Since the Victory of the Angels on September 22, 1972, the Alicante Concert Ensemble has been delivering its first recital, and more than a thousand top performances have filled the memory of this group over its fifty-year journey.
Although the Concert Society has pursued perfection, a remarkable effort has been made to celebrate half a century of music. World-renowned stars took the stage as part of this celebration, a point underscored this morning by President Alfonso Ramón-Borja. During the program presentation, the Alicante Concert Association Foundation showcased a lineup that includes eighteen recitals featuring soprano Barbara Heindricks, Bjorn Gaffvert on organ, and Ander Ericson on theorbo and guitar, alongside the London Soloists composed of eleven musicians with violinist Kirill Troussov; pianists Zacharias, Till Fellner, Dezso Ranki, Juan Pérez Floristan, and Javier Perianes; flamenco singer Duke or Emerson Quartet, inviting audiences to bid farewell to the city stages .
Between October and May, the young pianist Seong-Jin Cho will perform as part of a residency that has drawn attention since it began two years ago, with other notable appearances by the London Handel Cast, Tallis Scholars, and a string quartet conducted by Peter Philips Belceavi, alongside violinist Leonidas Kavacastop, Manuel Fuentes, and guitarist Ana Vidovic.
“Dozens of Grammy awards and international honors are associated with this show,” Ramón-Borja noted.
Included in this year’s half-century program is a cycle of emerging talents, featuring four concerts hosted at the foundation’s headquarters in partnership with Fundación Mediterráneo.
new ventures
The season opens with pianist Carlos Santo on October 8, followed by tenor Jorge Navarro Colorado on November 19; cellist Alfredo Ferre on January 21, and pianist Francisco Escoda on February 18.
Plans include a Solidarity for Peace Concert in 2023 and continued efforts to program educational concerts for the youngest audiences, a venture that proved highly successful in the recently concluded cycle, reaching more than 800 early learners. “We aim to broaden audience access and diversify the concert offerings,” stated Ramón-Borja.
Since its inception, the Concert Association Foundation has benefited from the support of companies and individuals, counting more than 700 partners. The Ophthalvist, a key sponsor, funds the Outstanding Concert Ensemble Award. The Department of Culture supported two projects, even though County Council assistance could not be obtained.
In addition, a series of concerts will be dedicated to groups from Alicante and the province, with a focus on professional associations, sports and civic communities to broaden access. Special emphasis will be placed on strengthening ties with the province’s conservatories.
Rafael Beltrán Dupuy, secretary and founding member of the Concert Society, spoke at the event alongside deputy director Maria Dolores Padilla, underscoring that from the start the goal was to offer a few but exceptionally high-quality concerts and, as with Teatro Principal, to bring the best with considerable effort and generous support.
“I ask you to continue supporting us. We have marked fifty years and the Concert Society must endure another fifty with fresh energy.” Beltrán Dupuy described Alicante as a reference hub for international chamber music, noting that efforts have always aimed to make musicians feel welcome and to blend rising talents with established artists in programs that align with the world’s leading classical music centers. He cited artists such as Maria Joao Pires, Perianes, and Andres Segovia, who appeared multiple times and often did not seek payment.
For María Dolores Padilla, the phrase to describe the Concert Society is simply “excellence in classical music,” a mission pursued for more than fifty years to build a world-class, international program .