Elected pope at thirty-seven, Giovanni de’ Medici – Leo X (r. 1513-1521) – presided over one of the most resplendent courts of worship and art in the Renaissance. His reputation as a champion of sacred music reached far beyond Rome, prompting composers and court across Europe to prepare works and volumes of music in his honor. This program brings together magnificent choral music heard in the pope’s presence and music offered to him from afar, from radiant sacred polyphony to the intimate lute artistry of Francesco da Milano, evoking the sacred beauty that animated his brief but consequential papacy.

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Both programs are generously sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute.