The Úbeda Music Festival awards its Gold Medal to singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez

May 8, 2019

By ALBERTO ROMÁN Úbeda. Tuesday, May 7 2019, 22:34

The International Music and Dance Festival 'Ciudad de Úbeda' will present its Gold Medal to Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, who will be in the town on Saturday to participate in the concert that the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba will perform as part of the thirty-first edition of the spring music cycle. The author of 'Ojalá' will walk through these hills again almost 34 years after his first and only visit to the municipality, still remembered by many residents of Úbeda. It was on October 4, 1985 when he performed in the sports pavilion as part of the musical shows programmed for the San Miguel Fair of that year.

The Cultural Association Friends of Music, organizer of the festival along with the Municipality of Úbeda and with the collaboration and sponsorship of other administrations and entities, has granted this annual recognition to one of the leading exponents of the new Cuban trova "for his extraordinary artistic quality that he has developed throughout his professional career, establishing himself as one of the cultural and musical milestones of our time".

The presentation ceremony will take place next Saturday, May 11, at noon at the Hospital de Santiago, and will be conducted by the mayor of Úbeda, Antonia Olivares, and the festival director, Diego Martínez. Subsequently, the planned concert of the Baroque Trio will take place, sponsored by the Group of Cities with World Heritage Status in Spain.

Thus the artist's presence in the town will be taken advantage of. And it is that, a few hours later, at ten o'clock at night and in the bullring, he will participate in the recital that the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba will perform in Úbeda to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Silvio Rodríguez will act as a guest, performing in the second part some of his songs orchestrated symphonically by Jorge Aragón, accompanied by the prestigious ensemble and under the direction of its conductor Enrique Pérez Mesa.

Silvio Rodríguez, with millions of followers worldwide, will thus see some of his songs dressed up formally as they are embraced by the orchestra musicians, something that will happen in Spain for the first time. According to the program, 'La Era está pariendo un corazón', 'Ángel para un final', 'Jugábamos a Dios', 'Pequeña serenata diurna' and 'El necio' are expected to be heard. And there may be some encores as well, with him alone and his guitar.

In the orchestra part, on the music stands will be the impressive 'Preludio Penthelesia' by Cuban Carlos Fariñas. And thanks to another exceptional guest, Niurka González, one of the best and most virtuosic flautists of today, who is also married to Silvio Rodríguez, the 'Autumn Concerto for flute and orchestra' by guitarist and composer, also Cuban, Joaquín Clerch will be heard, who precisely performed in Úbeda a few days ago and offered a master class.

There will be no shortage of works that the Cuban people feel as their own by authors such as Guido López Gavilán or Alejandro García Caturla. And there will be some pieces of Spanish classical music, for example, suite number 1 of 'El sombrero de tres picos' by Manuel de Falla.

It will be one of five extraordinary recitals scheduled in Spain on the occasion of this anniversary of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba. A first-rate cultural event that will not only serve to celebrate six decades of the ensemble's existence, but also to pay tribute to Cuban music.

The Award

The Gold Medal of the International Music and Dance Festival has been awarded in previous editions to personalities and institutions of the caliber of Montserrat Caballé, Victoria de los Ángeles, Josep Carreras, Yehudi Menuhin, Antonio Fernández-Cid, National Orchestra of Spain, Symphonic Orchestra of RTVE, Alfredo Kraus, I Musici, Orchestra Ciudad de Granada, Paloma O'Shea, Young National Orchestra of Spain (JONDE), Jordi Savall, Javier Perianes, Manuel de Falla Archive, La Fura dels Baus, Queen Sofía, Teresa Berganza, Miguel Ángel Gómez-Martínez, Orchestra Ciudad de Córdoba, Ivo Pogorelich, Municipality of Úbeda or Manuel Hernández Silva.

Available at: https://ubeda.ideal.es/ubeda/festival-musica-ubeda-20190507130000-nt.html