Musik live: Am 1. August spielt Manfrè in der Stiftskirche Baumgartenberg im Rahmen der Donaufestwochen im Strudengau.“ (Miriam Damev)
11. July 2023
Elisabeth Leitner | Kirchenzeitung.at
„Der Klang der Orgel in der ehemaligen Stiftskirche Baumgartenberg ist umwerfend. […]
Die 1662 vom Passauer Orgelbauer Johann Freundt erbaute und 1780 durch den Freistädter Orgelbauer Franz Lorenz Richter umgearbeitete Orgel ist ein Meisterwerk der süddeutschen barocken Orgelkunst. Und die vorliegende CD lässt dies meisterlich „erhören“.“ (Elisabeth Leitner)
5. July 2023
Nomination for the “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” | long list 03/2023
The German Record Critics’ Award presents the third long list of 2023. The currently 156 jurors have nominated a total of 258 new publications from the last quarter in 32 categories, which are eligible for the next Quarterly Critic’s Choice. The Quarterly Critic’s Choice 3/2023 will be published on the 15th of August.
4. July 2023
ORF | Ö1 – Des/Cis
Prototypen liturgischer Orgelmusik
with Marie-Theres Himmler. Organist Silva Manfrè plays Franz Xaver Anton Murschhauser.
Silva Manfrè’s new album is already on the current long list of the German Record Critics’ Award. The CD presentation will take place on August 1st as part of the donauFESTWOCHEN in Strudengau – exactly in the church where Manfrè recorded Murschhauser’s music: the Stiftskirche Baumgartenberg.
CD-Release 2022
Reviews
Ottavio Bariolla | Ricercate per suonar d’organo (1585)
Brilliant Classics, 2022
4. October 2022
RAI | Radio 3 – Primo movimento
Disco BRILLIANT CLASSICS 96376 Ottavio Bariolla (prima del 1573-dopo il 1619)/ RICERCATE PER SONAR D’ORGANO (Milano, 1585)/ Silvia Manfrè, organo (Antegnati, 1565, Mantova)
22. July 2022
ORF | Ö1 – Des/Cis Innovationen anno 1585
mit Marie-Theres Himmler. Silva Manfrè legt die Weltersteinspielung von Ottavio Bariollas “Ricercate per suonar d’Organo” vor.
»Mit großem Entdeckergeist und viel Expertise greift Manfrè die Originalität dieser Ricercata auf .« (Marie-Theres Himmler) Nachzuhören unter »7 Tage Ö1«
25. May 2022
Andrea Bedetti, MusicVoice.it
Silva Manfrè e la musica organistica milanese del Cinquecento.
»La musicista e didatta veronese, che ha recentemente dedicato una registrazione discografica ai Ricercari di Ottavio Bariolla, ci parla in questa intervista della sua passione per la musica d’organo del XVI secolo e del suo prossimo disco con opere del compositore monacense Franz Xaver Anton Murschhauser.
21. May 2022
ORF | Ö1 | Diagonal | Special zum Thema »Orgel – die irre Musikmaschine«
Diagonal über eine Musikmaschine, deren konstruktive Wurzeln in der Antike liegen. Mit Beiträgen von Nicole Dietrich, Katharina Hirschmann, Erich Klein, Thomas Mießgang, Marie-Therese Rudolph und Roman Tschiedl. U. a. mit Ausschnitten aus der CD »Ottavio Bariolla – Ricercate for Organ«
16. May 2022
Andrea Bedetti, MusicVoice.it
L’arte del Ricercare in Ottavio Bariolla
»La raccolta di Bariolla è un concentrato di bellezza musicale, in cui la dimensione estetica si stempera in una ricchezza timbrica che ha pochi eguali nella seconda metà del Cinquecento; necessita di quella che può essere definita una “razionale passione”, ossia la capacità di rendere idealmente le sue superbe geometrie armoniche con un impeto pienamente controllato, immanente. Cosa che Silva Manfrè riesce a fare benissimo, esprimendo sia una dolcezza tenue, altamente sfumata (come accade nei Ricercari secondo, sesto, ottavo), il cui controllo espressivo è a dir poco affascinante, sia un volume esaltante in quei Ricercari la cui potenza sonora aveva il chiaro compito di coinvolgere emotivamente l’assemblea dei fedeli (Ricercari primo, decimo, duodecimo). Ma il meglio, a mio avviso, Ottavio Bariolla e Silva Manfrè lo riservano in quei brani in cui l’equilibrio del tessuto melodico viene alimentato da un alto senso ritmico, capace di sviluppare adeguatamente i raffinati temi inseriti (Ricercari terzo, quarto, quinto, settimo) e la scelta di eseguire questi brani proprio sull’organo Antegnati, oltre che storicamente corretta, è anche azzeccata da un punto di vista del risultato sonoro.
Una registrazione, questa, che farà felici tutti coloro che amano la musica organistica e, in special modo, quella del tardo Rinascimento.«
13. April 2022
Alain Letrun, Clic Musique
Ottavio Bariolla : Ricercate per sonar d’organo. Silva Manfrè
»… on peut se laisser subjuguer par la perception d’une multitude de petits mouvements au sein d’une vaste masse demeurant immobile. Telle ceux des vagues à la surface d’un océan. Silva Manfrè … aborde avec probité ce répertoire dont elle sait restituer la dense texture.«
4. April 2022
CD des Tages (radio klassik Stephansdom, Wien)
Profile
Born in Verona (Italy), Silva Manfrè studied piano, organ and composition at the conservatory of her hometown as well as at the University of Music and Performing Arts of Vienna under Michael Radulescu. She also studied musicology at the Universities of Pavia (I) and Vienna (A). She completed her degree with a thesis on the organ compositions of Arnold Schönberg, Olivier Messiaen und Paul Hindemith. Silva Manfrè attended numerous masterclasses, particularly in historical performance practice, with renowned musicians such as Gaston Litaize, Guy Bovet, Bernard Brauchli, Esteban Elizondo, Harald Vogel, Lorenzo Ghielmi, and Paolo Crivellaro.
Her international concert activities as a soloist and chamber musician have taken her to Italy (including among others the Asiago Festival Internazionale, Festival di Musica Antica di Magnano, Organfestival of Alessandria, Venice, Mantua, Festival Serassi), Austria (such as Wiener Orgelkonzerte, Orgelkonzerte von Jeunesse und ORF / Radio Ö1, „Music for a while. Alte Musik in Bludenz“, »donauFESTWOCHEN im Strudengau«), France (Festival International Orgues d’Été de Bordeaux), Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland (Festival Antegnati – Bellinzona, Rassegna Organistica Valmaggese), Spain, the Principality of Andorra, and Slovenia.
Silva Manfrè has recorded for the Austrian Broadcasting (ORF), radio klassik Stephansdom and the European Broadcasting Union. In 2022, she released Ricercate per sonar d’Organo (1585) by Ottavio Bariolla under Brilliant Classics. This was followed in 2023 by Prototypon longo-breve organicum (1703–1707) by Franz Xaver Anton Murschhauser, which was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award (Longlist 03/2023).
Silva Manfrè has collaborated with contemporary composers such as Michael Radulescu, Wolfgang Sauseng, Karl Schnürl, Paul Koutnik, Victor Estapé, and Pier Damiano Peretti. Since 2018, Silva Manfrè has been teaching master classes in organ, chamber music, and basso continuo at the Festival Musica Antica Magnano in Piedmont (Italy).
Previously serving as organist for the Cappella musicale of Padua Cathedral (Italy), Silva Manfrè has been the organist at St. Thekla Church of the Piarists in Vienna since 1998.
05/2025
Foto: Silva Manfrè (© Julia Wesely)
