Each edition of Habana Clásica brings an air of reunion. Strings and winds separated by seas of distance relive each November the wonder of feeling as a family. Sons and daughters of music from different latitudes come together here with the strength of bonds forged over the years. As in any family, some remain faithful to the agreed date. Devotees return and are impregnated with the magic that our centennial city treasures.
Marcos Madrigal—pianist and artistic director of Habana Clásica—appeals to his qualities as a manager to arouse that sense of belonging so necessary when betting on the realization of a work in which there are no lucrative intentions. For this reason, he strives and captivates the various actors who make possible the materialization of the idea, because the ultimate goal is the people and the benefits that music brings to their lives. He is accompanied by Lorenzo Suárez, Cultural Counselor of the Swiss Embassy in Cuba, deputy director of Cosude and general producer of the the festival’s fifth edition. Together, they combine the efforts to make this delivery the largest of those held to date. In this sense, Habana Clásica counted on the unconditional patronage of the Swiss Cooperation (Cosude) and a great work team led by the Fondo de Arte Joven (FAJ) (Young Art Fund), a platform that, in addition to the technical and operational production of the actions developed during the event, is dedicated to supporting the careers of those emerging artists in the fields of music and visual arts on the island.
The list of names that has accompanied the festival since its inception grows longer with each edition. Habana Clásica has a privileged space from which new links are constantly generated to strengthen the artistic work of the musicians who are linked in a sui generis exchange network. Thus, the return is not presented as a distant desire but as a latent opportunity to connect, share and grow together.
In the grip of an overflowing passion for the Cuban public, Italian pianist Alessandro Stella returned this year. Owner of an exquisite sensitivity forged over the years, his presentations in our concert halls seem to contain the joy of first loves or the fervor that emanates when a vocation is discovered. In the same way, the pilgrim spirit of the German violinist Linus Roth finds in this land the longed-for shelter after countless comings and goings on the stages of the world. His sound, imbued with nostalgia, evokes the Europe of yesteryear with its idyllic landscapes.
Returning with the impetus of those who yearn to defy the times after long absences are cellists Sonja Kraus (Germany), who has participated in Habana Clásica since its first edition held in 2017, and Willem Stam (Kingdom of the Netherlands-Canada); as well as flutist Jona Venturi (Switzerland-Italy). For them, Habana Clásica is not just a festival but the great family that awaits and shelters them every year. Deep inside, engraved in their genetic memory, the Cuban spirit also flourishes in them.
Despite the great distance that separates them physically, violinist Lissy Abreu, vice artistic director of the festival, and Italian-Cuban singer Monica Marziota, return like birds to renew their vows with their nest after long migrations. In this land, the artists have more than the maternal warmth of their elders or the panache of their origins; they have here the indelible flavor of their transculturated roots.
From this side of the ocean, flutist and Havana native Niurka Gonzalez nurtures the joy of playing again for her own people. A student of Roberto Ondina, famous flute interpreter and pedagogue to whom Habana Clásica dedicated this year’s concerts, she was the expert eye that pointed out the need for a tribute to his memories. Niurka, in this century, as was Ondina in the past, reaffirms herself on the artistic podium as one of the highest-flying Cuban instrumentalists. She, also committed to teaching, presented a selection of her students, the Quintet of flutes Op.5. The young performers took on, among other challenges, the world premiere of the work Tristán II, a creation of Daniel Toledo Guillén, the festival’s composer in residence.
The Chamber Orchestra Música Eterna under the baton of maestro Guido López-Gavilán and the Chamber Orchestra of Havana conducted by maestro Daiana García are an essential part of this gear that resurfaces appointment after appointment. They are in charge of accompanying the most ambitious repertoires. This year, in addition, Habana Clásica premieres one of the most significant synergies. The famous Italian Nicola Sani, who was composer in residence last year, arrived as spokesperson of the L’Accademia Musicale Chigiana in his role as artistic director. Sani is the light for a path of important collaborations, and the fact is that the Accademia prestige of the most select catalog of musicians that the art of music has had and continues to have, with its ninety years of work, the most select catalog of musicians that the art of music has ever had.
Five editions later, Habana Clásica is home to many. Its members know they are united by the passion overflowing in the sounds they exchange but also by the depth of their yearnings, by the joy experienced after each recital, by the history they write together. The applause is for the music, as the unbreakable union is for this family. Their hearts can be heard beating behind the scenes.
Gabriela Milián Calzadilla works at the Gabinete de Patrimonio Musical Esteban Salas in Havana, Cuba. Find out more about Ms. Milian or contact her social media profiles.
