This year, St. John Cantius Church celebrates the 100th anniversary of its Casavant organ. Before being installed at the parish, this magnificent four-manual, 3,902-pipe organ served for 87 years at St. James Methodist Episcopal Church on Ellis Avenue at Forty-sixth Street in Chicago.
To commemorate the first century of this remarkable instrument, a series of events has been planned from February through November 2026, including organ recitals performed by distinguished guest organists.
As part of the celebrations, the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and St. John Cantius Church will present a concert by Andrea Macinanti, internationally acclaimed Italian organist, on October 11 at 3:00 PM at the Church of Saint John Cantius.
Bio
Born in Bologna, Macinanti studied at the Conservatories of Bologna and Parma before pursuing advanced studies in Munich with Klemens Schnorr. He is currently Professor of Organ at the “G. B. Martini” Conservatory of Music in Bologna and maintains an active international concert career.
His discography, released primarily by the Tactus label, focuses extensively on Italian organ repertoire and includes complete recordings of works by Ottorino Respighi, Lorenzo Perosi, and Marco Enrico Bossi. He has also contributed to the study and publication of Italian keyboard repertoire through critical editions and scholarly research.
A member of the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna, Macinanti was appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by President Sergio Mattarella in recognition of his contribution to the arts and culture.