Being a unique instrument reputed to be the oldest in the world, the Bamboo Organ shall be played by Russian, Austrian, and Filipino artists in concertos primed to provide a kind of music beyond human imagination.

Feb. 2 begins an 8-day festival in the old church of Las Piñas, in the church sacristy that has been home to a nation’s "Treasure" for centuries.

Carefully kept in its old location since it was built in 1816 by Diego Cera, an altar boy from Spain, who breathed life into and nurtured the Bamboo Organ that was, centuries later, become a national pride.

The altar boy later became the parish priest of the church of Las Piñas, 10 kilometers south of Manila, that was to be the permanent home of the Bamboo Organ.

Since its construction in the early 18th century, the unique bamboo instrument has survived a a world war, typhoons, earthquakes and other natural disasters over the centuries, and has since seen several renovations.

The earthquake that struck in 1880 saw the destruction not only of the Las Piñas church, but also of the musical instrument whose pipes were filled with stones and water that flowed into the organ case.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, not a single musical note drifted from the Bamboo Organ for many, many years.

The bamboo pipes were then kept in the old sacristy until 1917 amid several attempts to save it.

Finally, in 1973 the Bamboo Organ was shipped to Bonn, Germany, for total restoration undertaken by Johannes Klais Orgelbau and in 1975, was brought back, fully restored, in a triumphant homecoming to the waiting arms of a proud people.

Today, the Bamboo Organ is a towering monument of faith, the Philippines’ Bamboo Organ, an inspiration of students of music lovers and concert organists.

Msgr. Albert Venus, Las Piñas parish priest, reports a parade of European masters, artists, and performers who have performed in New York and prestigious concert halls around the world visiting the Bamboo Organ, an instrument they have hailed as among the world’s musical attractions.

Last year’s festival drew droves of music lovers to listen to the powerful performance of Luc Ponet, a Belgian master and concert organist who said that it has become the dream of every artist in the world to be invited to be a part of the Bamboo Organ yearly celebration.

This year, the sterling performance of famous world-renowned organ maestros will spearhead the 31st invitational gala concert aimed at honoring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on his 250th birthday.

Ms. Luva Shiskhanova from Russia and Dr. Johann Trummer, from Austria are the featured guest organists to play Mozart’s church sonatas with the full compliment of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Eugene Castillo.

Ms. Shishkahanova is head of the Conservatory of Music at the University of Moscow, while the other famous master organist Dr. Trummer, is a priest who heads the University of Music in Graz, Austria.

Their repertoire will include special selections from the eternal works of Mozart, Haydn, Bach and Theodore Dubois as master organists.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers lead accompanying Filipino soloists Katrina Saporsantos, Rogelio Penaverde, Jr., Jai Sabas Aracama, and Noel Azcona.

The festival’s closing concert will highlight the major choral setting of Dubois’ "Seven Last Words of Christ," and providing contrast will be Haydn"s "Mass HXXII;" "6 in G Major," popularly known as the "Missa Sancti Nicolai" and "Missa St. Josephi."

The 8-day festival’s repertoire will offer classical concertos written by the great masters so that future generations of music lovers can bask in the timelessness of classical music on an instrument that is not found anywhere else in the world.