Rare Caldara, guitar focus and vocal ensembles at the 19th Felicja Blumental festival

La Ritirata

The Felicja Blumental International Festival in Tel Aviv celebrates its 19th year this year with a festival which has an American focus. Running from 15 to 20 May 2017 at Tel Aviv Museum of Art the festival was founded in 1999 to honour the memory of pianist Felicja Blumental, and the festival has become Tel Aviv's longest running classical music festival.

Guitar is also something of a focus at this year's festival with the Cologne Guitar Quartet bringing an eclectic programme, and a concert from Polish guitarist Marcin Dylla. Guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembell presents an evening of gypsy music with Swing de Gitanes Trio. Vocal ensembles at the festival include the Moran Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Stephen Connolly, and the Israeli Vocal Ensemble, director Yuval Ben Ozer.

Whilst Josetxu Obregon directs the Spanish group La Ritirata in music from operas Don Quixote at the Duchess and Sancho Panza, governor of the island Barataria by Antonio Caldara. The programme is entitled Don Quixote goes to Vienna: though Caldara did spend a period working in Spain, these two date from his later period working for the Imperial court in Vienna.

Full details from the festival website.