Italian Organist Renato Negri will play in the United States for the first time during the opening concert of the 2017 Iowa Falls Summer Organ Recital Series on Sunday. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. at St. Matthew’s By-the Bridge Episcopal Church, located on the corner of Oak and Railroad Streets. 

Negri is organist at Church of San Francesco da Paola in Reggio Emilia, his hometown, and teaches at the Instituto Superiore of Musical Studies there. His performances have been presented on Italian Public Radio, and he plays at concerts throughout Europe. He was one of the musicians invited to play at the funeral of legendary opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti. This will be his first concert in the United States.