Wednesday 15 February 2017 at 20:30

OPERA GALA OPENING

Anush Hovhannisyan, soprano
Ketevan Kemoklidze, mezzo
Giulio Pelligra, tenor
Michel de Souza, baritone
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

The “Queens and Empresses of the Orient” Festival unfolds in the oriental palace of King Herod in Jerusalem with Hérodiade and her daughter Salomé. It is an Orient as seen by the French composers Massenet (1842-1912), Gounod (1818 -1893), Saint-Saens (1835-1921) and the Italian composer Rossini (1792-1868).

Saturday 18 February 2017 at 20:30

SCHEHERAZADE

Victor Julien-Laferrière, cello
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

Sunday 19 February 2017 at 16:30

JACARANDA ENSEMBLE

Sebastian Pietsch, saxophone
Richard Mosthaf, didgeridoo, alpenhorn
Thomas Hoffmann, alpenhorn, french horn
Matthias Dressler, marimba, percussion
Thomas Ringleb, percussion

Five musicians, principals of the Brandenburg Symphony, have put together an unusual ensemble as a result of a desire to experiment with new sounds. Through its music, the Jacaranda Ensemble builds a bridge between the cultures of the world. The positive response of the public as well as international respect has confirmed the unusual concept of the Jacaranda Ensemble.

Monday 20 February 2017 at 20:30

SEMIRAMIS

Anna Bonitatibus, mezzo-soprano
Marco Marzocchi, piano
six musicians from Al Bustan Festival Orchestra

A concert dedicated to the legendary Semiramis, wife of the Biblical Nimrod, Queen of the Assyrian Empire (reigned 811-806 BCE). The majority of the pieces in the program were unknown in modern times before being unearthed by Anna Bonitatibus, a few years ago. About this concert at Wigmore Hall: “Altogether an exhilarating evening of rarities and novelty, sung with full blooded rigor” Bachtrack.

Wednesday 22 February 2017 at 20:30
Saint Joseph Jesuit Church

ROSSINI STABAT MATER

Nestan Meboniya, soprano
Alessandra Volpe, mezzo
Giulio Pelligra, tenor
Goderzi Janelidze, bass
Choir of the Serbian National Theatre
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

The Stabat Mater describes the suffering of Mary, mother of Jesus, as her son is crucified. Rossini’s Stabat Mater combines two entirely different styles of composition: traditional church music in the Renaissance manner of Palestrina and Pergolesi, and arias that would not sound out of place in a typical Rossini opera. It was described as “noble, simple and severe.”

Sunday 26 February 2017 at 19:00

OPERA MEDEA (concert performance)

Svelta Vassileva, soprano (Medea)
Ilona Domnich, soprano (Dirce)
Daniela Pini, mezzo soprano(Néris)
Lorenzo Decaro, tenor (Giasone)
Goderzi Janelidze, bass (Creon)
Choir of the Serbian National Theatre
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

Medea is an Opera that is rarely performed. It has been said that it requires a soprano with vocal cords of amalgamated steel to sing the title role of MEDEA and Svetla Vassileva has it.

Wednesday 1 March 2017 at 20:30

RACHMANINOV AND ELGAR CONCERTOS

Renaud Capuçon, violin
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

It is Martha Argerich who played musical matchmaker and brought these two brilliant performers together. Their concerts at Lugano Festival in 2012 were a resounding success. Renaud has been praised for his “intensely lyrical” tone and “gloriously rich sound” (BBC Music Magazine). Khatia was described as the “fiery young star” and hailed by Argerich as “a young pianist of extraordinary talent.”

Thursday 2 March 2017 at 20:30

ROMANTIC SONATAS

Renaud Capuçon, violin
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano

Khatia and I met over Franck’s sonata,” Capuçon recalls. “This is the sonata that sealed our musical partnership, the sheer joy of playing together.”

Saturday 4 March 2017 at 20:30

ONLY BEETHOVEN 3

Gloria Campaner, piano
Al Bustan Festival Orchestra
Beatrice Venezi, conductor

Who else but Gloria Campaner to play the Piano Concerto No. 3? The” Eroica” Symphony, also No. 3, is one of the major milestones in the development of Beethoven’s style trademark.

Tuesday 7 March 2017 at 20:30

FROM LATIN AMERICA TO PARIS

Jorge Viladoms, piano
Lionel Cottet, cello

Two musicians playing with elegance and virtuosity. Lionel Cottet plays an 1852 Jean-Baptiste Guillaume cello

Friday 10 March 2017 at 20:30

CLEOPATRA

Regula Mühlemann, soprano
La Folia Barockorchester (17 musicians)

Together with the acclaimed soprano Regula Mühlemann, La Folia Barockorchester explores the historical figure of Cleopatra through the different interpretations of Baroque composers. Besides famous arias by George Frideric Handel and Johann Adolf Hasse, the program also reveals pieces by Alessandro Scarlatti and Antonio Vivaldi.

Saturday 11 March 2017 at 20:30

FADO, AN EVENING IN LISBON

Katia Guerreiro, singer FADO
Pedro de Castro – guitar portugaise
Luís Guerreiro – guitare portugaise
João Veiga – Guitare classic
Francisco Gaspar- Bass
António Martins - Iluminacion
Luís Caldeira - son
Paulo Ochoa – tour manager

“Une interprète parfaite pour mettre en voix la solitude, l’angoisse vitale, le déchirement, la séparation des amants, les ombres et les lumières, l’essence de l’enivrante beauté du fado”. Le Monde, 2015

Sunday 12 March 2017 at 20:30

ZENOBIA, QUEEN OF SHEBA AND PALFALVI'S TRUMPET

Tamás Pálfalvi, trumpet
Orquesta Joven de Extremadura
Gianluca Marcianὸ , conductor

Queen of Sheba is a biblical figure 967 B.C.E.. Her legendary voyage to meet Solomon, King of Israel, has inspired centuries of speculation about her kingdom and influence in the ancient world. “Pálfalvi sets new standards for trumpet playing” MDR Figaro, 2015

Tuesday 14 March 2017 at 20:30

SAINT-SAENS VIOLIN CONCERTO N3

Fanny Clamagirand, violin
Orquesta Joven de Extremadura
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

Fanny Clamagirand recorded the complete Saint- Saëns Violin Concertos. Her CD has been awarded a “Choc” by the French musical magazine Classica. Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 was praised for its poetic atmosphere.

Sunday 19 March 2017 at 20:30

OPERATIC GRAND FINALE

Silvia dalla Benetta, soprano
Paola Gardina, mezzo
Lorenzo Decaro, tenor
Orquesta Joven de Extremadura
Gianluca Marcianὸ, conductor

Berlioz's La Mort de Cléopâtre is a deeply admired work that has been taken up by some of the most important mezzo singers of our time. It is the perfect way to bring the Festival to an end.