cultural evens report

(word document format)

The Asociación presjovem is a non-profit entity which since its creation in 1991 has worked continuously, methodically and diligently to consolidate and give prestige to a singular initiative, mainly aimed at training and the dissemination of musical culture, managing to transform the combination of activities configuring the project as a musical reference of the Andalusian Autonomous Region and hmong those of greastest prestige in Spain.

The basic pillar on which the Proyecto presjovem rests is the educational and cultural programme offered within the framework of the Escuela y Festival Internacional de Música presjovem, resulting in the creation of the Orquesta Presjovem in 2003, hence providing a view of the past, present and future of these twenty years of hard work in favour of developing and completing the education of young musicians in their training period, selected throughout Spain and being from 12 to 20 years old.

The Proyecto presjovem started in Lucena, Córdoba (1991-2007), and in these twenty years of educational, cultural, social and artistic events, has managed to develop a wide range of activities, its main didactic and artistic activity being performed during August within the framework of the Escuela y Festival Internacional de Música Presjovem, in the last three years having been held in Cordoba, to support the candidateship of the city as Europen Capital of Culture 2016.

The Festival Internacional de Música presjovem is its main artistic event and was created to promote contact between students attending the Escuela with teachers and artists having an established career, becoming a reference in the summer music festivals in Spain and a mirror of educational activities integrating the Project, as well as fostering the promotion and dissemination of music and cultural tourism, permitting the approach of music lovers and the public as a whole.

In spite of not counting with a large budget as compared with more significant music festivals, its prestige and recognition are based on two main pillars: its original programme and its recognised artistic quality, offering young players the possibility to show their talent and the work done in the Veladas Musicales (Musical Evenings), programmed in the Festival itself and where on many occasions they participate together with internationally renowned players.

Performers

The Festival Internacional de Música Presjovem has achieved important recognition from both the public and critics, mainly due to the original design of its programme and proven artistic quality. Top figures of the international piano scenario include: Dezsö Ranki, Arcadi Volodos, Nikolai Demidenko, Serguei Babayan, Boris Berman, Piotr Anderszewski, Jonathan Gilad, Alessio Bax, Eldar Nebolsin, Ananda Sukarlan, Blanca Uribe, Alexander Kandelaki, William Wolframg, Chang - Rok Moon together with Spanish players of renowned prestige like Joaquín Achúcarro, Josep Mª Colom, Rosa Torres Pardo, José Mª Pinzolas, Claudio Martínez Mehner, Javier Perianes, Daniel del Pino, etc.

Relevant chamber ensembles like Cuarteto Casals, Grieg Trío, Trío Gaede, Cuarteto Ocean Drive, Miró Ensemble, TaiMAgranada, Cuarteto Daedalus, Hippocampus and others that have brought music of other styles like Acoustic Jazz Trío, Spanish Brass Luur Metals, UHF (Ultra High Flamenco), Trioplatense. Likewise, hallowed artists of an international level have participated, including Gordan Nikolic, James Buswell, David Quiggle, Charles Binghan, Gustav Rivinius, Jan- Erik Gustafsson, Nonna Knuuttila, Jaime Martín, Mario Caroli, José Luis Estellés, Júlia Gàllego, Isaac Rodríguez, to name but a few. Since 1997, the closing symphonic concert has offered different performances of the Orquesta de Córdoba, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Chicago Midwest Orchestra conducted by their lead and guest conductors like Josep Pons, Wolfgang A. Izquierdo, Ernest Martínez Izquierdo, Federico Cortese and Jan Caeyers. Between 2003 and 2008 the Festival has counted with its own resident orchestra, BandArt (formerly, the Orquesta de Cámara Spaniard) conducted by Pablo Mielgo, Joji Hattori, Douglas Boyd and its first violin-conductor Gordan Nikolic. In the last two years, the Orquesta presjovem has performed the Closing Concert conducted by David Ballesteros (2009) and David Quiggle (2010).

Among the artistic proposals of this Festival, the numerous opportunities should be mentioned which from the beginning offer young talents at the start of their careers, both as soloists with chamber ensembles or orchestras, among which the following should be mentioned: Javier Perianes, Cuarteto Casals, Qvixote Quartet, Eleuterio Domínguez, Horacio Lavandera, Antonio Ortiz, Carla Marrero, Fernando Arias and Jesús Reina and the voices of María Espada, Anouschka Lara, Iwona Sobotka, Alain Damas, Msrio Villoria and Laia Frigolé.

Another aspect to be highlighted about the Festival is its social facet, included within the Espectáculos de Artes Integradas, an area of social intervention intending to approach music to groups which due to physical and social reasons have been traditionally kept away from cultural development. This programme has been developed together with Fundación SaludArte and Fundación ONCE

Scenic Areas

The Festival Internacional de Música Presjovem has developed its programme between 1992 and 2007 in the city of Lucena where in 1999 it inaugurated the exclusive acoustic canopy, designed by the British architect and acoustic engineer Bill Harkin, and allowed during many editions the staging of large format groups, like the first world performance in 2004 of the opera Terrasanta by the Italian composer Bruno Dozza, and the staging of El Retablo de Maese Pedro, with the Catanesi tradition of the Pupi Siciliani under the stage direction of Josep Mª Mestres or the programme for Flamenco and Spanish music (2003) which offered the 1915 version of Love, The Witch by Manuel de Falla, narrated and sung by Carmen Linares and contemporany dancing by Jesús Pastor.

Between 2008 and 2010, the Festival has held a varied programme including recitals, chamber music, ancient and contemporary music, and orchestras in emblematic venues of the capital like the Sala Orive, Palacio de Viana, Liceo del Real Círculo de la Amistad, Jardín Botánico and in the Mezquita Catedral, patio de los naranjos, receiving a warm welcome by both critics and public alike.

Social Impact

Main institutions and entities, including the Ministerio de Cultura, Consejería de Cultura Junta de Andalucía, Ayuntamiento de Córdoba, Diputación Provincial, Universidad de Córdoba, Obra Social de Unicaja, YAMAHA-HAZEN, Federación Provincial de Comercio Córdoba, Cabildo Catedralicio de Córdoba and the Institución Teresiana have logistically and economically supported the set of activities, backing the communication and projection of this event.

The incorporation of private companies in the last editions like Mercedes Benz COVISA and Autocares Pérez Cubero and a large number of individuals, thanks to their belonging to the Club de Amigos del Festival, prove with their support and collaboration the interest for the consolidation of a successful career which has been backed in its Twentieth Anniversary by the attendance of more than 6,000 people and great coverage in the main media as well as the total recording of the concerts (1996 to 1999) by RTVE and the Closing Symphonic Concerts (2009 and 2010) by RTVA.