After close to four decades of a prolific output, there are close to 70 of its own albums in the Basque National Orchestra's music collection, which continues to be expanded and enriched in recent times. In the year 2021 that we are about to leave behind, four new recordings have been added to this great collection of albums: Ravel, Americascapes, Kalakan + Euskadiko Orkestra and Gutizia.

Ravel and Americascapes, the first recordings with chief conductor Robert Trevino

Two years ago the Basque National Orchestra and its chief conductor Robert Trevino signed a two-year contract with the Finnish label Ondine Records in which they agreed to record several albums over the coming years. The first fruit of this important agreement came this year with the release of two albums that are very different to each other: Ravel and Americascapes.

On the one hand, during the first half of the year Ravel saw the light, a collection of orchestral pieces by the universally renowned composer from Ziburu and which the Basque National Orchestra makes its own. This is the first time that Trevino has recorded Ravel, but not so for the Basque National Orchestra. Its discography includes another album of Ravel recorded in 2000 with its then conductor Gilbert Varga and the pianist Joaquín Achúcarro from Bilbao. The record included Ravel's two piano concertos performed by Achúcarro along with Alborada del gracioso, which also features on this new recording together with La Valse, Boléro, Rapsodie espagnole, Pavane pour une infante défunte and Une barque sur l´océan.

On the other hand, for the second recording, Americascapes, Robert Trevino and the Basque National Orchestra have chosen four American composers who wrote music that received widespread recognition, though none of them enjoyed popular ‘success’: Charles Martin Loeffler, Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles and Howard Hanson. Relatively little-known works by them have been chosen, in a repertoire that does not feature in the big concert circuits. This album released in early October has recently received glowing reviews from specialised publications of worldwide prestige. To highlight a few of them, last week one of the most important portals for classical music album sales, Presto Music, put Americascapes on its list of the ten best classical music albums of 2021; and important magazines such as Gramophone and Limelight have recently made special mentions of the album.

Basque tradition takes centre stage in ‘Kalakan+Basque National Orchestra’ and ‘Gutizia’

The other two albums that the Basque National Orchestra has released this year have focused on recovering a traditional Basque repertoire.

On the one hand, the orchestra has partnered with the Kalakan trio to collect traditional Basque pieces and turn them into symphonies thanks to the orchestration of Jagoba Astiazaran in an album also released in October with the Elkar label. Several of the traditional instruments that the Kalakan group uses habitually play a major role in this album. These include the txalaparta, the txirula and the alboka, all instruments that have been combined with the rest of the instrumental sections of the orchestra. This album was also presented during a concert tour across the Basque Country between October and November.

On the other hand, two worlds which, on the face of it, are completely unrelated, have come together in Gutizia – a smorgasbord that directly links the txistu, an instrument deeply rooted in Basque culture, with a symphony orchestra. This is what Garikoitz Mendizabal and the Basque National Orchestra have worked on in Miramon under the direction of Jaume Santonja, as they prepare to record and promote a compendium of works for txistu and orchestra. The record, published by Orpheus Classical, includes a total of eight works written or arranged by authors of diverse origins, rendering this collection of music a journey in itself. For most of them this has been their première and they are accompanied by different stories and motivations.

The orchestra will also be recording this week

After the release of the four albums described above, the orchestra's recording activity continues. This very week the musicians are back under the baton of Robert Trevino to record a second volume of orchestral pieces by Maurice Ravel, which will also be released by the Ondine Records label during 2022. This new recording will include the works Shéhérazade, Menuet Antique, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Ma mère l’oye and Frontispice.

More information

Under the direction of the chief conductor Robert Trevino, the orchestra was to bring the prestigious harpist, Xavier de Maistre, as soloist to Salzburg in December, with a double programme on three consecutive days and with the concert hall expected to be full. Xavier de Maistre is also scheduled to appear in the new concert programme that we will present in the next few days (3 to 10 December) and that was to be a preview of our presentation in Salzburg.

The orchestra had been working on the Salzburg trip since before the pandemic. The Summer Festival and the programme of the ‘Large Festival Hall’, in which the orchestra still hopes to perform, is one of the most important and prestigious events in Central European classical music. Recently, orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have performed on that same stage. The Basque National Orchestra premiered in Salzburg in the early 1980s, but has not returned since. Two years ago, the orchestra received an invitation to give three concerts with two different programmes conducted by Robert Trevino, but the progressive worsening of the pandemic has led to the cancellation of all travel plans at the last minute. The promoter of these concerts has proposed alternative dates to the orchestra and the possibility of attending later, in 2023 or 2024, is being considered.

Given the importance that performing in Salzburg implies, the Basque National Orchestra had modified its schedule and set aside some of its usual commitments, such as participating in the traditional Christmas Concert of El Diario Vasco, in which it will be replaced by the Navarra Symphony Orchestra on 16 December. In its place, during that same part of December the orchestra will undertake the recording of a second album dedicated to Ravel, an idea the orchestra was already working on as a result of the enormous success that the first of the series, recorded with the record company Ondine, continues to enjoy around the world.

More information

Two worlds which, on the face of it, are completely unrelated, have come together in Gutizia – a smorgasbord that directly links the txistu, an instrument deeply rooted in Basque culture, with a symphony orchestra. This is what Garikoitz Mendizabal and the Basque National Orchestra worked on last February in Miramon, under the direction of Jaume Santonja, to make recordings and write a compendium of pieces for txistu and orchestra. This work now sees the light with a double album released by Orpheus Classical, already available in all main retailers and on digital platforms such asSpotify and iTunes. It will also be available at Durangoko Azoka.

The record includes a total of eight works written or arranged by authors of diverse origins, rendering this collection of music a journey in itself. Most of the works will have their premiere on this record, and each has its own story and motivations behind it: a tribute to Kenya (Karibu Peponi); an expression of the emotions that human beings experience throughout our lives (Leyenda); a showcase of the txistu as an instrument that holds its own with an orchestra (Symphony-Concerto); or the piece by Lebanese composer Naji Hakim, who took inspiration from Basque melodies and introduced the txistu as a solo instrument in a classical concerto with three movements (Concierto para txistu y orquesta).

Director of the Txistu Players’ Band of Bilbao, Garikoitz Mendizabal (Zestoa, 1973) is an icon when it comes to performing on the txistu and to promoting and showcasing this instrument. He has undertaken an incredible labour over recent years with contemporary composers to create new repertoires. It could be said that Gutizia is the fruit of this labour. In his own words:

‘You can’t deny that with new music comes a broader and enriched repertoire for txistu and orchestra. This has always been my goal throughout all these years: to leave a legacy for generations to come. Not just Basque musicians but foreign composers who have written for an instrument that is so inherently Basque. I'd like the txistularis of the future to have more options and more material that they can play accompanied by a large orchestra. As is the case with other non-standard instruments (accordion, guitar, etc.), on the orchestral scene the txistu will naturally have more opportunities to play alongside a symphony orchestra, both in the Basque Country and abroad. I firmly believe that this instrument will be an invaluable resource to the international expansion of Basque culture. In fact, I’ve heard how excited listeners are when they hear our txistu accompanied by an orchestra. All I am doing is giving you my time, my enthusiasm and my excitement’.

For the Basque National Orchestra, this coupling of two worlds is a continuation of  its calling to promote and disseminate Basque culture, on this occasion via an instrument with deep local roots and a strong tradition behind it. Previous examples of this phenomenon involved the txalaparta (Kalakan), the bagpipes (Gaiteros de Elciego) and the trikitixa (Kepa Junkera). As has always been the case in this series of projects, the goal is to give the instrument a new lease of life and to create a formal record of the richness of Basque cultural heritage.

Other project participants

Jaume Santonja, Associate Conductor with the Basque National Orchestra, will act as Musical Director for Gutizia. As he himself says,

‘Right from the start the recording of this CD was a project that I was very excited about, because it was one of my first professional collaborations as Associate Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra. It has been an immense pleasure to meet Garikoitz and to explore a little of the world of traditional Basque music. Historically, the evolution of musical instruments has been linked to skilful musicians who wanted to expand their horizons, both technically and intellectually. And this is clearly what has happened in this project, where not only Garikoitz’s virtuosity, but also his vision and intellectual needs led to him to expand the horizons of the txistu. He does this by expanding the repertoire, with almost all the pieces written for the occasion and specifically for himself, in addition to encouraging the appearance of this traditional instrument as a soloist. The result is magnificent, the influences are cross-cutting and in my opinion enrich all those involved. I think it is fortunate that this project is also a recording, because it leaves evidence. Let’s hope there is more to come and that it is truly a wake-up call to experiment with this format in future live performances, both at home and abroad’.

In addition to Jaume Santonja, Garikoitz Mendizabal, the orchestra and the composers the project was joined by the soprano Naroa Intxausti, the children’s choir of the Francisco Escudero Conservatory directed by Eva Ugalde, and Iñaki Tellería and Marc Blanes for production and sound.

Information sheet

CD 1: 40’

• Concierto para txistu................................................... Naji Hakim [13’]
• Symphony-Concerto................................................... David Johnstone [22’]
• Reflexiones sobre la longitud del viento.................. Fernando Velázquez [5’]

CD 2: 44´

• Karibu Peponi................................................................. Javier Martinez Campos [11’]
• Zaharra........................................................................... Popular (Arrangement: Pierre Wekstein) [4’]
• Leyenda.......................................................................... Eduardo Moreno [17’]
• Iruten ari nuzu................................................................ Popular (Arrangement: Kepa de Miguel) [4’]
• Atzo ttun ttun................................................................ Popular (Arrangement: Kepa de Miguel) [5’]
• Hora stacatto............................................................... Grigoras Dinicus (Arrangement: Iñaki Urkizu) [3’]

Participants:

• Garikoitz Mendizabal, txistulari.
• Basque National Orchestra.
• Naroa Intxausti, soprano.
• Children’s choir of the Francisco Escudero Conservatory. Director: Eva Ugalde.
• Jaume Santonja, orchestral conductor.
• Iñaki Telleria and Marc Blanes, production and sound.

More information

After a transition period in which the schedule of activities was reduced due to the global covid-19 pandemic, the Basque National Orchestra's educational series, Music Room, is back in full swing. It is a series with a long tradition in the orchestra's programming, created with the aim of bringing music to the public in general and in particular to society’s younger members. The concerts it offers are educational, pedagogical and approachable, and are aimed at different age groups. This Season it will cover a spectrum ranging from ages 3 to 12.

Year by year, the Basque National Orchestra is committed to creating its own productions with original scripts and shows created expressly to be launched within its educational series. This Season it will première its own production called Euskadiko Orkestra Cirkus, a concert-spectacle aimed at a younger audience. It will be an explosion of joy and fantasy through fun music and the magic of the circus. In January we will have Living Room Music, another production of its own that was hugely successful last season and which will continue in this one. Here, four percussionists and an actress take us to an apartment in any city of the world, to give lockdown a touch of humour and prove that any object can be used to create music. We will close the Season with Perrault’s Puss in Boots, a universal literary classic that will immerse us in the atmosphere of the court of Louis XIV, with a visual and poetic spectacle. It is a production by the puppet group Per Poc, adapted for the first time to the Basque language to be presented at Music Room.

These three productions are presented in two formats, Concerts for Schoolchildren and Family Concerts.

On the one hand, it is expected that in total more than 9,000 pre-school, primary and secondary education pupils will go to the Concerts for Schoolchildren of these three productions. These are pupils from close to 100 schools in towns such as Astigarraga, Azpeitia, Berrobi, Ezkio-Itsaso, Gasteiz, Lizartza, Olaberria, Orio, San Sebastian, Urretxu, Zestoa and Zumaia, among others. The School Concerts currently receive the collaboration of the General Assembly of Gipuzkoa, the Education Department of San Sebastian City Council and Kursaal Eszena.

On the other hand, the productions will be carried out in San Sebastian and Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Family Concert format, the longest-running and most established within Music Room. This cultural leisure alternative to enjoy as a family with young children has been a constant feature of the orchestra’s programming for 25 years. The Family Concerts in San Sebastian are sponsored by El Diario Vasco, and the one that will be carried out in Kursaal, Euskadiko Orkestra Cirkus, has been done in collaboration with Kursaal Eszena. The concerts in Alava´s capital city, on the other hand, receive the collaboration of the Municipal Theatre Network of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The purchase of tickets for these shows, with a price ranging from 3 to 7 euros, can be done on the website euskadikoorkestra.eus Tickets can also be purchased at the ticket booths at on the websites (kursaal.eus, principalantzokia.org) of the corresponding concert halls. Tickets for the concerts in San Sebastian will be on sale from 14 December and for those in Vitoria-Gasteiz in late January.

Below is more detailed information on the productions and the dates of the School Concerts and Family Concerts:

1. EUSKADIKO ORKESTRA CIRKUS

3 < 6 years old
40’
Itziar Prieto*, violin
Didier Bousquet*, trumpet
Amaia Zipitria, piano
‘Pituxa’ Itziar Saenz de Ojer, clown
Irati Gonzalez Jaimerena, acrobatics
Koldo Arakistain, acrobatics
Mikel Cañada, script

*Members of the Basque National Orchestra

An explosion of joy and fantasy through music from the late 19th and early 20th century, mixing styles such as jazz, popular and ballroom music, and art music. Small fun pieces, very representative of their style, full of colour and sometimes of melodic and timbral exoticism. With this concert we seek to convey to our young listeners the magic of music linked to the magic of the circus; juggling, magic tricks, clown, tightrope walkers and music from the surreal to the popular, performed by an instrumental ensemble of musicians from our orchestra with the collaboration of different artists from the performing arts.

SCHOOL CONCERTS
18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25 November
9:45 / 11:15
Miramon. Orchestra HQ
Pre-school education

FAMILY CONCERTS
Donostia / San Sebastián
29 January
18:00
Kursaal. Chamber Hall

Vitoria-Gasteiz
30 January
17:00 / 18:30
García Lorca Theatre

2. LIVING ROOM MUSIC

6 < 10 years old
50’
Anthony Lafargue*, percussion
Héctor Marqués*, percussion
Igor Arostegi*, percussion
Gorka Catediano, percussion
Ana Hernández Sanchiz, actress
Mikel Cañada, script

*Members of the Basque National Orchestra

For musicians are forced into lockdown in an apartment, which they cannot leave, in a faraway city. Far from their relatives, confined through obligation and quite bewildered and nervous, they explore all the elements in the home with which music can be created: tables, spoons, fans, water, lamps, flowerpots, stairs, dustbins, their hands, their voices… Their only contact with the outside world is a fairly indiscreet neighbour, in the same situation, who starts becoming annoyed by the terrible "noises" of her neighbours, and is constantly pestering them…

CONCERTS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN
19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 January
09:45 / 11:15
Miramon. Orchestra HQ
Primary and secondary education.

FAMILY CONCERT
Donostia / San Sebastián
22 January
11:00 / 12:30
Miramon. Orchestra HQ

3. BOTADUN KATUA

6 < 10 years old
55’
Instrumental Group of the Basque National Orchestra
Per Poc, puppet group
Aarón Zapico, artistic director
Rakel Ezpeleta, narrator

A baroque instrumental group from the Basque National Orchestra and the Per Poc puppet group proposed this show based on the universal literary classic Puss in Boots, which immerses us in the atmosphere of the court of Louis XIV and the music from that period. A visual and poetic concert with a large format Victorian theatre and baroque music, so that small children and young people can discover the musical wealth of a culturally magnificent period. It will be the first time that this production by Per Poc will be offered in the Basque language.

SCHOOL CONCERTS
30, 31 March
09:45 / 11:30
Kursaal
Primary education

FAMILY CONCERT
Vitoria-Gasteiz
10 April
18:00
Principal Theatre

An Open Rehearsal and other activities

This wide offering of concerts will be enriched with other activities. Music room is taking up its Open General Rehearsals again, aimed at groups, schools, music schools and universities among others, offering the chance to see up close how our orchestra works in the moments prior to a concert. This Season's Open Rehearsal will take place on 10 March at 11:00 in the Kursaal Auditorium, where the orchestra will perform Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz, under the baton of Pinchas Steinberg.

In addition, the orchestra will bring back one of the most successful recent productions of Music Room, Mozart, Nannerl eta Lagunak, in this case to offer it within the framework of the Musical Fortnight of Durango, on 27 November, at 19:00, in the San Agustín Theatre. This is a show for children aged 3 to 6, where the protagonists are the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed 'Nannerl'.

The Workshops for school teachers will also continue to be carried out, used as prior preparation for the School Concerts.

Music Room on YouTube

Music Room has its own section on the YouTube channel of the Basque National Orchestra, where it is possible to see the full performances of the series, such as Mozart, Nannerl eta Lagunak, Ekomusik and Isiltasunaren haitzuloa. In addition, the videos of the concerts from this Season will be uploaded as they are held.

Wide network of collaborators

The Music Room series by the Basque National Orchestra continues to promote collaboration with a variety of local institutions, such as the General Assembly of Gipuzkoa, the Education Department of San Sebastian City Council, the Municipal Network of Theatres of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Kursaal Eszena and El Diario Vasco.

More information

Kalakan and the Basque National Orchestra started rehearsing in Miramon in late April, with the aim of preparing an album and a series of concerts. The recording sessions were carried out during the following months, separately, and then during the summer months the production work was carried out in the studio. Now this recording is ready, released under the Elkar label, and starting today, 18 October, it can be purchased at all main retailers (for €18.50) and on digital platforms. The album will also be presented at Durangoko Azoka, which will be held in December.

Kalakan and the Basque National Orchestra have organised five concerts to present the album's tracks: on 20 October at the Baluarte Auditorium in Pamplona (19:30); on 21 October at the Principal Theatre in Vitoria (19:30); on 22 October at the Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao (19:30); on 23 October at Jai Alai in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (20:00); and on 5 November at the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastian (19:30). Tickets for all the concerts are on sale at a price of between 10 and 26 euros on the website euskadikoorkestra.eus, as well as on the websites and at the ticket offices of the different venues. The album can also be purchased at the concerts.

More information

The Basque National Orchestra has started the selection procedures for one concertmaster and two viola tutti positions. In both procedures the orchestra offers a permanent contract with a six-month trial period.

On the one hand, the concertmaster position is highly relevant in a symphony orchestra as it is the soloist position in the first violin section. As a result, according to the terms and conditions, for this position, ‘in addition to excellent skills as a violinist, qualities and predisposition for positive leadership will be required, through cooperation with the orchestra, the Conductor and the entire management team’. The selection process is open and applications must be made before 10 December. The selection process will take place on 28 February and 1 March 2022.

On the other hand, the Basque National Orchestra has also launched another selection process for two tutti violas. In this case the application must be made before 27 January 2022 for a selection process that will take place on 14 and 15 February.

All the information, terms and conditions and application form for the three positions are available on the orchestra's website. 

More information

The 2021-2022 Miramon Matinée Season will begin on Saturday 2 October at the headquarters of the Basque National Orchestra. It is the 30th anniversary of the matinées and to celebrate, the season is full of new additions. This chamber music series is a classic part of the weekend's musical programme and has been supported by Kutxa Fundazioa since its creation.

One of the highlights of this very special edition will be the participation of soloists who will star in the orchestra's season concerts. These include the violin player Dmitri Makhtin and the violoncellist Alexey Stadler who, together with the pianist Julia Siciliano, will offer in the first two Matinées (2 and 9 October) a range of the Brahms Festival with which the Basque National Orchestra inaugurates its 21/22 Concert Season. In the same category, another illustrious guest will be the great pianist Varvara, who will perform a recital in February.

Other performances that deserve a special mention are the revival of the public dress rehearsal (open general rehearsal) of works by Ravel that the full orchestra was to offer last season, and the successful production of the Music Room Living Room Music that the percussion section of the orchestra will bring, with some adaptations, to the Miramon Matinées.

And, of course, various ensembles such as the Arima Quintet or Auskalo Quartet, made up of musicians from Basque National Orchestra, will continue to unveil works from the classical repertoire and other more hidden treasures of chamber music.

This is the complete schedule of this season's Matinées:

1. 2 October: Dmitri Makhtin / Alexey Stadler / Julia Siciliano
2. 9 October: Dmitri Makhtin / Alexey Stadler / Julia Siciliano
3. 23 October: Hirusta Trio
4. 6 November: Izai Ganbera-Taldea
5. 27 November: Arima Quintet
6. 11 December: Basque National Orchestra (open general rehearsal)
7. 15 January: Euskadiko Orkestra Quartet
8. 29 January: Basque National Orchestra percussion section
9. 12 February: Varvara
10. 26 February: Barrococo
11. 12 March: Minerva Quartet
12. 2 April: Ensemble Moderne Érard
13. 23 April: Euterpe Quintet
14. 7 May: Kuadrilla Lagunak
15. 21 May: Auskalo Quartet
16. 4 June: Galerna Haizeak

Brahms Fest with chamber music at the first Matinée this Saturday

The Basque National Orchestra has kicked off its 21-22 concert season with a big party dedicated to Johannes Brahms. It is currently offering a wide-ranging symphonic repertoire by the German composer in its four usual capital cities. Two of the soloists accompanying the orchestra in this tour de force, violin player Dmitri Makhtin and violoncellist Alexey Stadler will also be at the start of the Miramon Matinées, together with pianist Julia Siciliano, to extend this musical marathon to the chamber repertoire for two consecutive Saturdays.

The first Matinée taking place this Saturday, 2 October, will begin with the Violin Sonata No. 2, which Brahms wrote while he was summering in 1886 in Thun, Switzerland, during a very productive and prolific time. In addition to this sonata, clearly inspired by the place’s natural beauty, that summer he composed his Double Concerto, the Cello Sonata No. 2, the Piano Trio No. 3 and the Violin Sonata No. 3. Brahms met Hermine Spies in Thun, an alto singer he fell madly in love with, which is why this sonata is considered a love letter and is filled with some of the most divine melodies ever written by the composer.

The Piano Trio No. 2 that will close this concert, written between 1880 and 1882, consists of four movements. In the first, the piano begins as a mere accompaniment and takes centre stage later on, the piece deceptively seems to peak in the final coda. The second, more melancholic, is an example of Brahms's fascination with the Hungarian style. The third is striking in its intensity, albeit a quiet intensity, and the final one leads us to a brilliantly ecstatic finale.

Season tickets and tickets

After facing its most uncertain and complicated season in its history last year, the Miramon Matinées series is looking more optimistic at the start of the 21-22 season.

Although safety measures such as the obligatory use of face masks and hand hygiene with hand sanitiser will remain in place, capacity has been increased to 75% of the venue and the ability to freely choose seats has been restored. Another new development compared to last season is that programmes will once again be available in physical format at the entrance to the auditorium.

Even with the relaxation of the capacity restrictions, there will be no ticket sales at the beginning of the season until further notice, as the current season ticket holders will fill the venue's capacity. These circumstances will hopefully change and, if they do, single tickets will go on sale at a price of 10 euros. Tickets can be purchased at euskadikoorkestra.eus, at the Kursaal Auditorium box office and on the day of the concert (from 10:30 am), at the box office of the orchestra's headquarters in Miramon.

Free bus service

The concerts will be held at 11:00 am, at Basque National Orchestra's headquarters in Miramon. In order to attend them, the orchestras will continue to provide a free public bus service. It leaves at 10:25 from Gipuzkoa Plaza 4 and stops at Sancho El Sabio 18 and Avda. de Madrid 34.

More information

The beginning of the first rehearsals in Miramon was announced at the end of April, and having now completed all the phases of the recording process, the Basque National Orchestra and Kalakan are ready to release and promote their new album, which includes twelve traditional Basque songs. The album will go on sale in October on the Elkar record company label and will be presented live in five concerts throughout the Basque Country: on 20 October at the Baluarte Auditorium in Pamplona (19:30); on 21 October at the Principal Theatre in Vitoria (19:30); on 22 October at the Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao (19:30); on 23 October at Jai Alai in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (20:00); and on 5 November at the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastian (19:30).

Tickets for all the concerts are on sale at a price of between 10 and 26 euros on the website euskadikoorkestra.eus, as well as on the websites and at the ticket offices of the different venues.

A project based on traditional Basque music

The central theme of this new project involving collaboration between the Basque National Orchestra and Kalakan is traditional Basque music. The main aim of the project is to merge Kalakan’s efforts to breathe new life into Basque folklore with the classical world.

The composer Jagoba Astiazaran has taken on the task of translating several songs previously published by the trio into orchestral language, including Iruten ari nuzu and Kantuz, both well-known Basque songs. Several of the traditional instruments that the Kalakan group uses habitually play a major role in the album. These include the txalaparta, the txirula and the alboka, all instruments that have been combined with the rest of the instrumental sections of the orchestra.

In addition, several lyrics by bertsolari (traditional Basque singer) Xaldador are included in the recording, in pieces that have been created expressly for this project, as well as a completely different version of Txoria Txori by Mikel Laboa and Joxean Artze.

The songs on the album

1. KLKN (Kalakan). Very first performance.
2. Andria alargune (Traditional/Kalakan)
3. Iruten ari nuzu (Traditional)
4. Rebeleon (Traditional/Kalakan)
5. Loriak udan (Traditional/Lyrics by Bilintx). Very first performance.
6. Bereterretxeren Kantoria (Traditional/Kalakan)
7. Ikusten duzu goizean (Traditional/Lyrics by Jean-Baptiste Elissamburu). Very first performance.
8. Montebideoko berriak (Traditional/Kalakan)
9. Egun bakea zutaz (Traditional/Lyrics by Xalbador). Very first performance.
10. Txoria Txori (Mikel Laboa/Joxean Artze)
11. Belatzarenak (Kalakan)
12. Kantuz/Sagarra jo (Traditional/Kalakan)

At the concerts, in addition to the songs on the album, Kalakan and the Basque National Orchestra will offer several more surprises.

Concerts

• Wednesday 20 October (19:30), Pamplona, Baluarte.
• Thursday 21 October (19:30), Vitoria, Principal.
• Friday 22 October (19:30), Bilbao, Arriaga.
• Saturday 23 October (20:00), Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Jai Alai.
• Friday 5 November (19:30), San Sebastian, Kursaal.

Prices

• Pamplona: €18-25
• Vitoria: €18-25
• Bilbao: €10-25
• Saint-Jean-de-Luz: €10-26
• San Sebastian: €18-25

With regard to the above prices, season ticket holders can benefit from a discount of up to 25% on tickets, with the exception of those for Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

KlasikAT: Kalakan takes the leap into the symphonic world

In this project, which includes both an album and concerts to present it, the trio formed by Jamixel Bereau, Xan Errotabehere and Bixente Etchegaray has taken the leap into the symphonic world in the company of the Basque National Orchestra and under the direction of Juanjo Ocón. The arrangements for the orchestra of the twelve traditional Basque songs included in the recording were carried out by Jagoba Astiazaran.

The project is presented under the umbrella of the KlasikAT initiative. Within this framework, for more than two decades the Basque National Orchestra has made a clear commitment to tackling musical genres beyond the boundaries of the typical orchestra repertoires. The artists who do not belong to the symphonic field with which the orchestra has collaborated include Benito Lertxundi, Golden Apple Quartet, Michel Camilo, Emilio Aragón, Kepa Junkera, Mike Oldfield, Ken Zazpi, Dr. Deseo, Zea Mays, Huntza and Izaro.

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The four American composers in this recording, ‘Americascapes’, wrote music that received widespread recognition, but none of them enjoyed the popular ‘success’ of others such as Bernstein, Gershwin or Copland. They are relatively little-known works, a repertoire that does not feature in the big concert circuits and which the Basque National Orchestra has recorded under the direction of its American music director, Robert Trevino.

Although experts point out that it is unusual to find Charles Martin Loeffler, Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles and Howard Hanson sharing their music on the same album, Trevino has considered this original repertoire appropriate. He has taken his exploration very far and has found a piece by Hanson, Before the Dawn, that has had to wait a century to be acknowledged and recorded for the first time. We should also highlight the soloist role of the viola d'amore in La Mort de Tintagiles by Charles Martin Loeffler and which corresponded to Delphine Dupuy, the orchestra's soloist viola player.

Robert Trevino: “This is a thrilling project”

In Trevino's own words, “This is a thrilling project. It took us a long time to choose the right four works. I wanted to find American musical points of reference of exceptional quality, from Loeffler’s epic tapestry and the brilliance of Ruggles to the marvellous discovery of Hanson or the incredible inventions of Cowell. And while we always tend to talk about the European influence that American composers received, here we have four American figures whose influence reaches beyond the Atlantic, in the opposite direction. And you can hear this sense of creation and innovation in each one of these works. Without a doubt, these are four truly fantastic pieces that should reach more ears”.

Works recorded:

1. La Mort de Tintagiles (Charles Martin Loeffler). Soloist: Delphine Dupuy.
2. Evocations (Carl Ruggles).
3. Before the Dawn (Howard Hanson). First recording worldwide.
4. Variations for Orchestra (Henry Cowell).

Where to purchase this album from 1 October

The album will be available on the main digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and many more, from 1 October.

Physical copies will also be on sale in many stores.

Ondine

Ondine is the Finnish record company with which Trevino has a recording agreement for the next few years. It belongs to the Naxos Group, is one of the most prestigious independent labels worldwide and has worked regularly with other prominent conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Hannu Lintu. “Ondine selects artists with whom we can work with meticulously”, says Reijo Kiilunen, founding director of the label. “We try to limit ourselves to a few great artists who provide visionary and imaginative interpretations of the standard repertoire, and whose adventurous minds unearth lesser-known and fascinating musical discoveries”.

The leaflet accompanying ‘Americascapes’ includes an essay by Pulitzer award-winning music journalist Tim Page, and a personal note by Trevino.

Great reception of ‘Ravel’

The previous album by the Basque National Orchestra and Robert Trevino for Ondine has been very well received by international critics. There are references such as ‘Featured album of the week’ in publications and media such as Radio France, ABC Classic FM, Record Geijutsu and Limelight, as well as excellent reviews in Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and many other prestigious publications. Recently, this month's edition of France’s main publication, Classica, gave the album five stars and stated in its review: “Trevino emerges, at the age of 37, as a rising star. This selection from Ravel can be placed alongside the big Ravel specialists (…) the Basque National Orchestra is of very high quality, with a strong but refined tone, and perfectly attuned soloists”.

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We will continue to place our faith in Basque creation and we will debut works by Pascal Gaigne, Joël Merah, and Teresa Catalán. These latter two creations were commissioned by the orchestra as part of the Elcano: Mundubira Musika Bidelagun Project, which will reach its final destination in the autumn of 2022. 

Among the milestones of the new Season, noteworthy is the start of the season, which features a Brahms festival, as well as the presence of great symphonic pieces such as the Requiem by Brahms and Symphony No.2  by Mahler, to speak of our collective resurrection, as well as our audience's discovery of authors such as Zhou and Dutilleux. 

The 21/22 Season is filled with greater optimism. However, in order to get back to normality without overdoing things, the first two programmes are designed with a maximum of 600 seats, and we hope that this maximum can be increased later on. 

Season concerts

A time of hope and improvement is on the horizon. Our goal now is to regain our optimism and trust, and to return to our concert halls with our mind at ease. We are coming from a difficult Season in which we multiplied our activity and turned our concerts into marathon sessions in order to reach our entire audience. We offered a total of 131 concerts, 98 of which were part of the Subscription Season (there are normally 50 subscriber concerts). We scheduled a lot of symphonic music and planned an entire repertoire for a somewhat smaller orchestra, due to the obligation of maintaining safety distances – even on stage. And we succeeded. Now it is time to talk of optimism and our fine programming.

The 2021/2022 Subscription Season of the Basque National Orchestra will begin on 27 September in Pamplona and it will end on 8 June 2022 in Bilbao. In the first two programmes, we will continue doubling sessions, as we did in the 20/21 Season: in the first programme, entitled Brahms Fest, we will offer a total of 10 concerts over ten days in the four usual capitals. In the second one, Tchaikovsky, double sessions have been scheduled for the same afternoon in each city. From the third programme onward, the hope is to get back closer to normal in terms of auditorium capacity.

General lines: optimism, discovery, and a long journey

We wanted to focus on the optimism that pieces like Brahms's great symphonies entail, doing so through the performance of all of his symphonies. And also Beethoven and Berlioz, with Symphony No. 7 and Symphonie Fantastique, respectively. Another important line of this Season is the idea of the discovery for the general public, on the one hand, of composers such as the American Zhou and the French Dutilleux and, on the other, the debut of pieces related to the Elcano: Mundubira Musika Bidelagun Project (Joël Merah and Teresa Catalán) and to the pandemic (Pascal Gaigne).

The long journey refers to the work that Robert Trevino has undertaken since his arrival to the orchestra. And, as an example, there is Mahler, whose Symphony No. 1 was performed during Trevino's debut as conductor with the orchestra. Mahler has been with us ever since. And now comes his magnum opus, Symphony No. 2, ‘Resurrection’, a piece that was scheduled for the 19/20 Season and which could not be performed due to the pandemic. It is now being recovered this season to symbolise the rebirth and recovery of our lives, just like the image the new Season evokes with its rose.

Brahms Fest to start with

As a continuation of the Schubert symphony marathon that kicked off the 20/21 Season, the orchestra will repeat the same scheme and present the Brahms Fest. All of the symphonies by this German composer, his Concerto for Violin and Cello and Piano Concertos No. 1 and No. 2 will be performed, distributed over 10 concerts during the inaugural programme that the orchestra will offer in its four subscription cities. Robert Trevino wielding the baton, three soloists, and the orchestra itself will shape this festival that will travel the country in a new musical challenge.

Robert Trevino this Season

The chief conductor of the orchestra will lead six of the eleven programmes this season. After the opening of the special Brahms Fest, an original programme will be offered featuring Xavier de Maistre's harp as the main player as well as Symphony No. 10 by one of Trevino's travelling companions, Shostakovich. That will be followed in February by an American programme that manifests itself through the better-known Bernstein and the discovery of Zhou. In the final stretch, Symphony No. 2 by Mahler, entitled ‘Resurrection’, will be performed – a performance that now has more relevance than ever. Robert Trevino will join the Elcano: Mundubira Musika Bidelagun project in May with the debut of La Victoria Vacía by Teresa Catalán, who recently won the Prince of Viana Award. This programme will also feature one of the discoveries of the season with Symphony No. 1 by Dutilleux. Trevino will wrap up with Wagner, Elgar, and Bartok, on this occasion, with Pinchas Zukerman and one of the musical masterpieces that have accompanied his career: Viola Concerto.

Debuts and new repertoire

The Elcano: Mundubira Musika Bidelagun Project (which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the first journey round the world) is another far-reaching initiative that follows the conductor's journey and will end in the autumn of 2022. Joël Merah with Jakinduriaren usaina and Teresa Catalán with La victoria vacía will pick up this season where the first composers, Mikel Chamizo and Mikel Urquiza, left off.

In addition to the two pieces of the Elcano Project is the debut of Urrutiko Arimak and Urruneko Azalak by Pascal Gaigne.

What is more, three pieces will be performed by the orchestra for the first time, and they will also be a great discovery for the audience: Ginastera's Harp Concerto, Zhou's Concerto for Orchestra, and Dutilleux's Symphony No. 1.

Conductors, soloists, and choirs

The orchestra will once again welcome a good handful of artists throughout its programming, although it should be noted that we will again tackle three programmes alone, without guest soloists, giving the orchestra a prominent role in the season.

COMPOSERS: Robert Trevino will continue to have a strong presence (with six programmes) and he will share the podium with conductors Mei-Ann Chen, Pinchas Steinberg, and Georg Mark, recovered from the 19/20 Season, in addition to Pietari Inkinen, who will make his debut with the orchestra, and Jaume Santonja, the orchestra's associate conductor.

SOLOISTS: In terms of soloists, we will welcome for the first time pianists Yulianna Avdeeva and Varvara, who had been scheduled for the 19/20 season, as well as Tom Borrow (piano) and Alexey Stadler (cello). Great artists such as Dmitri Makhtin (violin), Pinchas Zukerman (viola), and Xavier de Maistre (harp) will once again be with us, as well as Asier Polo (cello). In terms of vocals, we open with soprano Ainhoa Arteta, followed by Michael Nagy (baritone), Sarah Fox (soprano), and Justina Gringyte (mezzo-soprano). 

CHOIRS: Two great choral symphonies will hit the scene in March and May. For Brahm's A German Requiem, we will welcome the Orfeón Pamplonés Choir. Likewise, Mahler's great masterpiece, Symphony No. 2, ‘Resurrection’, will feature the vocals of the Orfeón Donostiarra Choir.

Other orchestral activities

An autumn with albums and films

Together with its active concert schedule, the orchestra is also immersed in a project that features recordings with very different styles and aims. All productions are of utmost quality and are meant for different environments, being of great documentary value.

AMERICAN COMPOSERS: After Ravel, the autumn has in store the release of a second album made with Robert Trevino. This is a recording that focuses on symphonic production by lesser-known American composers. Recording has already been undertaken and international release is set for early October under the Ondine record label, a Finnish company with which Trevino has a recording agreement for the next few years.

KALAKAN: This new collaborative effort with the group from the French Basque Country got off the ground in May. Now the work is being put together with the help of the Elkar studio and the end result will be shown during the concerts scheduled for late October and early November, as part of the crossover cycle that the orchestra has participated in for years entitled KlasikAt. This new partnership will be a continuation of all the projects that the orchestra shares with Basque authors such as Izaro, Huntza, Zea Mays, Dr. Deseo, and Ken Zazpi.

GUTIZIA: This is the title of another album project that focuses on the symphonic universe of the txistu, starring Garikoitz Mendizabal. Gutizia is a compendium of pieces written for the txistu, put together in an exceptional way into 80 minutes of music whose final result will also be ready in autumn, thanks to the Orpheus record label.

SOUNDTRACKS: The orchestra has participated in many soundtracks alongside Fernando Velázquez, such as Patria, Hil Kanpaiak, the series El Inocente, and the Mexican film Poderoso Victoria. The music for the film Maixabel, directed by Iciar Bollaín, will be added in the next few days to the list of soundtracks. The music was written and will be directed by Alberto Iglesias, and will be recorded at Miramon.

LIDE TA IXIDOR: This is the recording of a children's lyrical story that features the music of Santos Inchausti. This piece's recovery is part of the Euskal Opera Project by the Bilbao Choral Society, which has the aim of editing the scores and recording the operas in Basque commissioned by said Society at the beginning of the 20th century. This children's opera will be recorded in Bilbao, with the participation of the children's choir and the mixed choir of the Bilbao Choral Society.

RAVEL: It is necessary, at this point, to refer to the CD released at the beginning of April with the most representative symphonic pieces by Ravel. This disc, which also bears the Ondine label from Finland, has become the best international passport for the Basque National Orchestra. It is having an important impact in many parts of the world, from Japan and Australia to the USA and Europe, and it is receiving very good reviews from the most prestigious specialised media outlets (Gramophone, France Musique, BBC Music Magazine, Diapason, etc.). A musical interpretation of this composer's more "Basque" side has allowed Trevino and the orchestra to offer, through this recording, a new approach to Ravel's work and, consequently, make it highly attractive on the international scene.

Shared projects

The orchestra will maintain its commitment to the ABAO Bilbao Opera Season, Musika-Música of Bilbao, and the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards Gala Concert. Due to the pandemic, the orchestra will not yet regain its presence at the San Sebastián International Film Festival with its now traditional concert of film soundtracks in the Velodrome, but it will participate in the San Sebastián Musical Fortnight and in Musikaste.

The Miramon Matinées and Music Room cycles by the orchestra will be held once again and their presentation is to come shortly.

Subscriptions and tickets

The current capacity restrictions prevent us from allowing for new subscribers, but we can take names to be placed on a waiting list. As allowed capacity is increased, we will be able to accept new subscribers. You can have your name put on the waiting list through the orchestra's website (euskadikoorkestra.eus) and by phone (943 01 32 32).

As in the season that we are now wrapping up, the sale of single tickets that are not part of a subscription will open up as the concerts approach and whenever there is availability. It has been decided to keep the prices for subscriptions and single tickets the same as last year.

Patronage

With the conviction of being a very necessary cultural instrument in society, the Basque National Orchestra has put in place a new tool for connecting with the public through patronage. This will allow those who wish to add to the development of our Basque cultural project to do so through monetary contributions.

The patronage scheme is presented as a necessary tool for the future which is complementary to the subsidies received from the government, being turned to as a means for contribution to, and development of, culture and society. All donations to the orchestra will allow you to benefit from a tax deduction.

Special thanks

Lastly, the orchestra wants to thank the important collaboration and support of all the entities that participate in the undertaking of its different activities: its subscribers and the general public, sponsoring and collaborating entities, cultural agents, the media, etc. You all help to make the activity of the Basque National Orchestra possible.

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