Concert in memory of Rossend Aymí Escolà
L' ECLOSIÓ DEL ROMANTICISME (THE DAWN OF ROMANTICISM)
Tortosa Chamber Orchestra (OCTO) and Rivka Golani, violist and viola
J. Ricardo Forner, conductor
This concert takes us back to the early 19th century when Franz Schubert, born and trained in Vienna, became one of the first major composers to incorporate romantic expressiveness into his work, yet without completely abandoning the previous classical form in which Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven excelled. His music represents the transition between the Apollonian tranquillity of classical period music and the emotional impulses of romanticism, bridging two periods. A few years later, the Belgian Henri Vieuxtemps delved deeper into romanticism and took it to a new virtuoso and expressive dimension, particularly in violin repertoire.
ORQUESTA DE CÁMARA DE TORTOSA (OCTO)
Tortosa Chamber Music Orchestra (OCTO) was founded in 2010 to introduce audiences to the repertoire of the major classics of all times, accurately combining tradition with a contemporary outlook. Throughout its history, the OCTO has succeeded in recovering the musical heritage of the Ebro region, particularly works by former kapellmeisters of Tortosa Cathedral, and by composer Felip Pedrell and other local authors. Alongside this, the orchestra has promoted current musical art, premiering newly created pieces and enhancing the cultural scene with a high-quality artistic proposition that is committed to its roots and to innovation.
RIVKA GOLANI
Rivka Golani is one of the most noteworthy violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. As a teacher, she has trained violinists at Trinity Laban in London, at the Royal Academy, and at the University of Toronto. She has directed festivals such as Fort MacLeod and SOWECA, and has worked with the Blackfoot community in Canada on musical and cultural projects. She has received many different awards: Ambassador of Canadian Music ( 2009 ), Musician of the Year in Hungary ( 2011 ), the Eagle Feather of the Blackfoot ( 2011 ), an Honorary Doctorate from Lethbridge University ( 2013 ), and recognition for her recordings in Hungary.
J. RICARDO FORNER
J. Ricardo Forner studied at the Higher Conservatory of Valencia, where he received a First Class Honours and an Award for Excellence in academic performance in different specialities for his intermediate and higher level studies. He then studied harmony, counterpoint and fugue, composing and orchestra conducting at the same conservatory. He then continued his musical studies in Amsterdam with A. Brandhofer, in different areas of music. He has been chief conductor of the Unió Musical Quartell Municipal Band and of the SMA (Alboraia Musical Society) Orchestra, of the JOSDT (Youth Orchestra of the Provincial Council of Tarragona) and of the BSDT (Band of the Provincial Council of Tarragona). He has also been a guest conductor for many different groups. As a member of the clarinet quartet Quatre Vents, a professional chamber music ensemble, he has obtained different prizes in national and European chamber music competitions. He has been a member of the Mare Nostrum Orchestra and of the OSM (Madrid Symphony Orchestra), playing the clarinet and the bass clarinet. He has worked regularly with several renowned national orchestras. He holds a master’s degree in NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) and more recently completed a Specialisation post-graduate course in conducting musical groups (Band and Orchestra) at Florida Universitària.