Barcelona Festival of Song to pay special attention to songs in indigenous languages

The 13th edition of Barcelona Festival of Song is set to take place from 26 June to 5 July.  The festival basically features classical music, though with a markedly innovative accent. For example, this year’s edition will pay particular attention to songs in indigenous languages and will include pieces based on Amazonian legends, as well as piano music inspired by salsa.

The opening recital will take place at CaixaForum and will feature soprano and festival director Patricia Caicedo and pianist Nikos Stavlas with songs in Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua and Nahuatl. On 28 June, Stavlas will take to the stage again, this time at Biblioteca de Catalunya, to play pieces by Mompou, Scriabin and Gershwin, while the following day will see the Greek pianist accompanied by soprano Elisabete Almeida in a concert at Residència d'Investigadors and a repertoire of Amazonian songs.

The last day of June sees a return to Biblioteca de Catalunya, where pianist Elena Riu will interpret pieces by Latin American composers while on the first day of July, soprano Carolina Plata will sing chamber pieces in indigenous languages at Residència d'Investigadors. Two recitals, on 4 and 5 July, featuring Iberian and Latin American pieces will bring the festival to a close.

As well as this concert cycle, Barcelona Festival of Song also organises a summer course for opera singers and is the only event in the world that is devoted to studying and promoting the Iberian and Latin American repertoires. Additional information is available on the festival website.