The ‘Asisa de Música de Villaviciosa de Odón Festival’, which will kick off the season of classical music festivals in the summer in the Community of Madrid, will celebrate its 15th edition from July 1 to 16 with 12 free concerts in a first-rate program level, which includes musicians of great international prestige.
The event was presented in an act at the Villaviciosa de Odón Cultural Coliseum with the presence of Daniel Martínez, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Community of Madrid; Raúl Martín, Mayor of Villaviciosa de Odón; Enrique de Porres, Managing Director of ASISA; and Mario Prisuelos, artistic director of the festival. «It is a pleasure to present this new edition on our 15th anniversary, a reason for celebration and pride for the residents of Villaviciosa de Odón and for all the people of Madrid who visit us every year.
We want to consolidate the festival as an unmissable event for fans of classical music within the summers of the Community of Madrid, thanking the public who have supported us during this time by enjoying the festival concerts, despite the adversities caused by the pandemic. This is how we arrive at an edition full of first-class international performances with music in our emblematic spaces and many surprises in the streets of the municipality”, Mario Prisuelos stated during the presentation.
The ORCAM, an orchestral reference in the region with 35 years of experience, will open the festival with its principal conductor Marzena Diakun on July 1 and will begin 16 days of performances with such important names as Antonio Serrano, the best harmonica player in the world (July 7 ); La Ritirata, one of the most relevant early music groups (July 9); Claudio Constantini, world-renowned bandoneonist (July 6); or María Berasarte, applauded voice in fado and the French song that will close the festival on the 16th.
In the first week there will also be Cantoría, one of the revelation early music vocal groups in Europe in recent years (July 2), and ‘Beethoven Influencer’, a commented concert in which the pianist Marta Espinós will reveal the influence of the composer from Bonn in the history of music and how some of Beethoven’s greatest hits have ‘slipped’ into songs by bands and musicians such as The Beatles, Billy Joel or the rapper Nas (July 5). Already in the second week of the festival, the Korean pianist Seolhwa Kim will take the stage (July 8), who despite her youth, has been awarded in the most prestigious international competitions such as the Verona International Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Competition or the recent First Prize at the Humberto Quagliata International Piano Competition in Valdarno (Italy). For his part, Stoyan Paskov (July 12) will demonstrate why he is one of the most promising guitarists of the new generation, as evidenced by his first prizes in competitions such as the Alhambra International Guitar Competition in Valencia, Lexux Excellence Awards or the recent First Prize in the Intercentros Melómano Contest that rewards the best instrumentalist of all the Superior Conservatories in Spain. On July 14, an orchestra will perform the music played by the Wallace Hartley Band while the Titanic sank into the ocean, and on July 15, the Óscar Esplá Quartet will give the opportunity to listen to one of today’s most promising ensembles.
The proposals of the festival will blur the usual frontiers of classical music in unique spaces such as the Coliseo de la Cultura, the main venue for the concerts; the Historical Garden next to the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, place of residence of Fernando VI in the last year of his life; and Doña Laura Park. Spectators will be able to take advantage of their visit to get to know the charms of Villaviciosa de Odón, touring its historic quarter, tasting its gastronomy and enjoying other activities around the festival (dramatized visits, puppets, etc.).
The festival has experienced constant growth since its inception in 2008, presenting internationally renowned artists such as Joaquín Achúcarro, Asier Polo, ADDA Symphony Orchestra, Marina Heredia, Josep Vicent, Arcangel, Argentina, Vladimir Krpan, Ludmil Angelov and Ara Malikian. Organized by the Villaviciosa de Odón City Council and directed by Mario Prisuelos, it is sponsored by ASISA, the leading health insurer in Spain. Small businesses and businesses in the municipality have also been fundamental in this journey.
