Basque composers and Paris

Euskal Herria is part of an increasingly globalized world where the rich Basque cultural heritage is often relegated to archives and libraries, often forgotten or simply completely unknown to Basque citizens. A heritage of enormous artistic quality, where the present cycle is intended to make it known in order to spread knowledge and interest in our culture in our environment.

This land has produced great composers who are totally unknown to the majority of Basque society. Among them stand out those composers who, for various reasons emigrated to America, and developed their creative work in that continent. Their work is of a quality similar to that of the compositions of the great composers of history. We can highlight Emiliana de Zubeldia, Héctor Tosar, Tomás Mugica, Aita Madina, and Olazarán de Estella among many others.

Through local and foreign artists, music professionals with extensive international careers, this second edition focuses on the dissemination of Basque classical music composed in America, programmed together with the great international repertoire. That is, to make known and disseminate our classical music, born on the other side of the ocean, and its relationship with the international repertoire, in a small and educational concert format, in order to place it at the level it deserves.

The artistic direction of the project is in charge of Josu Okiñena, musician and researcher, whose professional career is linked to the recovery and enhancement of the Basque musical heritage. Awarded by the University of the Basque Country, his research, interpretation and critical edition of works by Basque composers such as Aita Donostia, Pascual Aldave, Tomás Garbizu, among others, stand out. His piano career has allowed him to spread this repertoire in some of the most important halls in the world. His presence guarantees the participation in the festival of a group of interpreters of international level sensitized with the Basque repertoire and committed to its diffusion in their artistic projects.