Music and space. Bilbao Choir

The Bilbao Choral Society (Bilboko Koral Elkartea) was founded in 1886. Over the years, it has enjoyed success, won awards, and gained great prestige. With Holy Week approaching, the choir will perform a selection of 20th-century polyphonic spiritual music.

General admission: $12 and $8

PROGRAM

IN EXHIBITION HALLS

Come, Sweet Death

J. S. Bach (1685–1750)

Knut Nystedt (1915–2014)

Where Charity Is

Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986)

Hail Mary

Javier Busto (b. 1949)

AT THE THEATER

Cantique by Jean Racine

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)

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

 J. G. Rheinberger (1839–1901)

Glory

Vytautas Miskinis (born 1954)

Hail Mary (At 8 p.m.)

Franz Biebl (1906–2001)

Ave Maris

Stella Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Oremus

Urmas Sisask (b. 1960)

ENRIQUE AZURZA

He took over as artistic director of the Bilbao Choral Society in April 2016. A professor of choral singing at the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country – Musikene, he is one of the most prominent and dynamic choir directors of his generation. He studied choir conducting in the Basque Country and Stockholm with Anders Eby, on a scholarship from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. He took specialization courses with Eric Ericson and Carl Høgset. In 1991, he received the Best Conductor Award at the International Competition in Varna (Bulgaria) and has been invited twice by the IFCM to the World Symposium on Choral Music: Sydney 1996 and Puerto Madryn (Argentina) 2011. He currently conducts the Hodeiertz Choir in Tolosa and the professional vocal group KEA, which specializes in contemporary music. He has conducted the Choir of the University of the Basque Country (1999-2016), the Cantabria Lyric Choir – Choir of the Santander Festival Palace (2011-2015) and the Choir of the Aragonese Institute of Choral Singing (1993-2003), and has acted as guest conductor with the RTVE Choir and the St. Jacob Choir of Stockholm. He is musical advisor to the Tolosa International Choir Competition and the 2017 World Symposium in Barcelona, and artistic director of the Ejea de Los Caballeros Choir Competition. He has been a member of 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).

BILBAO CHOIR

The Bilbao Choral Society (Bilboko Koral Elkartea) was founded in 1886. Over the years, it has enjoyed success, 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. Enrique Azurza has been the choir's conductor since April 2016.

He has premiered such important works in Spain as Wagner's oratorio"The Last Supper of the Apostles,"Brahms'"A German Requiem," Mozart's"Solemn Vespers of a Confessor," Verdi's"Requiem," Mendelssohn's oratorio"Elijah,"Smith'sPsalm, Franck'sLes Bienheureux, Borodin'sPrince Igor Dances, Orff'sCarmina Burana, Vaughan-Williams'Hodie, Ligeti'sRequiem, and Britten'sSpring Symphony. Among his world premieres, it is worth highlighting Arámbarri's poem "Castilla," Escudero's cantata "Illeta," Gorka Sierra's oratorio "Gernika," and Karmelo Bernaola's work "Euskadi. Euskarari Abestia."

They have also been very active in the field of opera. Among other works, they have premiered the operasMaitenaby Colín,Mendi Mendiyanby Usandizaga,Lide eta Txidorby Santos Intxausti,MirentxuandAmayaby Guridi, andGernikaby Escudero. In 1991, they participated in the world premiere of Mikis Theodorakis' "Medea."

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