On 1st March 2026 at 18:00, inside the serene Saint Peter's Abbey Church in the heart of Ghent — a jewel of Belgium Baroque church architecture renowned for its excellent acoustics — Red Events & Distribution Ltd presents a luminous Belgium premiere — Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, performed by the worldwide-acclaimed Belgian ensemble La Chapelle Sauvage under the direction of Karel De Wilde, featuring soprano Abigail Barker and countertenor Gleb Zakharov as soloists, both from London, UK.
Written in the final weeks of Pergolesi’s life and premiered after his death, Stabat Mater has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful works of the Baroque era — a piece whose emotional radiance transcends time, faith, and genre.
A hymn of sorrow and celestial beauty, it has inspired composers from Bach to Vivaldi, and performers from Montserrat Caballé and Barbara Hendricks to other legendary interpreters as Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Philippe Jaroussky, Nathalie Stutzmann, and Andreas Scholl — artists whose performances over the past century have elevated Pergolesi’s masterpiece to the highest international acclaim.
This one-night-only Belgium premiere offers a rare opportunity to experience three sections of Pergolesi’s masterpiece exactly as it would have sounded in his own time — performed in the authentic church, in lower, warmer tuning which lends the music a darker, more velvety colour.
The concert organisers are the creative agency RED EVENTS & Distribution ltd, which makes exceptional cultural events in ancient mansions, on rooftops, in greenhouses and in other most atmospheric venues of Europe, Great Britain, Azerbaijan, Georgia and other countries. Also in the repertoire – a collection of concerts by candlelight and with complete immersion in the space of video art and sound.
🎟️ Doors open 30 minutes before the concert.
Out of respect for guests and performers, late entry may not be permitted. We recommend arriving in advance.
⏳ Duration: approx. 70 minutes (without interval)
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi — Stabat Mater (Complete performance, approx. 40 minutes)
Additional baroque selections by La Chapelle Sauvage will complete the evening.
