The next edition of the La Rioja Organ Festival (FOR) will be held every Sunday between June 30 and July 28, in the towns of Bañares, Haro, Ezcary, Treviana and Briones. The general director of Culture, Roberto Iturriaga, and the programmer, Jesús Pérez Caballero, have presented the cycle and the XVI Organ Music Performance Course. The last concert will be in Briones and will serve as a link with the course that organist Jesús Gonzalo López will teach between July 28 and August 2
Two events, one recreational and the other educational, with which, “to learn about the great organs that we have in the Community and facilitate the access of organists to these instruments”, as well as “to highlight their value and collaborate in the common effort to maintain the organs”. restored historical buildings,” Iturriaga highlighted.
Regarding the concert program, Iturriaga has stressed that three performances will be held by “renowned organists”, such as Thomas Ospital, “a specialist in musical improvisation”; Loreto Aramendi, “renowned international concert pianist” and Jesús Gonzalo López, who in addition to his extensive career as an organist, “also stands out for his work in research and dissemination of ancient musical heritage.” In addition, two concerts will also be scheduled by duos, the first with organ and violin and the second with organ and trumpet.
Five organ concerts
For his part, Pérez Caballero has outlined the programming of this series of concerts, organized by the Government of La Rioja. The first of them will begin at 8:30 p.m., in the Church of Santa Cruz de Bañares. This first event of the festival is configured as “one of the most unique musical proposals with the fusion of talent and sounds that will be offered by the duo composed of the harpsichord and organ soloist, Daniel Oyarzabal, and the violinist Miriam Hontana.
The Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Vega is the place chosen to celebrate the second event of this Festival, with a concert on July 7 by the organist Santiago Banda and the trumpeter and director of the Palencia Professional Conservatory of Music, Enrique Abello. Both will offer a varied program that will cover compositions such as the ‘Prelude to Te Deum’ by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, ‘Siciliana op.78’ by Gabriel Fauré or the ‘Concert in D major’ by Bach.
Thomas Ospital, one of the greatest organists of recent times, will be the protagonist and author of the sounds that will be hosted, on July 14 at 8:30 p.m., by the Church of Santa María la Mayor in Ezcaray. With a dazzling career, Ospital will delight attendees with compositions by Antonio Correa Braga, Pablo Bruna or the ‘Grand dialogue’ by Louis Marchand.
The titular organist of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Basilica of Santa María del Coro de San Sebastián and international concert pianist, Loreto Aramendi will offer the fourth concert of the Festival. The event will take place on July 21 at the Church of Santa María la Mayor in Treviana, where Aramendi will perform songs such as ‘Batalla Imperial’ by Cabanilles or ‘Fandango’ by María Josefa Marco.
The closing of the La Rioja Organ Festival, with the fifth and last concert of this edition’s programming, will take place on July 28 at 8:00 p.m. at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Briones. Throughout the estimated hour of the concert, the organist, researcher and expert on historical organs Jesús Gonzalo López will perform fifteen pieces by authors such as Sebastián Albero, Antonio Soler, Josef Lidón or Juan Sesé.
XVI International Organ Music Course in Briones
From July 28 to August 2, the Festival will be completed with the XVI edition of the Organ Music Performance Course. Under the direction of Rubén Pérez Iracheta, up to 15 students will be able to participate in an original and innovative training program that will have Jesús Gonzalo López as teacher. Specifically, in this edition the figure of José Lidón, the pinnacle of Spanish Baroque organ music, will be highlighted.
This course, as Iturriaga has confirmed, “aims to collaborate in the common effort to maintain the restored historical organs, unique elements of the cultural heritage and the rich heritage preserved in our region.”
The course will open on Sunday, July 28 at 8:00 p.m. in the parish of Asunción de Briones where the reception of the students will take place. During the subsequent days, the course will be taught from Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Those interested in taking the course can expand the information and request the registration form by calling 654 840 936 and email [email protected]
In addition, different complementary activities will be offered such as the conference ‘Organ keyboards from D. Scarlatti’ directed by Rubén Pérez Iracheta, an excursion to the Itinerant Didactic Classroom and an organ concert by the course students themselves.
