GP da Palestrina – Missa Papae Marcelli

Project idea

The project is dedicated to the commemoration of the five centuries since the birth of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, a composer whose music embodied the spirit of Renaissance humanism and laid the foundations of Western European sacred polyphony. Through the performance of his most famous work, Missa Papae Marcelli, we want to revive the sound of Renaissance Italy and present the audience with music that still exudes peace, clarity and hope today.

Artistic vision

The Missa Papae Marcelli was composed around 1562 and is considered one of the most important sacred works in the history of music. Legend has it that it was this mass that “saved” polyphonic church music at the time of the Council of Trent, proving that polyphony could be both artistically sublime and clearly understandable in a liturgical context.
Our goal is to offer the audience not only a concert, but also a spiritual encounter with Renaissance ideals of beauty, harmony, and faith.

Performing team

The project is performed by the Continuo ensemble, a chamber vocal ensemble specializing in sacred and Renaissance music. The ensemble is made up of young musicians from the Herzegovina region – from Stolac to Široki Brijeg – academically educated artists who have decided to stay in their region, contribute to the development of culture and enrich the community to which they belong.
The performance features 14 academic musicians under the artistic direction of Don Dragan Filipović.

Place and time

The first concert will be held on November 16, 2025, in the Church of St. Matthew in Mostar. Special attention will be paid to the acoustic and visual authenticity of the performance, so that the audience can experience the atmosphere of Renaissance liturgy.

Cultural significance

The performance of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli is an exceptional cultural and artistic event of significance for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region. It is one of the most important works of Renaissance sacred music – a composition that shaped the history of European music and laid the foundations for the modern understanding of polyphony.

The premiere performance of this monumental work in Herzegovina has a multi-layered value: it is a bridge between cultural heritages, a testimony to the universal language of music, and proof that in our region there is a need and ability to perform the most demanding musical works of the Western tradition. With this concert, Mostar and Herzegovina are positioned on the cultural map of Europe as a space in which art of the highest aesthetic and spiritual value is nurtured.

The project brings together local artists and affirms the idea of cultural revival – the return of art that ennobles, enlightens and encourages togetherness. In a time when cultural values are often suppressed, this performance becomes a symbol of resistance to superficiality and proof that lasting values can be reborn through dedicated work and artistic excellence.

Palestrina's mass is not just a concert – it is an act of cultural self-awareness, a call to mindfulness and a testimony that the music that shaped the spirituality of an entire civilization can live and grow in Herzegovina as well.

The project is being carried out within the framework of the association "Cultural Revival", which brings together artists and musicians from all over Herzegovina with the aim of renewing cultural awareness, encouraging musical excellence and strengthening the identity of the region through art. The association shows that Herzegovina is not only a place of natural beauty and rich history, but also a vibrant center of spirituality, creativity and cultural vitality.

Supporting this project means investing in the cultural identity of Herzegovina and Bosnia and Herzegovina – in creating a positive image of a region that knows how to preserve its heritage, but also bravely create something new.
This performance is not just a concert; it is a symbol of the cultural awakening of Herzegovina, proof that even on this rocky ground, art can speak with light, strength, and hope.