The city has already prepared the spaces that, of the 21 al 30 March, they will host the concerts and the various parallel activities·leles of the 14th Easter Festival, the contest dedicated to Catalan classical music.
This year it has been scheduled 10 different musical productions that are specified in a total of 14 concerts. Catalan musical traditions and the fact of giving prominence to our country's composers and performers, will be the main axes of the programming. This way, the Festival will focus on two personalities of our music: the composers Ricard Lamote de Grignon (125th anniversary of his birth) and very especially Josep Valls i Royo (25th anniversary of his death), exiled to France on 1939 and that he never lived in Catalonia again.
An extensive and varied program with great concerts
Like every year, the Festival divides the programming in two consecutive weeks.
In the first week, three concerts have been scheduled. The Festival will start on 21 of March with the traditional school concert, which will be in charge of LleidArt Ensemble with "The adventures of the Bol and the Ling". As stated by Jordi Armengol, artistic director of the Festival, this performance "wants to bring music closer to the little ones and make them the new audience of the festival of the future".
The inaugural concert will take place on Saturday 23 March, the Auditorium of the University, with the Julià Carbonell Symphonic Orchestra of the Lands of Lleida directed by Salvador Brotons. Francesc Andreví's "Symphony in full orchestra"., Segarenc composer born on 1786, will open a concert where the Festival will have the privilege of once again enjoying the visit of Salvador Brotons, one of the most recognized composers and directors. Will complete the program, a rereading of Lamote de Grignon on Father Antoni Soler, a premiere work by Marc Migó and "Symphony n.3" by Brotons himself, work full of contrasts, colors and expressiveness.
The next day, 24 March, the percussionist Núria Andorrà will surprise us with her show "Nu.A". It is a hypnotic and interdisciplinary show where Núria seeks to get closer to her origins by using family bones as percussion instruments, slates from the Lleida Pyrenees and ceramics from Verdú.
The following week, will resume with a new concert on Thursday 28 March. It will be in charge of Arnau Tomàs (cello) and Mercè Hervada (Pianist) and will be dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the death of Josep Valls i Royo.
Friday, 29 March, this year's local concerts will be premiered. These are short performances that take place in spaces in the old town of Cervera and that are repeated 2 cops (a session at 11,30 hours and the other at 13 hours). This way, the public can attend both musical productions (first one and then the other, in the order you prefer). The Municipal Auditorium will host Albert Guinovart's concert with "El piano català. Three different poetics". At the same times, but at Casa Sabater on Carrer Major, Blooming Duo will present "New sounds for tradition". To close the day on Friday, the evening concert will be performed by the National Youth Choir of Catalonia directed by Mireia Barrera with "The wealth of Catalan choral music".
Saturday, 30 March, it will be the last day of the Festival and it will also start with local concerts. The Auditorium will host "Resonances of silence" with Sílvia Vidal (piano) and Ramon Humet (bol tibetan, quartz bowls and gong). In the same hours, in other words that is, them 11,30 and the 13 hours, but in the Church of Sant Joan, the Dichos Diabolos will bring us closer to “Nigra Sum. Music for the Virgin of Montserrat”.
To close the day and also this year's Festival, the Paranimf will host an evening concert directed by Xavier Puig with Marta Bonet (soprano), Martha Infante, (mezzo-soprano), David Alegret (tenor), Jordi Serrano (baritone), the Chamber Choir of the Enric Granados Auditorium in Lleida and the Terrassa Orchestra 48. The concert will be dedicated to "Francesc Andreví and Ramon Carnicer: two people from Lleida in Madrid".
Parallel activities·leles will complete this year's programming
In addition to the musical program, the Festival will also host several parallel activities·leles. Of the 22 al 30 in March you can see the exhibition "Alícia de Larrocha, 1923-2023”. The exhibition is curated by his daughter, Alicia Torra de Larrocha.
Friday, 22 March, the screening of the documentary “Revolutionary Quartet. The Gerhard enigma” directed by Josep Badell and Xavier Bosch.
The next day, Saturday, 23 March, Raul Garrigasait (writer and hel·lenist) will lead the conference: “It’s Gerhard, the two paths of modernity".
Wednesday, 27 March, the Concert will take place - presentation of the book "La viola tenor Parramon" with Emmanuel Balssa (viola tenor), Daniel Blanch (piano), Jordi Pinto (author of the book), Pere-Andreu Jariod (journalist and music popularizer).
I, finally, Friday 29 March, the documentary "Les mans d'Alícia" will be shown, an audiovisual work about Alicia de Larrocha and directed by Verònica Font and Yolanda Olmos.
Remember that all these activities will be free.
Advance tickets for this year's Festival are now on sale
The advance ticket sales system for this 14th edition has already been activated. All those interested in Catalan classical music who want to enjoy the 14 concerts scheduled in this year's contest, they can now purchase their seats through the web: festivalpasqua.cat
As usual, and to reward early adopters, advance tickets enjoy a 20% discount. In the evening concerts, it happens from 18 euros from the box office, as 14 euros if the advance purchase is made online. As usual, tickets for the morning concerts can be purchased in advance for only 6 euros.
The Festival extends its policy of discounts and advantages with new subscriptions
In each edition, new forms of discounts and advantages are implemented to bring Catalan classical music to an even wider audience. This year, subscriptions and bonuses are extended.
This way, those interested in attending more than one concert can choose to purchase a pass that will allow them to see all the concerts in the event for just 70 euros, which supposes a 40% discount. There are also specific tickets to enjoy the evening concerts for only 55 euros. Local concerts also have their own subscription, which allows you to enjoy two different concerts for yourself 10 euros.
The Festival also continues with the agreements with various entities and organizations such as the Carnet Jove, the TRESC Club and various media, others, to offer discounts among its subscribers.
They also enjoy significant bonuses in col·"Appropa Cultura" class, the majors of 65 years and single-parent and/or large families. The different discount options (early entry or through these rebates with media entities or subscribers) they are not cumulative with each other.
Impulse to bring classical music closer to young people
With the desire to bring Catalan classical music to all levels of society, the Easter Festival also follows a special focus on the young. For this reason, the evening concerts will have a price of only 6 euros for minors 18 years and of 2 euros in the case of morning concerts.
The Easter Festival, organized by the Town Council of Cervera, is a meeting point for the sector of classical music in Catalonia and a showcase of classical music in Catalonia.