Thousands of culture vultures will alight in Granada in the coming weeks as world-class classical and contemporary music, cinema, and dance – a good portion of it free of charge – come to this venerable festival of music and dance against the magical backdrop of world´s most glorious Moorish palace, the Alhambra, this June 7th to July 14th. And it all promises to be amazing!
What´s On
Offerings will include dance performances; chamber recitals in the intimacy of the Nasrid and Renaissance palaces; unparalleled cinematographic works; and especially symphonic/choral concerts by Concert de Nations bodies including Spain´s own RTVE Symphony, City of Granada Orchestra, the National Orchestra, the Choir of Spain, and the Castille and León Symphony, along with international participants such as the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Nationale du Capitole de Toulouse. Dance companies include the National Ballet of Spain and Spanish National Dance Company.
Some of the prominent artists appearing include cellists Jean-Guihen Queyras and Mario Brunello; British pianists Paul Lewis and (also conductor) Sir András Schiff, the piano-and-strings Trio Arbós, and organists Andrés Cea Galán, Pedro Luengo, and Bernard Foccroulle.
Notable Highlights
Films also play a role in the festival, perhaps most notably Nosferatu, the 1922 horror classic released in 1922, with accompaniment by the City of Granada Orchestra under the direction of resident composer José María Sánchez-Verdú, and Chaplin & Keaton, another unique work of the silent film era, accompanied here by Trio Arbós, Juan Carlos Chornet, Claudia Reyes, Luis Barbero, and Frano Kakarigi.
Andalusia’s (and Spain´s) quintessential art form flamenco will be represented by well-known artists such as Sara Baras, David Palomar, El Pele, Esperanza Fernández, Montse Cortés, Kiki Morente, and Cristian de Moret, and there will also be a nod to fado, the national music of next-door Portugal, with an appearance by the genre´s most prominent artist, Mariza.
Another fundamental musical pillar is jazz, and with a Spanish accent in the form of acts such as Valencia Jazz Top 7, the Moisés P. Sánchez Invention Trio, the Antonio Serrano Quartet, and The Sister!
Culture Beyond the Festival
Furthermore, from early June through mid-July the Festival Extension (FEX for short) delivers a stimulating parallel performance programme which will transform the patios, squares, and other beautiful corners of Granada and the province beyond, and throughout the same period a series of 55 Manuel de Falla Courses (named after the composer) will be held on various and sundry artistic disciplines including not just music and dance but also photography and poetry.
So do 33 days of world-class international culture – classical and modern – and with a decidedly Spanish accent appeal? Then Granada is the place for you these next couple of months!