INTERNATIONAL BAMBOO ORGAN FESTIVAL

International Bamboo Organ Festival is a ten-day series of cultural

events that highlights the world famous Bamboo Organ created by

 Fray Diego de la Cera in 1824. The instrument's deep and melodious

 sound has been a local attraction of its original home at

St. Joseph Church of the Parish of Las Piñas, Metro Manila.

During the month of February, Las Piñas gathers the best of its local

musicians and international performers to play classic and

contemporary pieces with the bamboo organ. During the performances

 donations are accepted, but are available to the public free of charge.

 The event also highlights the performance of the award-winning

Bamboo Organ choir, the Las Piñas Boys' Choir.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

After its inaugural concert in May 5, 1975 from a triumphant

return to the Philippines two years after a difficult and

complicated restoration work at the Johannes Klais Orgelbau

 factory in Bonn, Germany, the music of the only Bamboo Organ

 in the world was heard again, giving birth to the International

Bamboo Organ Festival the following year. This yearly musical and

cultural event was organized by the Bamboo Organ Foundation

 Inc. and was made possible through the concerted efforts of

people composed mostly of parishioners of the Parish of

St. Joseph which make up the different festival committees and

 through the relentless support of its many corporate sponsors,

sustaining members of the foundation and generous individuals

 who have extended their all out support in the preservation of

this cultural legacy which brought about sterling and brilliant

performances notably from our homegrown talents like the

Las Piñas Boys Choir, Prof. Armando Salarza, titular organist

of the bamboo organ, local choirs, classical artists, orchestras

 and other instrumentalists.

IBOF pursue and enhance the musical tradition for which

Las Piñas is known for, through the historic and world

famous instrument, now one of the Philippines’ national

 treasures – the Bamboo Organ. Though the endearing

 efforts of the Bamboo Organ Foundation, Inc. and volunteer-

parishioners of the Parish of St. Joseph, the foundation

seeks to engage and participate in a significant and enduring

enterprise for the purpose of preservation, maintenance and

 repair for the posterity of the historic musical instrument; to

 financially aid the parish’s cultural, social welfare, religious

and charitable activities and; to enhance and advance the

 spiritual, educational, social and economic well-being of

the people of Las Piñas.

The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ in St. Joseph Parish Church in

Las Piñas City, Philippines, is a nineteenth-century church organ

with unique organ pipes; they are made almost entirely of bamboo.

It was completed in 1824 by Father Diego Cera, the builder of

the town's stone church and its first resident Catholic parish priest.

After age and numerous disasters had rendered the musical

instrument unplayable for a long time, in 1972, the national

government and the local community joined together to have the

organ shipped to Germany for restoration. For its anticipated

return in 1975, the home church of the bamboo organ and the

surrounding buildings were restored to their 19th-century state by

ArchitectsFrancisco Mañosa and partner Ludwig Alvarez in time for

 its scheduled return. The annual International Bamboo Organ

Festival, a music festival of classical music was started to celebrate

 the music of the reborn instrument and its unique sound.

Since 1992, Prof. Armando V. Salarza has been the titular organist

of the Bamboo Organ. He is also the Artistic Director of the

 International Bamboo Organ Festival, now the longest-running

annual international music festival held in the country.

The organ is declared a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines

 in 2004. The St. Joseph Parish Church, the church museum at

the old convent house, and the famous organ is a popular tourist

destination for Filipinos and foreign visitors alike in Las Piñas.

HISTORY