Barcelona Festival of Song 2013 - overview
09-07-2013 | http://www.barcelonafestivalofsong.com/
To be able to take a part in the 9th edition of the Barcelona Festival of Song was one of the best experiences I ever had in my life! After working in this great project with the amazing Patricia Caicedo over the past four months, the ten days of the festival were the best possible culmination and reward for all the hard work we had preparing one more edition of this dream.
During the ten days of the festival, which took place in some of the most beautiful venues in Barcelona, such as Palau Moja, Biblioteca de Catalunya, Residencia d'Investigadores, Academia Marshall, etc. we learnt about the amazing Art Song of Latin America, Brazil, Spain and Catalonia. Between lectures, conferences and master classes, we became aware of the great composers, musicians, poets and important historical facts from these countries as well as of all the magnificent works they have produced.
One of the great things in the festival was the amazing people we got to meet and work with. From the students to the teachers, the collaborators, the public, everyone! The students were very talented and the nicest people ever, as were the teachers, who came into this project with the same love, devotion and dedication we have, in order to promote and keep the Art Song alive. We all bounded instantly and became a big family. We learned together, laughed together, cried together, made music together, sung together (well they sung, I tried my best to keep in key). It was a very intense ten days, ten days which gave us memories that will last forever!
While the classes and conferences were the place to learn about the Art Song, the concerts were the place to express it. This year for the first time in the history of the Barcelona Festival of Song we included concerts of genres that not the Art Song. There was a concert of popular Colombian music, flamenco and a presentation by the Sydney Children’s Choir, as well as the concerts promoting the Art Song, either sung or piano recitals and the two concerts by the students.
Although all the concerts were very special in their own way I have to highlight the concert by the Sydney Children’s Choir, where forty children did an amazing presentation, playing with their voices. And the young Ariana amazed us with her violin skills, accompanied by her mother on the piano. The other concert I have to highlight was the one that took place at the same time here in Barcelona and in São Paulo, Brazil. Thanks to the Internet2 technology we could have students, musicians and teachers here in Barcelona and in São Paulo and they performed here and there and it was an amazing experience to live.
Overall I lack in words to express my feelings about this experience. I can only say that I will be back!
João Arantes – Barcelona Festival of Song Communications intern
