ORCHESTRA OF TEATRO REAL
U.S. DEBUT AT CARNEGIE HALL

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Sister City Agreement Between Madrid and New York

“A CELEBRATION OF SPANISH MUSIC”
Juanjo Mena, Conductor
Javier Perianes, Piano | Sabina Puértolas, Soprano

September 15 at 8:30 pm
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall
Tickets from $25

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The Orchestra of Teatro Real (the Royal Opera of Madrid), Spain’s national opera house and winner of “Best Opera Company” at the 2021 International Opera Awards, makes its U.S. debut at Carnegie Hall in “A Celebration of Spanish Music” on September 15, 2022 at 8:30 pm. The concert celebrates the music of Spain, with the first half devoted to piano and orchestral music by Falla and Albéniz.  After intermission, the program turns to a selection of pieces from zarzuela (a form of Spanish opera) by Manuel de Falla, Amadeo Vives, Pablo Sorozábal, Gerónimo Giménez and Manuel Nieto, as well as orchestral works by Federico Chueca, Falla and Albéniz. Three internationally renowned Spanish artists join the Teatro Real orchestra for this all-Spanish program: guest conductor Juanjo Mena, pianist Javier Perianes and soprano Sabina Puértolas. The historic U.S. debut of the Orchestra of Teatro Real also marks the 40th anniversary of the Sister City agreement between Madrid and New York, reflecting Teatro Real’s commitment to its artistic mission of building bridges across nations and cultures through artistic collaboration.

One of Spain's most important cultural institutions, Teatro Real was founded by King Ferdinand VII over two hundred years ago. In 1990 the theatre was closed for a technical and architectural make-over, which transformed it into a model performing arts building, with state of the art theatrical technology. In 1997 it was reopened with great ceremony by the Presidents of its Council, the King and Queen of Spain, and since then has become one of the most important operatic theatres in Europe, not only for its excellent artistic program and the quality of its Chorus and Orchestra, but also for the activities it organizes in conjunction with other Spanish cultural institutions. Teatro Real’s ambitious education and training projects (including a project for disabled children) have coincided with a spectacular increase in young audiences. In recent years, it has also developed a fruitful dialogue with different musical genres, and is now very active in the dissemination of flamenco, with a regular season of flamenco concerts in its Salon de Baile.

“A CELEBRATION OF SPANISH MUSIC” AT CARNEGIE HALL
September 15, 2022

CONCERT PROGRAM

MANUEL DE FALLA (1876-1946)
El sombrero de tres picos, Suite No. 1 (The Three-Cornered Hat)
Introducción
La tarde
Danza de la molinera
El corregidor
Las uvas

MANUEL DE FALLA
Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain)
En el Generalife
Danza lejana
En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba
Javier Perianes, Piano

ISAAC ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909)
Suite Iberia (orch. Enrique Fernández Arbós)
El puerto
Evocación
Triana

INTERVAL

MANUEL DE FALLA
La vida breve (Life is Short)
Interludio y danza

AMADEO VIVES (1871-1932)
Doña Francisquita: ‘Canción del ruiseñor’ (Nightingale Song)
Sabina Puértolas, Soprano

PABLO SOROZÁBAL (1897-1988)
La tabernera del puerto: ‘En un país de fábula’ (In a Fairy Land)
Sabina Puértolas, Soprano

FEDERICO CHUECA (1846-1908)
El Bateo: Preludio

GERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ (1854-1923) and MANUEL NIETO (1844-1915)
El barbero de Sevilla (The Barber of Seville)
‘Me llaman la primorosa’
Sabina Puértolas, Soprano

MANUEL DE FALLA
El sombrero de tres picos, Suite No. 2 (The Three-Cornered Hat)
Danza de los vecinos
Danza del molinero
Danza final

Photos available here
Orchestra of Teatro Real: © Javier del Real | Teatro Real
Juanjo Mena: © Javier del Real | Teatro Real
Sábina Puértolas: © Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Musacchio & Ianniello
Javier Perianes: © Igor Studio
Carnegie Hall: © Jeff Goldberg/Esto

About Juanjo Mena, Conductor
Juanjo Mena began his conducting career in his native Spain as Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in 1999. His uncommon talent was soon recognized internationally with the Bergen Philharmonic appointing him Principal Guest Conductor and the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa Chief Guest Conductor. In 2011 he was named Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic which he led for seven seasons, taking the orchestra on tours of Europe and Asia and conducting annual televised concerts at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. His BBC tenure featured, notably, “thrilling” (The Guardian) performances of Bruckner and Schubert Symphonies. He also set new standards for the interpretation of both well-known and less-performed Spanish and South American repertoire. He currently serves as Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival, the longest running choral festival in North America, where he has been expanding the scope of the legendary organization with new commissions and community engagement.

A sought-after guest conductor, Juanjo Mena has led Europe’s top ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, and the Dresden Philharmonic among many others. He appears regularly with all the major orchestras in his native Spain. This cross-continental, expansive career and repertoire make Mena the perfect director for this historical engagement.

Javier Perianes, Piano | Sabina Puértolas, Soprano

About Javier Perianes, Piano
The international career of Javier Perianes has led him to perform in the most prestigious concert halls, with the world’s foremost orchestras, collaborating with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Charles Dutoit, Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Sakari Oramo, Yuri Temirkanov, Gianandrea Noseda, Gustavo Gimeno, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Simone Young, Juanjo Mena, Ivan Fischer, Vladimir Jurowski, David Afkham, François-Xavier Roth, Daniel Harding, and appearing at festivals such as the BBC Proms, Lucerne, La Roque d’Anthéron, Grafenegg, Prague Spring, Ravello, Stresa, San Sebastian, Santander, Granada, Vail, Blossom and Ravinia. He was awarded the ‘National Music Prize’ in 2012 by the Ministry of Culture of Spain and named Artist of the Year at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) in 2019. In June 2021 he was awarded the Granada Festival Medal of Honour in recognition of his long-standing relationship with the Festival, where he was also Artist in Residence for 2021.

About Sabina Puértolas, Soprano
Sabina Puértolas is one of the most international Spanish sopranos, acclaimed for her interpretations of a large repertoire of bel canto and baroque music roles, such as Marie (La fille du régiment, Donizetti), Gilda (Rigoletto, Verdi), Amina (La sonnambula, Bellini), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart), Adina (L’elisir d’amore, Donizetti), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini), Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea, Monteverdi), or Rodelinda (Rodelinda, Händel), in opera houses as well known as the London Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro Real of Madrid and Liceo of Barcelona (Spain), Teatro Municipal (Chile), Seattle Opera (USA) or the China National Centre for the Performing Arts. She is the winner of the international Operalia singing competition (zarzuela), and also won the Riccardo Zandonai, Julián Gayarre, Francisca Quart and Manuel Ausensi competitions.