University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

The Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de Navarra presents its fourth program that combines symphonic pieces of opera and ballet on Tuesday 26, at 7:30 pm at the Teatro del Museo Universidad de Navarra. It will start with the three dances of the opera The Bartered Bride by the Bohemian composer Bedrich Smetana, after which the famous adagio from the ballet Spartacus will be performed, a bridge before the suite from the ballet Masquerade. Both ballets were written by the famous Soviet composer of Armenian origin A. Khachaturian, a reference in dance music of the twentieth century.

In this new season, the Orchestra, conducted by Borja Quintas, adds new musicians to its ranks, especially from the first university course. In addition, it is part of the recent implementation of the University's Artistic Talent program, to which the musicians of the orchestra have joined. For this program, professors Raffaela Acella and Mª Antonia Rodríguez, who together with Diego Arbizu have carried out the sectional rehearsals, under the artistic direction of Quintas, have joined the group.

GROWTH OF THE ORCHESTRA

The Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de Navarra arises as a new project with the purpose of offering the students of the University the possibility of training and belonging to a quality symphonic ensemble.

Inspired by the orchestras of the most prestigious universities in the United States and Central Europe, it aims to revalue the role of the arts and music in the university environment and to become a young orchestra of reference. On the horizon it also wants to promote links and exchanges with other national and international university institutions through music.

This year the Orchestra has already offered three concerts. In January, a lyrical gala took place with the soloists María José Montiel and Enrique Ferrer and the cellist Ángel Luis Quintana. The program included a journey through some of the most illustrious arias and duets of the operatic repertoire, with pieces by Mascagni, Puccini, Donizetti, Werther, Saint-Saëns and Bizet. The opera gala was also performed at the Victoria Eugenia Theater in San Sebastian.

In addition, in spring, they performed a concert combining two masterpieces of the Spanish and Russian repertoire, such as Manuel de Falla's Amor Brujo and Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Variety Orchestra. Their presentation concert was in April 2018, in which they performed Suite Carmen by G. Bizet and Bolero by Ravel.