Thirty string musicians will be able to study in Musikene from the 2015-2016 academic year the first and only Master's Degree in Artistic Teaching of Orchestral Studies (String Instruments) approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.

It is a pioneering Master's Degree in which individual and collective classes are combined under the auspices of working professionals. Orchestral work experience in collaboration with the Basque National Orchestra is paid and guarantees real preparation for the working world of an orchestra. This Master's Degree, therefore, will prepare those who qualify from it for the carrying out of further official studies tied to research.

REGISTRATION: From 16 March to 1 June.

"Playing with the Basque orchestra is almost like being with my own family". Those were the opening words by violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann in his contribution to "Primo Tempo", the book published in 2006 about the 25-year history of the Basque National Orchestra. Now, in a season called "Re-Encounters", the German violinist once again shares the stage with the Orchestra. Under the baton of Carlo Rizzi, who revisits the 14/15 Concert Season, he will perform the Violin Concerto by J. Sibelius. This new Season Concert will open on Monday, 26 January, in Pamplona's Baluarte Auditorim, continue on the 27th and 29th at Kursaal in San Sebastián and wrap up on the 30th at the Teatro Principal in Vitoria,

For his fifth collaboration with the BNO - Sibelius's Violin Concerto. After debuting as guest soloist for the 2002 BNO Concert Season, Frank Peter Zimmermann (Duisburg, 1965) joined the Orchestra again in 2004, 2006 and 2010. Conducted by Gilbert Varga, Cristian Mandeal and Lawrence Rennes, he has performed works by Bartok, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Dvorak. On this occasion he will accompany the BNO in a performance of Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), which he has played in Hannover, Bremen and Cologne and will soon perform in Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo.

With a long and successful career under his belt, Frank Peter Zimmermann is arguably one of the greatest living violinists. It has been said that "He has won everything, recorded everything, and performed with everyone". Zimmermann plays a Stradivarius known as the Lady Inchiquin, from 1711, which once belonged to Fritz Kreisler, provided by Portigon AG.

The concert programme, titled "The Voice of Sibelius", will also include a performance of Symphony No. 5 by the Finish composer. The musician's search for new paths for the symphonic discourse should bear its finest fruits in this symphony.

The noted German conductor Jun Märkl will conduct the new concert programme (5, 6 and 8 November) as the Basque National Orchestra's principal conductor. Coinciding with his return to Euskadi as general manager, Oriol Roch formally announced that Jun Märkl would be heading the Basque orchestra for the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons. The decision was backed by the Board of Directors.

A few months ago Jun Märkl was named musical adviser to the Basque National Orchestra. At the time, the Basque Department of Education, Language Policy and Culture, Jun Märkl and the outgoing general manager, Iñigo Alberdi, decided to wait before announcing the appointment the new general manager. On 3rd November Jun Märkl became the Basque National Orchestra principal conductor for the next two seasons.

The new principal conductor has worked with the Basque orchestra on numerous occasions. His first collaboration was in 2012 as part of the Festival Musique en Côte Basque in Biarritz. Since then, the German maestro has conducted the Orchestra in different Season Concert programmes and at last year's San Sebastián Classical Music Festival.

As for his career, we should point out that Märkl is a highly respected and experienced conductor with an extensive international background and greatly familiar with the German and French repertoire. He has been principal conductor with well-known symphony orchestras such as the Orchestre National de Lyon (2005-2011) and the MDR Sinfonierorchester Leipzig (until 2012). He conducts orchestras of international stature including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic and the Munich Philharmonic. He also conducts operas, including the Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Budapest and Dresden state operas. Among his numerous recordings are the outstanding versions of Mahler, Schumann and an acclaimed collection of new volumes dedicated to Debussy. (full bio included).

Jun Märkl's appointment as principal conductor completes the Orchestra's musical leadership, together with Andrey Boreyko, who continues in his role as Principal Guest Conductor.

Renewing its commitment to one of its founding principles, being an ambassador of Basque culture, the Basque National Orchestra is embarking on another tour outside Euskadi. This will be the orchestra's sixteenth tour abroad. This time the destination is the 58th International Festival of Contemporary Music of La Biennale di Venezia. The music festival is the most celebrated in Europe and one of the most relevant contemporary music events internationally. La Biennale di Venezia is one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world, bringing together competitions in the areas of cinema, dance, music, theatre and architecture. The Basque Orchestra's participation at the Biennale, with performances on October 9th and 10th, marks a milestone in the history of the BNO and in Basque and Spanish culture. The Basque National Orchestra and Madrid's ORCAM are the only two orchestras in Spain to have had a presence in one of the festival's 58 editions. The Orchestra follows in the footsteps of other Basque artists from different disciplines who have taken part in the Venice Biennale: composers Luis de Pablo and Gabriel Erkoreka - whose music will be back in Venice at the hand of the BNO - Remigio Mendiburu, Jorge Oteiza, Eduardo Chillida, Mikel Laboa, Esther Ferrer, Ana Laura Aláez, Maider López, Asier Mendizabal and many others.

This is the Basque Orchestra's second Italian tour. In 2009 the Orchestra performed in Milan as part of an international concert exchange arrangement with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi.

Exporting Basque culture from a wider perspective. Conducted by José Ramón Encinar, the Basque National Orchestra, will perform music in Venice by Basque composers Luis de Pablo, Ramon Lazkano and Gabriel Erkoreka, accompanied by Asier Polo and Oreka TX. But it will also approach Basque culture from a wider perspective, performing music by eight accomplished composers from around the world, who in 2012 helped to create the "Tesela" project. Under the leadership of the Basque Orchestra and in celebration of its 30th anniversary, the initiative was made possible by the exclusive support of Fundación BBVA.

Concert 1. Basque Composers. In concert at the Venice Biennale, the Basque National Orchestra will perform music by three Basque composers, whose careers have made a mark on the international scene: Luis de Pablo, a leading figure in modern Basque music, and Ramon Lazkano and Gabriel Erkoreka, representing the previous generation, all of whom carry on the tradition and raise the profile of quality Basque music. The pieces were either commissioned by the Orchestra, recorded and released by the BNO, or performed as part of the Season Concerts programme. Bilbao-born cellist Asier Polo and Japanese clarinetistShizuyo Oka will be featured soloists in Venice.

Concert 2. Presentation of the Tesela project. Following the premiere of each piece during the 11/12 and 12/13 Concert Seasons, coinciding with the Orchestra's 30th anniversary in 2012, and recorded on a CD released on the Verso record label in 2013, this will be the first time the Orchestra will perform all eight of the works making up the Tesela project in a single concert. As composer and critic Mikel Chamizo points out in the liner notes (provided with this dossier), the music of these eight international composers is a way of looking inward toward Euskadi. It is an exercise that completes the Basque Orchestra's commitment to musical creation linked to our culture. Tesela comprises Tres cantos a Edurne by Mario Lavista, Zortziko by Michael Finnissy, Txalaparta-Folkdance II by Ivan Fedele (with Oreka TX as soloists) Ravel à son âme by Gérard Pesson, White Numbers by James Dillon, The Gliding of the Eagle in the Skies by Peter Eötvös, Calles y sueños by Isabel Mundry and Urrutiko urdin by Mauricio Sotelo (with comments on the works in the liner notes).

The presentation of Tesela is in an original format designed by conductor José Ramón Encinar. It includes musical interludes pre-recorded by Mikel Chamizo at the beginning, end and as transition between the blocks of works.

A txalaparta on the Grand Canal. The tour will also be a major technical and logistical undertaking. Added to the challenge of moving a symphony orchestra around a city riddled with canals, is the enormous amount of instruments that need to get to the two Venice venues where Basque National Orchestra will perform.

Stability, Quality and Future Prospects: These are the three maxims on which Oriol Roch has based his official presentation as the new General Manager of the Basque National Orchestra.

Today, at the Orchestra's Miramón venue, Oriol Roch was officially presented as the new General Manager of the Basque National Orchestra. Joxean Muñoz, the Basque Government Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, was entrusted with the presentation.

The new General Manager was firstly presented before the Orchestra, from whom he received a very warm welcome, and then he gave a press conference before an extensive array of representatives from the media, among which the new appointment has created much expectation. He said that he was very excited about the project, that leading the Orchestra was a wonderful opportunity, and that he hoped he would meet everybody's expectations. He talked about the Orchestra being a consolidated, serious project with immense possibilities. To this effect, although he praised the Orchestra's excellent position within the Basque Country and in Spain, he also emphasised his interest in bringing greater international scope to the Basque National Orchestra. As regards the repertoire, he confirmed his commitment to contemporary Basque music and stressed the importance of protecting the Basque heritage.

Joxean Muñoz based the selection of Oriol Roch as General Manager of the Basque National Orchestra on his commitment to the project for both the Orchestra and the country, as well as on his professional and formal nature. Roch will start work with the Orchestra on 25 August.

Oriol Roch Izard

He was the Technical Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia (RFG) from 2004 to the present. This ensemble is dependent on the Consortium of Santiago de Compostela, which in turn comes under the State, the Regional Government of Galicia and Santiago City Council. As part of his technical responsibility, he relaunched the RFG, strengthening its presence and acceptance in Galicia, as well as consolidating the same in the rest of Spain and abroad; he managed a season with top artists of international renown at a time of considerable budgetary cuts; along with his team, he consolidated a model of educational complicity in the RFG as a training centre for young musicians with the School of Higher Musical Studies.

Between 1990 and 2002 he was the Manager of the Teatre Lliure Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Josep Pons. His management of this Orchestra led it to achieve considerable national and international reach beyond its Barcelona concert season. He managed its transition to more important and prestigious projects, connecting different disciplines to give the project more prominence. He arranged an agreement with the publishing company Harmonia Mundi (France) for the release of two commercial records per year, which are still internationally successful.

He has previously worked on the Organising Committee of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and at the Barcelona Trade Fair, carrying out cultural promotion work and being in charge (on three occasions) of the symphony orchestra course organised by the Lerida choral society.

As far as training is concerned, apart from his post-graduate studies in Business Management (Ramon Llull University, Barcelona) and his command of languages (English and French), he also has a degree in Contemporary History from the University of Barcelona.

The Basque Orchestra prepares at its Miramón headquarters the concerts that will bring its 2013/2014 Season Concerts to an end. Under the baton of its guest principal conductor, Andrey Boreyko, the Orchestra will perform the Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 1 by Frédéric Chopin, accompanied for the occasion by a young performer who is currently enjoying great acclaim in the international scene: Britain's Benjamin Grosvenor. The concerts will take place on May 29 and 30 at the Kursaal in San Sebastián, on June 2 at the Teatro Principal in Vitoria, on the 3rd at the Euskalduna in Bilbao and, finally, on June 4 at the Baluarte in Pamplona.

Benjamin Grosvenor, 21 years old and an unstoppable career. The British daily The Times said of him a few months ago that he is a "romantic pianist, almost from another age... He jumps inside the music's soul" and he himself refers to his ability to convey emotions to people. There is certainly no doubt that his personal sound and solid technique make him one of the most promising pianists of the moment. At the age of 19 he opened the famous BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, returning to the festival in 2012, with the London Philharmonic and Charles Dutoit. But he was only 11 years old when he won the Keyboard Final of the BBC Young Musician Competition in 2004, thereby coming to prominence in the international scene. Since then, he has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and Barbican Center in London, Singapore's Victoria Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall with esteemed conductors such as V. Askenazy, S. Bychkov and V. Jurowsky, among others. In 2011 he signed to Decca Classics. Having performed with the London and New York Philharmonics, RAI Torino and the Tokyo Symphony, Grosvenor now makes his symphony debut in Spain.

Grosvenor, also at the last Miramón Matinée of the season. In addition to performing as guest soloist at the Season Concerts, Benjamin Grosvenor will give a piano recital at the last event in the Miramón Matinées season on Saturday, May 31 at 11 a.m. at the Orchestra headquarters. On the programme, works by F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann, N. K. Medtner, M. Ravel and F. Liszt will showcase the talent of a young artist who, despite his brief career to date, already holds prestigious Gramophone, Classical Brit Award and Diapason d'Or awards.

On April 12th, during the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) 2014 in Warsaw, it was revealed that the 2016 European Classical Music Awards Gala would be held in San Sebastián. Their application was driven by the Basque National Orchestra, supported by the San Sebastián 2016 Foundation.

This Awards Gala, the classical music equivalent of the "Grammys", will be held for the first time in Spain and will make San Sebastián, and consequently the Basque Country, the focus of classical music in Europe.

The jury is made up of musical critics from 13 different countries representing 17 top printed and digital media in the sector: Andante (Turkey), Classic Radio and Rondo Classic (Finland), Crescendo (Belgium), Fono Forum (Germany), Gramofon (Hungary), IMZ (Austria), Kultura (Russia), MDR-Figaro (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik&Theater (Switzerland), Orpheus Radio (Russia), Opera (United Kingdom), Pizzicato and Radio 100.7 (Luxemburg), ResMusica (France) and Scherzo (Spain).

Fifteen awards are given every year for the best CD and DVD productions (Baroque Music, Coral Works, Symphonic Works, etc.) Plus Special Awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award, Artist of the Year, Outstanding Young Artist or Label of the Year.

The first awards ceremony took place in Tampere (Finland) in 2011, and was organised by the Tampere Philharmonic. It was followed by Nantes in 2012, with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. In 2013, the honour fell to Milan, with the Orchestra Sinfonia de Milano Giuseppe Verdi. In 2014, this event took place in Warsaw, within the framework of the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival and in 2015, it will be held in the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra Auditorium in Ankara. It was in Warsaw that it was revealed that the 2016 Award Ceremony and subsequent gala concert would take place in San Sebastián, hosted by the Basque National Orchestra, within the framework of the San Sebastián, European Capital of Culture 2016.