The landing of Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil this May in Barcelona, ??with an inclusive production of Beethoven’s opera Fidelio at the Liceu and a concert with Dvo?ák’s New World Symphony at the Palau de la Música Catalana, will have a double impact social hand in hand with both institutions. As announced at the time, the Cor del Gran Teatre and the Cor de Cambra del Palau will join forces to perform on Fidelio’s European tour. After seeing each other at the Liceu, on May 26 and 27, they will travel to Paris (May 31) and London (June 3). And previously, the Palau will kick off Fidelio’s tour on May 16 and 17 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
This inclusive Fidelio interpreted entirely in international sign language will address the needs of deaf people. This is an innovative production of Beethoven’s only opera, as it has been created for both deaf and hearing audiences, premiering in 2022 in co-production with the prominent Deaf West Theater in Los Angeles and also featuring the Venezuelan Choir of Manos Blancas , an El Sistema program that offers access to musical practice to children with disabilities.
To prepare for the production, the Cor de Cambra of the Palau de la Música Catalana will carry out a week of preliminary work in Los Angeles with Dudamel and his orchestra. At the Liceu functions, there will also be a prior explanation in Catalan sign language. As for the casting, the soloists Tamara Wilson, Andrew Staples, James Rutherford, Patrick Blackwell, Shenyang, Gabriella Reyes and David Portillo will give voice to this story.
To these two productions, another great event is added with the presence of Gustavo Dudamel in Barcelona, ??with the desire to demonstrate how music and musical education programs generate positive changes in society and cross borders, in this case through his project Chors of Harmony. The initiative is structured with YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) and was created seventeen years ago by the LA Phil and led by Dudamel himself with the aim of guaranteeing that all young people have equitable access to the practice of music.
For three days, more than a hundred young people from YOLA and other national and international musico-social projects, as well as a representation of performers from conservatories and higher schools, in collaboration with the Action for Music Foundation, together with the Manos Choir Blancas (who comes from Venezuela and integrates children and young people with functional diversity), the Palau Vincles choirs (the Palau social project) and the Xamfrà Children’s Choir, will carry out a set of rehearsals and complementary activities in the facilities of the ESMUC.
This project, called Chors of Harmony, will culminate on May 27 (Concert Hall, 12 noon) with an open rehearsal at the Palau de la Música Catalana, with Gustavo Dudamel and YOLA accompanied by the Children’s and Youth choirs of Palau Vincles and the Xamfrà Children’s Choir, with the young people of YOLA.
For its part, the Liceu will also hold workshops with YOLA and on May 25 it organizes a meeting with the artistic team of Fidelio and with members of FESOCA – Federation of Deaf Persons of Catalonia.
