With the Neocatechumenal Way Orchestra, conducted by Tomáš Hanus
June 19, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Loreto, and June 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Macerata
A choral symphony and a symphonic poem for piano, choir, and orchestra that evoke the sorrow of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross and the passion of her Son, Christ. *The Suffering of the Innocents, The Messiah* is a symphonic work by Kiko Argüello.
A double tribute to the Virgin Mary that the Spanish composer will present on June 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the square of the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto, and on June 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sferisterio Arena in Macerata, the city of Mary and of the great apostle to China, Father Matteo Ricci.
A Spanish painter and co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way alongside Carmen Hernández, Kiko has dedicated his artistic vocation to the service of the Church and the Liturgy: painting, architecture expressed through sacred art as a reflection of God’s light, and also music—a powerful and mysterious spiritual language—as a means of proclaiming the Gospel to contemporary people.
His artistic works, his writings, and his two symphonic compositions are the expression of a new aesthetic aimed at helping humanity lift its spirit toward God. His music, in a unique way, evokes profound spiritual inspiration and emotions that lead into the realm of the mystery of beauty. A vision of art as an expression of beauty and as a loving relationship between humanity and God, in the service of the New Evangelization.
The Suffering of the Innocents, The Messiah: The Mystery of Christ and His Mother in Music
To perform his musical works, Kiko founded the Neocatechumenal Way Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Conducted by Tomáš Hanus, principal guest conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and a renowned and prestigious figure in the contemporary music scene, the NWSO is a traveling missionary orchestra composed of musicians from Italy, Spain, and other countries who freely offer their talents in service to the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Suffering of the Innocents is the first symphony composed by Kiko; it consists of five movements that focus on the pain of the Virgin Mary as she follows her Son along the road to Calvary. Premiered in 2011 in the Holy Land, at the Domus Galileae on the Mount of Beatitudes (Korazim), the work has been performed in major theaters, concert halls, squares, and cathedrals around the world.
Madrid Cathedral, New York Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Symphony Hall, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Gerard Behar Auditorium – Jerusalem, Suntory Hall – Tokyo, Hungarian State Opera – Budapest, Memorial Concert – Auschwitz (broadcast on Rai1), Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, Piazza Unità d’Italia – Trieste.
Once he had finished his first symphony, Kiko began working on a second score, which would be the culmination of a musical idea that built upon the first. An artistic and spiritual journey that would culminate in the final version of a symphonic poem for piano, choir, and orchestra, El Mesías—a triptych on the passion and suffering of Christ, dedicated to the martyrs.
Featuring the Orquesta del Camino and conducted by Tomáš Hanus, the Teatro Verdi in Trieste hosted the world premiere of The Messiah on November 19, 2023, a concert broadcast on Rai5.
These are three episodes from the History of Salvation set to music: Aquedah, Daughters of Jerusalem, and The Messiah, the Lion To Conquer. The sacrifice of Isaac and the mystery of Abraham’s faith; the words of Christ to the women who follow him along the Via Dolorosa; the poetic words of Victorinus of Pettau, a fourth-century Christian martyr, who proclaims the Mystery of Christ, the “lion” destined to conquer, who becomes a lamb destined to suffer.
The symphonic work was presented by Kiko at the Ennio Morricone Music Park Auditorium in Rome on the occasion of the 2025 Jubilee of Families. On June 1, at the Sala Santa Cecilia: the Camino Orchestra, conducted by Tomáš Hanus, performed Kiko’s symphonic works—The Suffering of the Innocents and The Messiah—for the first time in a single concert. Rai Cultura is broadcasting it on Rai5. (Rai Play)
Two more concerts will close out 2025, and a third will kick off 2026. At one of Spain’s most iconic sacred sites, Kiko brings the Symphonic Work to the heart of Andalusia. On October 19, amidst the splendor of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, a jewel of Islamic and Christian art and architecture.
And back in Spain, on December 8, Oviedo—the capital of Asturias and home to the precious relic of the Holy Shroud in the Cathedral of San Salvador—will open the doors of the Príncipe Felipe Auditorium for a performance of the Symphonic Work.
On February 22, 2026, an extraordinary concert will be held on the magnificent stage of Toledo Cathedral to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of this place of worship, considered one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture.
Now, from the square in front of the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto and the Sferisterio Arena in Macerata, this internationally renowned symphonic work will be broadcast live on Friday, June 19, and Sunday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m. on the official website of the Neocatechumenal Way.
