Music and songs in honor of Saint Francis, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of his death.
On March 26, 2026, the concert “A Sun Was Born into the World – Music and Song in the Name of Saint Francis” was held at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This musical event was dedicated to the figure and universal message of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The event was organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing and the Italian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, in collaboration with the Catholic Church in Mongolia – Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar.
The concert’s title recalls Dante Alighieri’s famous verse in Paradise, where the Supreme Poet describes the birth of Francis as the rising of a sun on humanity.
This image inspired the musical program, conceived as a journey through the Middle Ages and the contemporary era, bringing together diverse musical traditions and distant cultures. Through Franciscan lauds, medieval chants, and pieces from the European and Mediterranean traditions, the concert offered a musical journey dedicated to the central themes of the Franciscan message: brotherhood among men, respect for nature, harmony between humanity and creation, and ultimately, peace.
The initiative, opened by greetings from Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, the Italian Ambassador, Giovanna Piccarreta, and the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Federico Roberto Antonelli, is part of the celebrations for the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226–2026) promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The protagonists of the concert were:
Valentina Volpe Andreazza, mezzo-soprano
Stefano Salvatori, piano
And with the participation of Onon Enkbath who accompanied the introductory reading of the Franciscan concert by playing the traditional Mongolian instrument Morin Khuur.
The program included music from the Laudario di Cortona, songs from the medieval European tradition, and pieces by composers with a contemporary musical sensibility, including Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani, and Nicola Piovani, in a dialogue between spirituality, tradition, and modernity.
The event was attended by representatives of local authorities and the diplomatic corps, as well as over one hundred people from the local community passionate about Italian music and culture.
News source: Embassy of Italy Ulaanbaatar
