Universitat de València music groups to celebrate the merriest and most supportive Christmas
There were two reasons for 2024 Christmas to be the most special in several years: the cruel reality of a large part of land after the 29 October DANA and the solidarity flame that ignited within everyone’s chest to rebuild life and culture after the water and the mud are gone.
28 de december de 2024
For this reason, the music groups of Universitat de València holded five concerts from 12 to 27 December that contributed to theAfter DANA Restoration and Support Programmes.
Universitat de València Philharmonic Orchestra conducted byHilari Garcia Gázquez published their schedule on 12 December inTeatro Serrano in Gandia, which continued on Saturday 14 in La Nau Cultural Centre’s Senate with the performance ofLa Nau Gran Choral Society conducted byMònica Perales, commemorating its 25th anniversary and their repertoire of modern music and traditional Christmas carols.
Gandia’s programme served as a preview for the Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Concert atPalau de la Música of València on Wednesday 18 withChaikovski‘s “The Nutcracker” as their main piece of the first part. “We chose the 71st Ballet Opus suite since its a recurrent play for these holidays, largely recognised and identifiable” said Hilari Garcia.
The second part was dedicated to the “feisty and Christmas spirit” of the concert. First, French composerÉmile Waldteufel‘s “The Ice-skaters”, “a most common waltz”, followed byLeroy Anderson‘s “Syncopated Clock” and “Sleigh Ride”, “American composer of light music for fun and feisty events”, explained the conductor.
The “main dish” came last, with every child choirs of València and the surrounding regions joined the Iturbi room’s stage to perform a selection of “Popular Christmas Songs” byPascual Martínez. “It includes French, Valencian and Spanish traditional pieces. Surprises and gifts await at the end of our concert”, added Hilari Garcia.
The "surprise" was the closing of the Christmas show with the highly recognized 'Radetzky March' by Strauss. It wasn't New Year's but the public still joined the celebration with clapping and enthusiasm.
The Universitat de València Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Concert has been organised for over 10 years in collaboration withLaNau Choral School, the child choir of Universitat de València that performed withThe Eliana Choral School, Orfeó Valencià Infantil,Pequeños Cantores de ValènciaandQuart de Poblet Veus Juntes Chroal School. “More than a normal concert, we’re aiming for a party, a celebration and a meeting point for groups in one place to share our music” mentioned Garcia, who remarked the didactic and educative sense of the event, with a cast ranging from 4 years old to 23 “We young people also produce and listen to classical music”.
This year’s Christmas Concert last performance was on Friday 20 inBurjassot-Paterna Campus Charles Darwin room, dedicated to the university community.
Universitat de València Philharmonic Orchestrawas created byCristóbal Solerin 1995 to give cohesion to the music group proposals of the students. With over 80 young musicians with an average age of 20, It aims to give high quality education on orchestral performance with specialised professors. After Soler, the conductors have beenBeatriz Fernández AucejoandHilari Garcia Gázquez.
‘The world sings in front of a cradle’, by Orfeó Universitari de València
The Christmas Concert closed withOrfeó Universitari de València(OUV) onFriday 27 in Palau de la Música. According to conductorFrancesc Valldecabres, Orfeó linked together the 65th “The world sings in front of a cradle” concert with the first concert of “Bach Connections”, a series of performances by the group throughout 2025 to commemorate the 275th anniversary of the German composer’s death in València and Madrid.
“The performance will includeMúsica Trobada and most distinguished sopranoMaayan Licht. WithBach‘s music, the concert will include other Germanic authors like Pachelbel,BuxtehudeandKuhnau, as well as the central piece: “The Mediah”, stressesed Valldecabres.
The concert entry expenses were handed to NGO Physcologists Without Borders, attending the DANA victims at the moment.
OUV traveled to Germany on 7 December to performHändel‘s “The Mesiah” in Göttingen, along withOrchester Göttinger Musikfreunde and performed on 15 December with “More than Estellés” closing the Valencia Provincial Council promoted “Estellés Year”.