The program includes leading figures in early music and spans different periods, repertoires and instruments. The event is committed to bringing early music to small venues and projects while also linking it to the local heritage, the town council said.
The initiative aims to provide opportunities for young musicians who have not yet established fully consolidated careers. “I want to support young performers because the path is difficult and long, and I like giving them that opportunity,” Villanueva de Huelva Mayor Felipe Gómez explained. At the same time, the festival brings together internationally renowned musicians who “have adjusted their fees to fit our small budget,” according to Gómez.
The initiative also seeks to bring early music closer to people who are unfamiliar with it. It incorporates formats such as historical reenactment, singing, dance and period costumes through Recreaciones Históricas Ad Astra, a group made up entirely of women and specializing in a cappella singing.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The third edition will begin on September 5 with Polish organist Anna Pikulska, who will travel from Germany to present the program from the first worldwide recording made with Villanueva de Huerva’s 1607 historic organ. The day will continue with Recreaciones Históricas Ad Astra, a group made up entirely of women and specializing in a cappella singing, which will introduce audiences to medieval music.
On September 6, Viaggio da Venezia a Amsterdam will bring the poetry of Robert Burns to Villanueva de Huerva. That same day, soprano Rosana Orsini and organist Marco Orsini-Brescia will perform a sacred music recital featuring works by composers including Rossini, Puccini, Donizetti and Bellini.
On September 12, Galician organist Alejandra Escolante will perform "From Devotion to Battle." The following day, September 13, East Asian early music ensemble Todos los Tonos y Ayres will combine Antonio Gala’s poetry with traditional Chinese music in one of the festival’s most distinctive offerings.
On September 19, Ensemble La Clementina will bring "La serva padrona," Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s two-act comic opera, to the town in one of the most prominent theatrical productions of this edition. The festival will be brought to a close by Qvinta Essençia with its presentation of El sentir de mi sentido, a program combining music and love poetry from Spain’s Golden Age.
The full program is available on the festival’s website. All concerts will be free, and at the end of each Sunday’s events, attendees will be able to enjoy a tasting of local food and wines.
