Music and space. Choir of Bilbao

The Bilbao-Bilboko Koral Elkartea Choral Society was founded in 1886. Throughout the years they were adding successes, awards and a great prestige. On the occasion of the approaching Holy Week, the choir will perform a journey through the spiritual polychoral music of the twentieth century.

General admission: 12 and 8€.

PROGRAM

IN SHOWROOMS

Komm, Süsser Tod

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Knut Nystedt (1915-2014)

Ubi Caritas

Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)

Ave Maria

Javier Busto (b. 1949)

IN THE THEATER

Cantique De Jean Racine

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Kyrie (De Cantus Missae, A 8 V.M.)

 J. G. Rheinberger (1839-1901)

Gloria

Vytautas Miskinis (b. 1954)

Ave Maria (A 8 V.M.)

Franz Biebl (1906-2001)

Ave Maris

Stella Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Oremus

Urmas Sisask (b. 1960)

ENRIQUE AZURZA

He assumed the artistic direction of the Bilbao Choral Society in April 2016. Professor of choral singing at the Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco - Musikene, he is one of the most outstanding and dynamic choral conductors of his generation. He studied choir conducting in the Basque Country and in Stockholm, with Anders Eby, with a scholarship from the Diputación de Gipuzkoa. He took specialization courses with Eric Ericson and Carl Høgset. In 1991 he received the Best Conductor Award at the International Contest of Varna (Bulgaria) and has been invited twice by the IFCM to the World Symposium of Choral Music: Sydney 1996 and Puerto Madryn (Argentina) 2011. He currently directs the Hodeiertz Choir of Tolosa, and the professional vocal group KEA, specialized in contemporary music. He has conducted the Choir of the University of the Basque Country (1999-2016), the Coro Lírico de Cantabria - Coro del Palacio de Festivales de Santander (2011-2015) and the Coro del Instituto Aragonés de Canto Coral (1993-2003) and acted as guest conductor with the RTVE Choir, and with the St. Jacob Choir of Stockholm. He is musical advisor to the Tolosa International Choral Competition, the Barcelona World Symposium 2017 and artistic director of the Ejea de Los Caballeros Choral Competition. He has served on juries at national and international festivals: Debrecen (Hungary), Arezzo (Italy), Tours (France), Varna (Bulgaria), Marktoberdorf (Germany), Montreux and Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Maasmechelen (Belgium), Maribor (Slovenia), Busan (South Korea) and Hong-Kong (China).

CHOIR OF BILBAO

The Bilbao-Bilboko Koral Elkartea Choral Society was founded in 1886. Throughout the years, it has been successful, won awards and gained great prestige. Among the maestros who have conducted the Bilbao Choir are Aureliano Valle, Jesús Guridi, Arturo Inchausti, Timoteo Urrengoechea, J. M. Olaizola, Modesto Arana, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Juan Cordero, Urbano Ruiz Laorden, Julen Ezkurra, Gorka Sierra, Iñaki Moreno, Joan Cabero and Julio Gergely. Since April 2016, Enrique Azurza has been the conductor.

He has premiered in Spain such important works as the oratorio "The Supper of the Apostles" by Wagner, "A German Requiem" by Brahms, "Solemn Vespers of the Confessor" by Mozart, the "Requiem" by Verdi, the oratorio "Elijah" by Mendelssohn, Smith's "Psalm," Franck's "The Beatitudes," Borodin's "Dances of Prince Igor," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Vaughan-Williams' "Hodie," Ligeti's "Requiem" and Britten's "Spring Symphony." Among its world premieres are Arámbarri's poem "Castilla", Escudero's cantata "Illeta", Gorka Sierra's oratorio "Gernika" and Karmelo Bernaola's "Euskadi. Euskarari Abestia".

Also in the lyrical field they have developed a great activity. To it we owe, among others, the world premieres of the operas "Maitena" by Colín, "Mendi Mendiyan" by Usandizaga, "Lide eta Txidor" by Santos Intxausti, "Mirentxu" and "Amaya" by Guridi and "Gernika" by Escudero. In 1991 they participated in the world premiere of "Medea" by Mikis Theodorakis.

They have performed accompanied by practically all the Spanish orchestras as well as with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Portuguese Radio-Diffusion Orchestra, National Orchestras of Bordeaux-Aquitaine, du Capitole de Toulouse, Lyon, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Paris Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre Lamoureux, Wiener Akademie Orchestra, Szeged Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg.