ALLEGANY, N.Y. — A renowned musical conductor’s deep Catholic faith has turned into a remarkable gift to St. Bonaventure University.
Fabio Luisi, the former principal conductor of New York’s Metropolitan Opera, has written a Mass to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Saint Bonaventure’s birth.
The composition will premiere within the liturgical Mass at St. Bonaventure University’s campus chapel at 5 p.m. Sept. 17. The Mass is free and open to the public.
Two days later, the New York City premiere of the Luisi Mass (in concert form only) will be held at 5:30 p.m. at The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum.
When approached three years ago by the university about possibly commissioning a Mass, Luisi – whose wife, Barbara Luisi, opened a fine arts photography exhibition at the university’s Quick Center for the Arts in 2013 – politely declined to enter into any sort of financial negotiation.
“I will compose this Mass for God; I will not ask for any money,” Luisi told Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., then president of St. Bonaventure. Luisi accepted only travel expenses to attend the premiere.
Sr. Margaret felt that Luisi’s gracious gift and the upcoming eighth centenary of Bonaventure’s birth were perfectly aligned and suggested to Luisi that the Mass be performed to honor the anniversary.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, with guests from St. Bonaventure University under the direction of Adam Luebke, will perform together with a chamber ensemble from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, two vocal soloists (soprano and baritone) and a recitant.
The recitant will be Broadway star Michel Bell, a 1995 Tony Award nominee for “Show Boat.”
The Mass liturgy will be sung in Latin, with the texts of Saint Bonaventure recited in an English translation by Fr. Dominic Monti, O.F.M., a prominent church and Franciscan historian and former president of St. Bonaventure University. Fr. Dominic, who teaches in the university’s renowned Franciscan Institute, is a member of Holy Name Province, one of the university’s founding provinces.
