The municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial will become a major cultural hub with the first edition of Escena Escorial. The program, designed by Alondra de la Parra, artistic director of the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid (ORCAM) and the Teatro Auditorio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, will feature international artists, new productions, and multidisciplinary proposals.
Activities will take place at the Teatro Auditorio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, the Real Coliseo Carlos III, and the Teatro de la Antigua Mina de Zarzalejo. As a prelude, on August 15, pianist Grigory Sokolov will offer an extraordinary recital, considered one of the most significant events.
The official opening will be on Friday, August 28, with the concert Los colores de América, conducted by Alondra de la Parra with the Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (JORCAM) and musician Thomas Enhco.
The festival will include performances by Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa, violinist Nemanja Radulović, and the premiere of the new creation by the Ballet Español de la Comunidad de Madrid, Nascencia, directed by Mónica Fernández.
The ORCAM will perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, conducted by Alondra de la Parra, with vocals by soprano Serena Sáenz and mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez. The silent gesture and clown performance Perhaps, perhaps… Quizás by Gabriela Muñoz (Chula the Clown) and the concert En un instante by Thomas Enhco will also be presented.
One of the main events will be the Spanish premiere of @Carmen. The reel story on September 12, an adaptation of Bizet's iconic opera to the social media universe, starring Gaëlle Arquez, tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz, and baritone Tommaso Barea, with musical direction by Alondra de la Parra.
The festival will conclude on September 19 with Daniel Barenboim, who will conduct the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in a concert featuring works by Wagner, Schubert, and Beethoven.
Tickets and season passes for all Escena Escorial performances are now available through the festival's official website.
