Acclaimed multi-percussionist Martin Grubinger joins the Basque National Orchestra

The Basque National Orchestra kicks off its 30th anniversary year with a bang, featuring Austrian multi-percussionist Martin Grubinger (Salzburg, 1983). The top ranking percussionist on the international scene will play for the first time with the BNO at a season concert. Rhythm is an integral part of this young musician's life 24 hours a day. Not only can he play almost every existing percussion instrument in the world, but also manages to turn everything he touches into percussion. Energy and contagious passion define the performance of a musician who prepares for his percussion events both musically and athletically, whether a solo recital, a performance with a symphony orchestra or any other concert format. The dynamic energy and versatility of Martin Grubinger, who records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon, has added a whole new dimension to percussion. In his debut with the Basque National Orchestra, as part of the sixth season concert programme, conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Grubinger will perform Frozen in Time, a concerto written specifically for him in 2007 by young Israeli composer Avner Dorman

The Basque National Orchestra turns 30 this year. It was in early January 1982 that the first musicians were invited to take part in the auditions set up for the purpose of creating a new orchestra. The BNO was officially founded on 20 April that year and has continued to make a name for itself as one of the leading orchestras in Spain. Today the BNO boasts 7000 season subscribers and more than 150,000 viewers who have enjoyed the BNO's 100-plus concerts a year (Season Concerts, Miramón Matinées, KlasikAT, Family Concerts, Concerts for Schools, concert tours, exchange programmes, Orkestra Herrietan, etc.). The Orchestra also has numerous recordings to its name.

To commemorate the anniversary, the Basque National Orchestra has opted to create new music through TESELA, a project that will see the light of day over course of the next 12 months. TESELA will premiere a series of eight works by eight accomplished composers from around the world. Tesserae or tesselas (Tesela in Spanish) are the small tiles used in a mosaic, the leit motiv in this particular mosaic being Basque culture. This initiative has been made possible by the exclusive support of Fundación BBVA, an institution deeply committed to the promotion of cultural creation. In this Season Concert Programme, the Orchestra will premiere the first of the pieces, Zortziko, written by English composer Michael Finissy. The project itself will be presented at the end of January, coinciding with the second premiere and the presence of the composer.

The Orchestra also kicks off the year with a well-deserved tribute to its founder and first president, Imanol Olaizola. The event took place on 13 January at the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastián as part of the 6th Season Concert programme, conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada.