Today, Friday 4 May, Jorge Drexler is at the Basque Orchestra's headquarters in Miramon to record a song with the Orchestra for his next music project.

An enormously original project: the Uruguayan singer will accompany the launch of his new CD and its appearance on the shelves with a brand new application of his own creation for tablets and smartphones. Users will be able to interact with a song and create almost never-ending versions of it. The Orchestra will contribute by recording the song in sections.

At an informal meeting with the media, Jorge Drexler explained that the project involves a group of three songs "editable by the listener", the second of which, "Madera de deriva" was recorded with the Basque Orchestra. In this case users will find a combinatorial sound structure, while in the other two songs they can mix the words or poetry according to a series of coordinates established by the author. Artistically speaking, this project drives Drexler yet another step ahead. The initiative has its precedent in Raimond Llull's "Ars combinatoria", a project still at the development stage, the results of which will be presented in September.

The originality of the project lies in that, for the first time since 1920, it surpasses the phonogram, a non-editable file, to replace it with a live file, composed on software, to create intelligent songs.

The recording is conducted by the composer and director Fernando Velázquez. Velázquez previously conducted the Orchestra on the recording of the original sound track of El Mal Ajeno (For the Good of Others), by Oscar Santos, in 2010, among other collaborations. He will also arrange and conduct the next KlasikAT, a coming together between the Basque Orchestra and the pop rock group, Ken Zazpi.

The UK-based Gramophone Magazine, one of the world's most prestigious classical music magazines, has selected Kadenza as one of the Editor's Choice top 10 CDs in the magazine's April edition. Every year critics for the magazine shortlist a series of CDs for the Gramophone Awards. The Gramophone Awards - often called the Oscars of the classical music world - are the most significant honours bestowed on the classical record industry.

In this issue, "Kadenza" shares nomination with a recording dedicated to Rautavaara and produced by the Helsinki Philarmonic Orchestra; a disc that gathers Tchaikovsky's works, recorded by the Orchestre National du Capitole of Toulouse and conducted by Tugan Sokhiev; and a monographic dedicated to Lutoslawski and interpreted by the BBC Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardiner. It is undoubtedly about first-level publications by world-class orchestras and conductors.

Kadenza is the result of a new commitment by the Basque National Orchestra to world-class contemporary music, in this case represented by Sofia Gubaidulina (Chistopol, Tatarstan, Russia, 1931). 

Accordionist Iñaki Alberdi and cellist Asier Polo are the stars of this disc, together with a chamber group of the Basque National Orchestra. One of the highlights of the disc is the hard work by these two soloists, together with Gubaidulina, under the baton of Jose Ramon Encinar.

Recorded under the Dutch label ET'CETERA, this CD contains four tracks (Seven Words, In Croce, Kadenza and Et exspecto), offering the perfect sampling of Sofia Gubaidulina's work.

Kadenza was presented to the media on December 20, 2011 at Iesu church in Donostia-San Sebastián. The event featured a live performance by Iñaki Alberdi, Asier Polo and a chamber group of the Basque National Orchestra, playing several cuts from the disc.

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.

One of the primary goals since the founding of the Basque National Orchestra has been to record the musical legacy handed down by Basque composers and composers from beyond our borders. The BNO also aims to promote and support the work and career of Basque musicians today. The Orchestra has already recorded more than 40 albums, including the Basque Composers Collection and a wide selection of musical genres, periods and authors.
Kadenza is the result of a new commitment by the Basque National Orchestra to world-class contemporary music, in this case represented by Sofia Gubaidulina (Chistopol, Tatarstan, Russia, 1931). Although it may seem somewhat of a contradiction, this CD of contemporary music is the work of composer who is a legend in her own time.

Two acclaimed Basque musicians feature on the CD: accordionist Iñaki Alberdi and cellist Asier Polo. These two internationally-known soloists join Gubaidulina to bring listeners a truly excellent recording. A group of string instrumentalists from the Basque National Orchestra round out the cast. The CD was recorded under the direction of José Ramón Encinar, a master in contemporary music who in 2008 conducted the BNO in its first opera recording, Gernika, by Francisco Escudero. Encinar has also joined the Orchestra on other projects.

Recorded under the Dutch label ET'CETERA, this CD contains four tracks (Seven Words, In Croce, Kadenza y Et exspecto) offering the perfect sampling of Sofia Gubaidulina's work. According to Elixabete Etxebeste, author of the programme notes, "the religious spirituality in her compositions shows an open mind, a vivid attitude and a vision of humankind in its most constructive state, between the joy of existing and the responsibility of existence. All of this comes together in a deep, raw emotion-filled programme painted with a variety of brushstrokes."

Versatility, a mark of identity. The Orchestra looked to the past with the release of Volume 14 of the Basque Composers Collection dedicated to Pedro Sanjuán. In its second CD recorded in 2011/2012, the Orchestra turns its attention once again to contemporary music. Previous recordings of contemporary music have featured work by Ramon Lazkano, Angel Illarramendi, Luis de Pablo and Christian Lindberg, in addition to Gernika. And before the season comes to a close, a third album will be added to the Orchestra's discography: the first symphonic CD by Kepa Junkera.

The beauty of the BNO Basque Music Collection is that it brings together a rich symphonic legacy which may never have otherwise been recorded or seen the light of day. Since 1997 the Orchestra has been creating this collection of CDs featuring work by musicians who, owing to circumstances and fate, all but faded into oblivion. The collection strives to bring the music of these composers to life, raising their profile to the level of some of the better-known names in Basque music. An example of this effort is the launch of the 14th volume dedicated to Pedro Sanjuán.

"Ecos de la distancia" (Echos in the Distance) is the title of the booklet that comes with the CD, written by critic and researcher Jorge de Persia. As de Persia explains, the CD is an attempt to record the echoes of the musician, orchestra conductor and composer that have reached our shores from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Born in San Sebastian in 1886, Pedro Sanjuán joined the Parisian Schola Cantorum, and lived most of his life in Cuba and the United States, where he died in 1976.

The BNO's Principal Conductor, Andrés Orozco-Estrada was musical director for this CD. In 2005, Cristian Mandeal was in charge of the volume dedicated to Aita Madina, and in 2001 Gilbert Varga directed the CD dedicated to Maurice Ravel, both recorded under the CLAVES label. The Collection of Basque Music has become an enduring testimony to the work of the BNO's Principal Conductors.

Pedro Sanjuán now joins the growing list of composers included in the Basque Music Collection, alongside Valentín de Zubiaurre, Beltrán Pagola, Luis de Pablo, Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, Aita Madina, Tomás Garbizu, Aita Donostia, Pablo Sorozábal, Francisco Escudero, Andrés Isasi, Jesús Arámbarri, José Mª Usandizaga and Jesús Guridi.

All of the CDs making up the collection, which began in 1997, have been recorded under the CLAVES label. The final CD, slated for release in 2012, will be dedicated to Bizkaia-born composer Carmelo Bernaola. Juanjo Mena, disciple of Bernaola and currently Chief Conductor for the BBC Philharmonic, will be musical director for Volume 15.

Wolfram Christ, former twenty-year soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, will head the third edition of the Basque National Orchestra Music Laboratory. A total of 27 musicians, all students from Musikene (Higher School of Music of the Basque Country) will be taking part in the master class at the Basque Orchestra Miramón headquarters taught by the highly respected German musician. Six of them, third-year viola students at Musikene, will take an active part in the class, while the rest of the students listen and observe. This is a great opportunity for young musicians about to embark on their musical careers to satisfy their curiosity and hear about the experiences of one of the most internationally acclaimed viola soloists at work today. The third Music Laboratory is offered in partnership with Musikene, as a result of the good relationship between the two organizations.

Wolfram Christ is one of the few viola players to enjoy international acclaim as a soloist. He performs regularly in many countries, his repertory ranging from Baroque to avant-garde. As solo viola player for the Berlin Philharmonic for over 20 years, Christ performed in more than 60 concerts under the baton of such conductors as Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Bernhard Haitink and Seiji Ozawa. He is founding member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, performing as violist with the orchestra both in Lucerne and on international concert tours. Numerous award-winning CDs document his productive collaborations, including the Grand Prix du Disques for the recording of Debussy's Trios for Flute, Viola and Harp, as well as a Grammy for the recording of Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 5 for Viola and Chamber Orchestra.

In the area of teaching, Wolfram Christ has been professor of viola at the Freiburg Musikhochschule, Germany, since 1999. His projects focus on professionals and students working together to make and experience music. In 2005 he was appointed as artistic director for the Gustav Mahler Music Academies in Ferrara and Potenza, Italy, by Claudio Abbado.

The Music Laboratory is the result of an initiative launched by BNO Principal Conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada as a project aimed at supporting young musicians at the beginning of their careers. In its first edition, which took place in April 2010, several soloists from the Basque Youth Orchestra (EGO) had the opportunity to work under the direction of conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Following a number of work sessions, they debuted together with the orchestra in a concert held at the BNO headquarters at Miramón. The second edition took place in March of this year. A group of young conductors from around the world worked with Andrés Orozco-Estrada and then conducted the Orchestra as part of the Miramón Matinées concert series.

Yesterday, Kepa Junkera and the Basque National Orchestra began recording their first CD together. Recording is scheduled to continue through Saturday, August 20th. After their first experience together in February 2010, the BNO and the "trikitilari" accordionist from Bilbao are embarking on a twofold project - a CD now being recorded in the auditorium at the Orchestra's Miramón headquarters, and a new edition of KlasikAT, the BNO's concert series aimed at exploring different types of music. The program is slated for March 2012.

Under the musical direction of Enrique Ugarte, this new production will feature a selection of Kepa's music, this time in symphony form. In fact, this will be his first CD recorded together with a symphony orchestra. Right now the Basque National Orchestra and Kepa Junkera are hard at work in the Orchestra's auditorium, once again turned into a recording studio. This new CD is the latest in an impressive catalogue of recordings released by Kepa and the BNO, two important names in raising the profile of our musical heritage, traditional as well as contemporary.

The CD
Recorded 16 to 20 August: Basque National Orchestra Headquarters, Donostia-San Sebastián.

Enrique Ugarte, conductor
Kepa Junkera, accordion
Euskadiko Orkestra
Orquesta de Euskadi

The Orchestra's German visit starting Thursday 16th was announced at its Miramon headquarters. Iñigo Alberdi, General Manager of the OSE, Mikhail Becker, intendant at the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, presently attending the Subscribers' Season, and Eduardo Jiménez, Corporate Marketing Director of Ingeteam, the company sponsoring the tour, unveiled the details of the exchange currently at the centre of the Orchestra's activity.

Mikhail Becker, intendant at the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the guest orchestra now bringing the Basque Orchestra Season to a close with concerts in its four regular capitals, said that the Basque Orchestra will be a powerful ambassador of Basque Culture in Germany on presenting the work of Arriaga, a composer unknown to German audiences, admitting that a similar exercise is more complicated for the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker since everyone knows Schumann and Brahms. Mikhail also praised the acoustics of the Kursaal auditorium following their yesterday's debut in the hall and underlined the importance for an orchestra of having the opportunity to play live to different audiences. He continued with the assurance that the cost of this, their first Spanish tour, will have clear-cut returns, and pointed out that it has been hailed as a major cultural event widely covered by the press. According to Becker, playing in Euskadi is hugely attractive for its very different culture, comparable with other countries enjoying equally important tradition, like Finland.

Eduardo Jiménez, Corporate Marketing Director of Ingeteam, sponsors of the German tour, said that it was a privilege to be able to back new projects by the Basque Orchestra and stated his satisfaction at sponsoring its new international tour, giving them the opportunity to act as a link between industry and culture, two areas so apparently different from one another. This is a way of putting Ingeteam in touch with society. The vocation of the Basque Orchestra to take culture abroad coincides with Ingeteam's international vocation.

Regarding the tour, the Basque Orchestra is already preparing the concerts to be given in Düsseldorf and Gütersloh from June 17th-20th under the direction of its Music Director, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and with the cellist Gautier Capuçon as guest soloist. Prior to this, on the 15th, the Orchestra will present the programme at San Sebastián's Victoria Eugenia Theatre.