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.

More information

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”.

More information

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.

More information

Starting with the 2021/2022 Season, the Chief Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra, Robert Trevino, will take on a new responsibility in his music career. Trevino will be the Principal Guest Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, also popularly known as the RAI Torino. It is a highly prestigious orchestra in Italy, very well known for its many international tours and for the quality of its chief and guest conductors.

Starting with this new appointment, Robert Trevino will manage, with different levels of responsibility, the following orchestras: The Basque National Orchestra as Chief Conductor, the RAI Torino as Principal Guest Conductor and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra as Artistic Advisor.

His new responsibility at the RAI Torino includes, along with his presence during the concert season, several international tours and recordings.

For the Basque National Orchestra the new appointment of Trevino means recognition of the work it has been carrying out during recent years with its Chief Conductor, and which will continue in the future, and undoubtedly raises the profile of the orchestra at international level.

More information

Maurice Ravel is a universal composer whose works are performed across the world. Born in Ziburu in the French Basque Country, the Basque National Orchestra is showcasing his Basque origins. Robert Trevino has conducted centrepiece performances of Ravel in several season concerts and in the orchestra’s debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Since the early days of his conductorship, Trevino has been keen to explore Ravel's Basque identity in depth and to share with the world what this orchestra knows and understands about the composer’s language.

In Trevino's own words, ‘For the Basque National Orchestra, recording an album solely of Ravel is a huge challenge because the public knows this repertoire extremely well. It has been recorded countless times and performed to an excellent standard throughout history. So (…) why is this necessary? I think it is important to recognise the great affinity that the Basque National Orchestra has with the music of Maurice Ravel’.

The result of this time in the studio is an eagerly-awaited orchestral album of Ravel. As for the renewed interest in the composer, the music itself gives the clues, as Trevino explains. ‘There are many passages in Ravel's music which are particularly Basque, such as rhythms or popular phrases, hidden all throughout his work. Ravel was French-Basque. Though his music has a lot of French colour, it also has Basque frankness and determination. In immersing ourselves in his music and approaching this masterful composer from a new direction, we have uncovered truths which are perhaps less evident to non-Basque orchestras. It has been a magnificent experience’.

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 the latest album together with La Valse, Boléro, Rapsodie espagnole, Pavane pour une infante défunte and Une barque sur l´océan. 

Recording took place last October in the Kursaal Auditorium, where the large stage was equipped with an additional platform to ensure that the near 90 musicians tackling Ravel’s great orchestral works maintained the safety distances currently required.

Initial international reception

Available on CD and in digital format on large platforms such as Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music, this new Ravel is a compendium of works famous across the world.  A dedicated album of Ravel in this day and age may be a tough sell, but the new approach by the orchestra and its conductor in this recording has already attracted the attention of the leading platforms in this market just a few days following its international launch, and the album ranks highly.

Some of the initial reactions are listed below:

• On Spotify, the album features on the list of Very best classical new releases.
• The prestigious magazine Gramophone has included the record on its Apple Music playlist of Essential new albums of the week.
• On Apple Music, Pavane pour une infante défunte is at the top of the A-List: Classical.
• Australian publication Limelight has named the disc its album of the month.

About Ondine Records

This record was made by the prestigious Finnish label Ondine. Trevino has an annual deal with the label that started with the recording of Beethoven’s complete symphonies with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, of which he is also chief conductor. His recording career with the Basque National Orchestra kicked off afterwards with two albums: Ravel's most orchestral works, and a record of little-known American composers made last September.

Ondine, part of 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. Robert Trevino ticks all these boxes; this is a conductor with immense musical prowess and an original and inquisitive mind.

Reijo Kiilunen continues: ‘Robert Trevino and the Basque National Orchestra have a highly characteristic and distinctive approach, and a fabulous sound. I was fascinated by the idea that this American conductor would guide the orchestra through the music of a Basque genius. This first record is a genuine revelation of just how wonderfully the orchestra with Trevino at the helm interprets the music of Maurice Ravel. The initial international reception has been enthusiastic and we expect excellent reviews. I congratulate the orchestra and Trevino for this impressive start and I eagerly await their future albums together’.

Where to buy the record

The record is available on the main digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and many more.

Physical copies are also available to buy in several stores.

More information

The Basque National Orchestra has opened the selection process for the position of concertmaster. It is an important position in a symphony orchestra as it is the soloist position in the first violin section. The selection process is open and applications must be made before 9 June. The selection process will take place on 10 and 11 August.

This selection process is in addition to those already open for a tutti French horn and two tutti violins, whose application deadlines are set for 13 and 14 May, respectively.  The process to fill these vacancies will take place on 1 and 2 June for the two tutti violins and on 3 June for the tutti French horn position.

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

More information

As usual, this year the Basque National Orchestra will also participate in Bilbao's Musika-Música Festival, in what will be its 20th edition. During these two decades the Festival has brought an abundance of music to Bilbao, and as a result has become a reference among music-lovers from all over the world.

Bilbao City Council has scheduled 36 concerts for the festival, which will be held this year from 5 to 7 March. The city of Vienna, the capital of music par excellence, has been chosen as the main feature of this edition, closing the cycle that began in 2019 with London and New York, and Paris in 2020. Bilbao will emulate Vienna and during the first weekend of March will become the capital of music. Its greatest exponents ‒ Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Brahms or Mahler, among others ‒ will be ‘present’ in the city for three days, celebrating music.

The Basque National Orchestra will offer one of the Festival's unmissable events on Saturday 6 March at 19:30, in the Euskalduna Conference Centre. Under the orders of acclaimed director Semyon Bychkov and accompanied by soprano Serena Sáenz, the orchestra will perform Symphony no.4 by Gustav Mahler.

Prior to that, on Friday 5 March, the Basque National Orchestra will have performed a double concert within the same programme as part of its Subscription Season in the Baluarte Auditorium at 18:00 and tat 20:15.

Bychkov recently took the Basque National Orchestra podium, in August 2020, to direct Symphony No. 3, Eroica by Beethoven, at both the San Sebastián Musical Fortnight and the Santander Festival. After experiencing a great rapport between the director and the orchestra, Bychkov will repeat months later as the director of the Basque National Orchestra.

More information and ticket sales

Tickets will be numbered and will be for sale, for 6 to 12 euros, on Wednesday 24 February, at the Euskalduna Conference Centre ticket booths and on its website, as well as at Kutxabank multi-service ATMs and at the concert halls, half an hour before the start of each performance.

The organisation of the Festival will strictly comply with the health regulations in place as a result of Covid-19 in order to guarantee the safety of the artists and the public.

All the information about the festival and its 36 events can be found here.

More information

Two worlds which, on the face of it, are completely unrelated, have come together to produce Gutizia – a smorgasbord that directly links the txistu, an instrument deeply rooted in Basque culture, with a symphony orchestra. This is what's currently occupying Garikoitz Mendizabal and the Basque National Orchestra in Miramon, as they prepare to record and promote a compendium of works for txistu and orchestra. In the words of Garikoitz Mendizabal, one of the proponents of this instrument, the goal is to ‘broaden its repertoire, so that the txistu can naturally step onto the international stage with orchestras across the world’. 

The record will comprise 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 (Legend); 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 (Concerto for txistu and orchestra).

Project participants

Jaume Santonja, Associate Conductor with the Basque National Orchestra, will act as Musical Director for Gutizia. Garikoitz Mendizabal, the orchestra and the composers will be 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.

The international label Orpheus Classical will record this musical project. It will be available on CD and on Spotify and iTunes, with release scheduled for after summer.

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. Gutizia is the fruit of this labour. As he herself says, ‘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 (Oreka TX / 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.

Information sheet

Pieces in order of recording:

• Legend......................................................... Eduardo Moreno [17 min]
• Concerto for txistu and orchestra................. Naji Hakim [12 min]
• Hora stacatto................................................ Grigoras Dinicus (Arranged by: Iñaki Urkizu) [2 min]
• Iruten ari nuzu.............................................. Popular (Arranged by: Kepa de Miguel) [4 min]
• Atzo ttun ttun................................................ Popular (Arranged by: Kepa de Miguel) [4 min]
• Karibu Peponi.............................................. Javier Martinez Campos [10 min]
• Symphony-Concerto.................................... David Johnstone [27 min]
• Fandango Zaharra....................................... Unknown composer (Arranged by: Pierre Wekstein) [4 min]

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.

Notes on some of the pieces comprising Gutizia

Legend (Eduardo Moreno)

This score is undoubtedly an attempt to express the emotions that human beings experience throughout our lives. The voice that transmits them is none other than a small being like any one of us, or better said, a humble instrument: the txistu.

We steal its language and its form of expression, we rob it of its personality by taking it out of its context, and we give it the opportunity to show us the emotions that everyone feels: joy, love, pain, the fight, and of course, desperation.

Legend tells a story, but it also strips the txistu of all the artifice created by tradition, leaving it free to express, through its sound, the deepest experiences humans have gone through for centuries.

Concerto for txistu and orchestra (Naji Hakim)

A concerto with a classical three-movement format. Lebanese composer Naji Hakim took inspiration from Basque genres and melodies. The first movement comprises a mazurka and a danceable minuet, while the second alludes to the funeral march titled Gernika, by Pablo Sorozábal. The third and final movement is about dance.

Hora Staccato (Grigoras Dinicus, arranged by Iñaki Urkizu)

A much-loved virtuoso piece, now presented for the first time for txistu and orchestra.

Iruten ari nuzu / Atzo Ttun ttun (Popular, arranged by Kepa de Miguel)

Well-known Basque songs by an unknown composer, now arranged by Kepa de Miguel Garbizu. For Garikoitz Mendizabal, this return to his student days in the conservatory 25 years ago evokes nostalgia and memories. Hence, he entrusted his beloved professor with the orchestration. Amaia Zipitria (his piano accompaniment) and the soprano Naroa Intxausti will perform in a piece that Mendizabal sees as ‘an emotional end to a cycle’.

Karibu Peponi (Javier Martínez Campos)

Karibu Peponi was composed in 2021 for solo txistu and symphony orchestra. The piece was commissioned by Garikoitz Mendizabal and is dedicated to him on account of the friendship and diverse professional experiences and collaborations that bond the composer and the txistulari together.

The piece is a small tribute to Kenya, its people and its flora and fauna. Hence the Swahili title ‘Karibu Peponi’, which translates as ‘Welcome to paradise’. When Martínez Campos was there in 2019, he met a warrior from the Samburu people who would improvise on a three-holed flute. The instrument inevitably reminded him of the txistu, and it seemed appropriate that it play the leading role in this tribute.

The work uses the African Makru rhythm and is structured around two themes which are developed via rhythmic, harmonic and melodic variations and a constant dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. The result is a technically demanding and expressive composition for the soloist, in terms of the score itself and the pace, as well as the phrasing and musicality. For the orchestra, the piece is colourful, evocative and grandiose.

Symphony – Concerto (David Johnstone)

The composer’s primary aim was to create an important addition to the txistu soloist’s repertoire, in terms of both the difficulty of the piece and the symphonic structure. In this piece, the soloist is the equal of the orchestra in a musical creation that presents a symphonic transformation and an organic structure. Hence the title. The work is undeniably spiritual, but by no means decidedly religious, at least not in a traditional sense.

The first movement opens with a prayer, reminiscent of a romantic film, with a solo part that at times you could sing along to and at others is oratorical. However, the orchestra accompaniment gradually increases the tension that turns the solo part, desperate and crestfallen, on its head.

In the second movement, the orchestra abandons the soloist completely, the latter having to find their own way in the form of a long cadenza. Johnstone relentlessly launches into the third fast movement. Titled ‘Freedom’, the string part in this allegro is fairly aggressive. Later, the soloist largely dominates the development section. There are fast-paced moments, a huge mix of tension and rest, a subtle but energetic cadenza by the soloist and the string soloists, and a glorious and triumphant coda, to bring the work to an exhilarating and brilliant close.

The work is dedicated to Félix Palomero ‘for believing in me’, to quote the composer.

More information

Since the concert season got under way in September, the Basque National Orchestra has had to accommodate the strict measures dictated by the authorities to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Among said measures, occupancy of its concert halls is currently limited to 400 people. The Basque National Orchestra has decided – with great effort involved – to increase the number of concert sessions from 5 to 12 so that its season ticket holders and followers can attend. It has also had to redesign some of its programmes. This has of course affected season ticket holders — with each new restriction on occupancy, times or movement between municipalities, they have had to reorganise themselves.

In the words of the orchestra's General Manager, Oriol Roch, “The result of this complex organisational labour is a highly ambitious path embarked upon by the Basque National Orchestra, rooted in its overarching commitment to the audience. Coupled to this is the orchestra’s conviction that it constitutes a great cultural asset and a driver of the society to which it owes its existence. The orchestra will, of course, continue its efforts. It’s worth it”.

Likewise, Robert Trevino says “Like any member of society, our shared purpose is to support and care for one another. The Basque National Orchestra has drawn on this concept of support to continue navigating the pandemic at the service of our society. Our goal is to stretch our bodies, our emotions and the very institution itself beyond limits bring music to people’s hearts and offer us a shared community experience. We have taken all manner of actions to make this possible – repeating programmes, rebroadcasting all our concerts on EITB, uploading these videos to YouTube, etc. – all so that every individual can experience the orchestra however they can”.

The programme for the coming months through to June sticks to some of the original plans while others have been modified. Among those plans going ahead are the debuts of three orchestral conductors (Ruth Reinhardt, Gemma New and Anja Bihlmaier), the premiere of the second work in the Elkano: Mundubira musika bidelagun project, titled My Marine Monsters, by Mikel Urquiza (Bilbao), and appearances by important soloists such as Vadim Gluzman on violin and Nikolai Lugansky on piano. The programme modifications include the unfortunate withdrawal of two choirs (Easo Abesbatza and Orfeón Pamplonés) from two programmes and of a selection of symphonies requiring a large ensemble. These measures have been taken to ensure that the safety distances currently required by law are maintained on the stage. Among the most exciting news is that the orchestra will be joined by a new soloist, Augustin Hadelich (scheduled for last season’s programme), and by pianist Judith Jáuregui and conductor Semyon Bychkov. Augustin Hadelich will not perform in Pamplona due to scheduling conflicts, while Judith Jáuregui and Semyon Bychkov will perform solely in the Navarran capital to make up for concerts cancelled in the city in Autumn. The biggest change in the concert pieces concerns the programme dedicated to Mahler, whose Symphony No.7, ‘Song of the Night’ will be substituted by symphonies 5 and 6 by Bruckner. By removing some works from the programme, we can accommodate others requiring smaller ensembles or which are of shorter duration, to ensure we comply with the restrictions.

The orchestra is striving to bring a quality programme to as many people as possible under the current circumstances. The Basque National Orchestra asks its audience for patience and understanding in the midst of the ongoing changes mandated by the restrictions in force at any given time, and which directly impact its concerts.

Current concert times:

• Donostia-San Sebastián and Vitoria: 17:30 and 19:30.
• Bilbao: 17:00 and 19:30.
• Pamplona: 18:00 and 20:15.

Concert season programme through to June

SURVIVORS:

Each city will enjoy a different combination of pieces. Back on the programme is Elkano: Mundubira musika bidelagun and the premiere of My Marine Monsters by Mikel Urquiza from Bilbao. Grammy winner Augustin Hadelich makes his debut with the orchestra (San Sebastián, Bilbao and Vitoria) with the well-known and beautiful Violin Concerto by Sibelius. Pamplona will hear pieces by Smetana and Brahms in lieu of the Sibelius concerto. All the performances will close with Dvořák's Symphony No. 5. The orchestra will be led for the first time by the young German conductor Ruth Reinhardt.

ENIGMATIKOA (Pamplona only):

Judith Jáuregui, pianist from Donostia-San Sebastián, and Jaume Santonja, Associate Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra, have put together a new programme to substitute one of the concerts cancelled in Pamplona. The pianist will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1, while the second part of the concert will be dedicated to Schumann's Symphony No.2.

MAHLER (Pamplona only):

Semyon Bychkov will conduct Mahler’s Symphony No.4 in Pamplona on 5th March. The conductor made his debut with the orchestra in the last edition of Musical Fortnight and now returns to Miramón. The work he is preparing with the orchestra will also be performed on 6th March at the Musika-Música festival in the Euskalduna Palace, Bilbao. Serena Saenz will perform soprano.

JOURNEYS:

Gemma New picks up the baton in this programme. The great Vadim Gluzman will perform solo violin in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2 before the orchestra tackles Schumann's Symphony No.3, ‘Rhenish’.

WAGNER (Pamplona only):

This programme was performed in November in Vitoria, San Sebastián and Bilbao and now comes to Pamplona, this time conducted by Jaume Santonja, Associate Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra. The orchestra will once again be joined by the mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham.

BRUCKNER:

Robert Trevino returns to the podium to lead symphonies 5 and 6 by Bruckner.

YOUNG PEOPLE:

This programme features veteran conductor Hans Graf and Birgit Kolar, guest first violinist who makes her soloist debut with a performance of Bartok's Violin Concerto No.1.

WAYFARER:

Anja Bihlmaier is the third conductor to debut with the orchestra this season. She is joined by Manuel Walser, who will sing Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer. Walser has been one of Vienna State Opera’s brightest stars in recent years.

NEW YORK:

The final programme of the season will feature Rachmaninoff and his Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini. The score requires an extraordinarily gifted pianist. Trevino has invited the great Russian virtuoso Nikolai Lugansky to take on the challenge, given his depth of knowledge of Rachmaninoff's music.

Other orchestral activities

The Miramón Matinees cycle is going ahead with the 16 scheduled chamber music performances. Seats will be available to season ticket holders only and no further tickets will be sold while the occupancy restrictions remain in place.

The orchestra has made various commitments for the coming months with other cultural institutions. It will feature at Musika/Música in Bilbao (planned for early March), conducted by Semyon Bychkov, and at the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards in mid-June. The two ABAO Bilbao Opera programmes in which the orchestra was due to participate have been cancelled, as has the Musikaste festival in Errenteria.

More information

The Basque National Orchestra is present on the new art streaming service Stage Access, a recently-launched digital subscription platform that includes concerts, opera, dance and theatre. As can be seen in the screenshot of the home page accompanying this article, the Basque National Orchestra will be sharing a space with highly relevant performers and ensembles such as Katia Buniatishvili, Lang Lang, the Berlin Philharmonic or the Vienna Philharmonic. 

The platform has already made available to its subscribers the concerts that were part of 'Euskadiko Orkestra Martxan!', an initiative that saw the return of the Basque National Orchestra to the stage after the first wave and confinement of the covid-19 pandemic. The Basque National Orchestra was the first orchestra in Spain and one of the few in Europe to get started and reunite on the stage again, which raised the interest of Stage Access in the Basque ensemble. On that occasion, a reduced orchestra format was considered (maximum of 50 musicians), which met behind closed doors to create a mini-season of 8 concerts, first broadcast on ETB2 and later on the orchestra’s YouTube channel, where they received more than 10,000 views.

Now this mini-season which includes works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Brahms among others, and which was directed in its entirety by Robert Treviño, is also available on Stage Access (only available for now for residents in North America). This partnership will bring the Basque National Orchestra to the North American market.

More information