Mexico-Spain Contemporary Music Festival
After a 25-year hiatus, Mexico and Spain once again co-organize a festival of contemporary music, this February 17 to 28, to present the leading exponents of the genre from both countries, along with poetry recitals and master classes in composition.
The new Spanish-Mexican Festival of Contemporary Music will revive artistic exchange and end a quarter of a century of isolation and lack of awareness of the work of musicians from either nation, says the director of the event, Marcela Rodriguez. “Now,” she adds, “we are going to reactivate the exchange and presentation of the latest from genre, with works of high quality in terms of composition and execution. They are fresh and define the vision and influences of each of the participants.”
She recalled that the original festival was organized by the Mexican Alicia Urrueta and the Spaniard Carlos Cruz de Castro. “It was called the Spanish-Mexican Festival and was held from 1973 to 1983. After that, contact between the composers from the two countries was broken off.”
She explained that the programme consists of concerts of chamber and electronic music. “There will be five world premieres and 17 pieces will be played for the first time in Mexico.”
In total, she said, there will be six concerts with pieces by Mexicans Lara Ana and Gabriela Ortiz, among others, and the Spaniards José Manuel López, Carlos Cruz de Castro, José Luis Castillo, Javier Arias, Jesús Rueda, Santiago Lanchares, Ramón Humet and Mercedes Zavala. She also highlighted the performances by the ensembles Onix and Catrina String Quartet, plus the piano soloists Carlos Apellániz and Alberto Rosado.
