Continuing the best festival traditions, the Iberian Academy organises master classes for students of historically informed performance. During the Academy finale, students and emerging artists will present a programme prepared in collaboration with the Cantoría and La Ritirata ensembles, as well as the NFM Choir. This is a unique opportunity for music lovers to meet young musicians and reconnect with the most distinguished interpreters of early music, who will have performed earlier in two other concerts of the Iberian Academy.

The first part of the evening, just as the Thursday concert by La Ritirata, will be devoted to Spanish chamber music. The ensemble members will guide us through this repertoire. Its name refers to the final movement of Luigi Boccherini’s famous quintet, “La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid”. This Italian composer, who settled in Madrid in the second half of the 18th century, is also one of the two protagonists of the ensemble’s festival performance. The master class participants will be led by a duo of distinguished musicians: Josetxu Obregón, an acclaimed cellist, teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, and artistic director of La Ritirata, and violinist Hiro Kurosaki. Poland played a significant role in Kurosaki’s career: he won fifth prize in the Henryk Wieniawski Competition in Poznań in 1977, and his international success was sealed by second place in the Fritz Kreisler Competition in Vienna.

The programme will also feature some lively Spanish villancicos. This genre, which we will first encounter during the festival opening, although it originates from folk tradition, was adopted by professional composers during the Renaissance. Over time, undergoing stylistic evolution, these songs permeated churches, becoming a part of services during the most important ecclesiastical celebrations. They have retained their dance rhythms and often witty character. The Academy participants will explore this fascinating repertoire under the direction of Jorge Losana – singer, conductor, and founder of the Cantoría ensemble, specialising in Renaissance and early Baroque vocal music from the Iberian Peninsula. The vibrant atmosphere typical of this region of Europe at this year’s Early Music Academy will continue from the first event to the last!