Serenates: a night of awards and contemporary choral music with the Orfeó Universitari de València

## Serenates: a night of awards and contemporary choral music with the Orfeó Universitari de València

Award ceremony with UV Principal Maria Vicenta Mestre. Photo: Franco Goyenechea.

On the night of Saturday, 29 June, the cloister of La Nau Cultural Centre of the Universitat de València was transformed into a vibrant stage for the Serenates festival, where contemporary choral music served as a vehicle to reflect on human existence with the Orfeó Universitari de València (University Choir of Valencia). A night in which the oldest university choir in Spain presented a new cultural award, given to Principal Maria Vicenta Mestre and the UV for the dissemination of culture and, in particular, the promotion of music carried out by the university.

The Orfeó Universitari de València(OUV), directed by **Francesc Valldecabres**, took the stage with *If I am*, a reflection on today’s world and individualism. The concert consisted of four works of choral music that created very different atmospheres and shared their contemporaneity: they were all composed between the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

The very eclectic and carefully selected programme began with *If I am silent* (2019) by the famous American composer **David Lang**, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music. The performance, which opened the repertoire, plunged the audience into a world of introspection, raising questions such as the doubts that arise in life every time we make a choice.

Next, the *Stabat Mater Op. 111* (1986) by the Norwegian composer **Knut Nystedt**, who took the audience on an emotional journey written with a fusion of compositional devices. The presence of Full Professor of the Conservatory of Sevilla and renowned cellist **Aldo Mata**, who had just returned from his tour in Japan, added a layer of depth to the performance.

*Plainscapes* (2002) by the Latvian composer **Pēteris Vasks** offered a contemplative pause, evoking the extensive landscapes of his native country with a purity and serenity that only nature can inspire. Full Professor of the Conservatory of Castellón and violinist **Fernando Pascual** and cellist **Aldo Mata**, added their mastery, transporting the audience to the Baltic plains and making the air throb with every note.

The concert concluded with an explosion of rhythm and colour with the *Concerto for Marimba and Choir* (2010) by the American composer **Gene Koshinski**. With the participation of the percussionist and Full Professor of the Music Conservatory of Castellón **Francisco Sanchis**, and a group of students: **Mario Porcar, Borja Camps**and **Manuel Sánchez**, who were in charge of the percussion.

In addition to this repertoire, the night was also marked by the inauguration of the first **Maria Ibars** Awards, given by the Orfeó to individuals and institutions that have made a significant contribution to the preservation and dissemination of culture and music. In this first edition, UV Principal **Maria Vicente Mestre** and the **Universitat de València** were recognised for their promotion of music and culture, in the same year the UV celebrates its 525th anniversary. The OUV de València chose the name of Valencian writer and teacher (1892-1965) for the award, in the same year in which Ibars has been named Writer of the Year by the **Valencian Academy of Language** (AVL).

With more than 75 years of history, the OUV is one of the oldest choirs in the city and the oldest active university choir in the country. The registration period is open until 1 October for the incorporation of new members.

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, Música
, Festival Serenates

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