The OSN revives the friendship between Falla and Lorca through a concert at the MUN

Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Manuel de Falla, the University of Navarra Museum will host a new creation by the Navarra Symphony Orchestra on February 5.

Falla and Lorca. From the local to the universal, sample a proposal aesthetic reflection, a space where, in balance with the essence of folklore, we find a multifaceted view at the forefront of the 20th century.

This gives us the opportunity to delve into the avant-garde of the 20th century through the link between the Cadiz composer Manuel de Falla and the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. Both were great exponents of the artistic creation that emerged in Spain in the 20th century, where Falla's avant-garde aesthetic found its counterpoint or roots in the popular songs that Lorca compiled and harmonized.

Since Falla and Lorca met in Granada in 1920, they maintained a brotherly friendship, and their bond was always based on mutual admiration and a shared artistic desire: to transform the local into the universal.

The relationship between the two is now revived in this proposal by the OSN, the oldest training on the Spanish scene, under the direction of Ignacio García-Vidal. "The concert revolves around an important anniversary: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Manuel de Falla. We have designed a program around his figure that connects Falla and his aesthetic universe with his great friend, the poet Federico García Lorca. Both created artistic works that elevate the essence of popular culture to a universal level. That essence is present throughout the program: folk dances, popular songs, ancient rhythms, but modern harmonic languages, impressionistic orchestrations, and sophisticated musical constructions. In addition, we are honored to have the soloist Mariola Membrives with us. She is a descendant of García Lorca's legendary actress, Lola Membrives," says Ignacio García-Vidal.

Membrives will lend his voice to the Selection of Spanish Popular Songs compiled by Lorca, which, together with Suite No. 1 from Falla's ballet El sombrero de tres picos (The Three- Cor nered Hat), the Suite from Falla's ballet El amor brujo (Love, the Magician), and Silvestre Revueltas' Homenaje a Federico García Lorca (Tribute to Federico García Lorca), will complete a program lasting approximately 80 minutes.

This concert is part of the Cartografías de la música(Mapping Music) program cycle; "an opportunity," says Rubén Jauquicoa,General Manager the OSN, "for the Orchestra to open up to different repertoires and approaches and contemporary perspectives. Something complementary to what it develops in its subscription season and other events. This concert is an invitation to reflect on how cultural identity, when approached with admiration and respect for its roots, does not close in on itself, but rather projects and transcends to become something universal."

For her part, Teresa Lasheras, artistic director of the University of Navarra Museum, also highlights the importance of this music series. "Cartographies of Music in its 2026 edition focuses on the figure of Manuel de Falla, his bequest, his roots, and his connections; it can be said that Manuel de Falla is the foundation of this edition. The series begins with this concert, co-produced with the Baluarte Foundation - Navarra Symphony Orchestra, which emphasizes the connections between his music and the avant-garde of the early 20th century and his popular roots, manifested through his great friendship with Federico García Lorca. It ends with the world premiere of Algarabía, a show combining music, dance, and poetry based on Falla's music to propose a dialogue between cultures that also draws on Falla and brings us the light and scent of the carmen where he lived for almost 20 years on the hill of the Alhambra in Granada.

IGNACIO GARCÍA-VIDAL

Ignacio García-Vidal (Cocentaina, Alicante, 1979) is an director and musicologist with training deep training and extensive artistic experience. Since 2026, he has been Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Uruguay (OSSODRE).

He regularly conducts major orchestras in prestigious theaters around the world, such as the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Theatro Muniçipal do Rio de Janeiro, the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, the Teatro Solís in Montevideo, and the Théâtre National de Argel. Throughout his career, he has also worked with leading Spanish orchestras such as the OCRTVE, the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (Palau de Les Arts), and symphony orchestras from different autonomous communities in Spain. His profound judgment and staff result in artistic experiences that are applauded by audiences and critics staff .

MARIOLA MEMBRIVES

Mariola Membrives (Andújar, Jaén, 1978) is one of the most distinctive and innovative voices on the Spanish music scene. A singer, actress, and creator, her work flamenco, jazz, and roots music, with an proposal that is both powerful on stage and uniquely personal.

She has released four albums, from Llorona (2013, with Masa Kamaguchi) to Ajuares (2024), a compilation of 23 covers of jazz, copla, and Latin American classics. Her album Lorca. Spanish Songs (2019), with guitarist Marc Ribot, was considered one of the most important albums of the year. La Babilonia (2022), her own work, has been acclaimed for its poetic, symbolic, and experimental power.

He has worked with artists such as Chano Domínguez, Chicuelo, Renaud García-Fons, Tino di Geraldo, and La Fura dels Baus, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the OBC, the GIO Symphonie, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has taken his music to stages in Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Morocco, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and France, including the Festival de Nîmes and the Festival Aux Fil des Voix in Paris. He has created and performed stage productions such as La Enamorada, Sed Libera Nos a Malo, La Fiera, Omega 20.16, and Llorona, which premiered at venues such as the Teatre Grec in Barcelona. In 2025, he will present Canciones de Amor y Libertad(Songs of Love and Freedom), together with Renaud García-Fons, commissioned by the Barnasants Festival.

PROGRAM

I

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
The Three-Cornered Hat: Suite No. 1

1. Introduction – Midday

2. Dance of the Miller's Wife

3. The Magistrate

4. Grapes

Federico García Lorca (1898–1936) (orch. José Ramón Hernández Bellido)
Spanish folk songs (selection)

1. Chinitas coffee

2. The waiters of Monleón

3. Lullaby from Seville

4. The kings of the deck

II

Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940)
Tribute to Federico García Lorca

1. Dance

2. Mourning

3. They are

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
El amor brujo (Ballet Suite)

1. Introduction and Scene

1b. In the Cave (The Night)

2. Song of Heartbreak

3. The Apparition

4. Dance of Terror

5. The Magic Circle (Romance of the Fisherman)

6. On an average , the spells

7. Ritual Dance of Fire

8. Scene

9. Song of the Will-o'-the-Wisp

10. Pantomime

11. Dance of the Game of Love

12. Finale: The Bells of Dawn

COLLABORATING ENTITIES: