On 16th July, the Bellver Castle will host a unique evening, Grand Masters of Spanish Music. The show will bring together some of the best figures on the international classical music scene to perform a popular, high-quality programme. Aulos, the Associació d'Amics de la Música de les Illes Balears, the Institut d'Estudis Beleàrics del Govern de les Illes Balears, the Ajuntament de Palma and several private sponsors will be in charge of the organisation.
Violinist Vasko Vassilev and pianist Miquel Estelrich
The artists in the recital will be leading figures in their respective musical fields and will perform together on the incomparable stage at Bellver Castle to interpret a repertoire made up of pieces by great masters of Spanish music such as Isaac Albéniz, Pablo de Sarasate, Joaquín Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla.
The line-up of performers will delight every good fan. The violinist Vasko Vassilev is a native of Sofia and began playing his instrument at the age of five, having also studied in Moscow and London, where he is currently concertmaster of the Royal Opera House in London. On the other hand, José María Gallardo del Rey will also perform. He is considered to be one of the great guitarists of today, having collaborated with figures of the stature of Paco de Lucía, Plácido Domingo, Teresa Berganza, Elina Garanca and María Pagés. His prestige is such that he holds the Andrés Segovia Chair at the International Music Courses in Compostela and is a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Carles, in Valencia.
The mezzo-soprano Sandra Ferrández is another of the great figures invited to this extraordinary concert. Her career began in Valencia under the guidance of professor Ana Luisa Chova, and since then she has performed pieces by Bizet, Mozart and Mahler. She will also be joined by the Palma-born pianist Miquel Estelrich, tenured piano professor and founder of the Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears, of which he has been director. His impressive curriculum includes performances throughout Spain, as well as in the United States, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, France, Japan and China. He has recorded 14 albums and 16 books with works for piano. In addition to all this, he holds a doctorate from the University of the Balearic Islands and has been a pianist with the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears (Symphony Orchestra of the Balearic Islands) since its foundation in 1989. Finally, it is worth mentioning Javier Franco, considered one of the best Spanish baritones. Having studied in Madrid and Barcelona under such greats as Alfredo Kraus and Renato Bruson, he has won numerous international competitions and performed on stages all over the world.
Baritone Javier Franco
This entire list of illustrious names in today's classical music can be seen sharing the stage at the Bellver Castle on Tuesday 16th July from 9.30 pm. Tickets can be booked at www.palmacultura.koobin.cat
