The Parish of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna hosts the VIII International Organ Festival of Benidorm

The Parish of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna will host from this Friday the eighth edition of the International Organ Festival of Benidorm. The concerts will be the last Friday from January to May and November 20 and December 11. Admission will be free, limited to the capacity of the church, about 300 people.

The Councilor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez, along with the priest Parish priest Juan Antonio González; the priest, Aniceto Villamide; and the teachers of organ and key, and piano of the Conservatory ‘Guitarist José Tomás de Alicante’, Joxe Benantzi from Bilbao and Juan Antonio Espinosa, today have presented the program of a festival that every year receives greater recognition,

The festival is possible thanks to the organ of the Church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, high quality and unique instrument of the province of Alicante with three keyboards. On this occasion, in addition to the organists, professionals from the music of Benidorm will participate. Jaime Jesús Pérez has revealed that, for the occasion, “José Ángel Isla, trombonist, born in Benidorm, a member of one of our music bands and also José Antonio Gonzaga, with the oboe” will come to the city. Both, like the rest of interpreters "musicians of recognized prestige in the national and international scope".

Organ concerts "complement each other," Pérez stressed, "with clarinet, cello or trombone so that it is not just organ." A quality proposal with which it is expected that "as always" expectations will be met, "the capacity of the Church is filled and our neighbors and those who visit us enjoy it very much."

José Antonio Espinosa has emphasized the "excellent relationship" between the City Council and the Parish, which maintains the organ, "a first level instrument that requires maintenance and an absolute set-up." On the character of the organists, Joxe Benantzi, thanked the facilities of the church that provides the organists with preparation and rehearsals. Musicians who "sometimes have to study at night, in very curious schedules." In this sense, the priest, Juan Antonio González has said of them that they are "nocturnal birds, that's why I leave you the keys and are delighted."Finally, Aniceto Villamide has highlighted the quality that, year after year, acquires the Festival, has opted to “raise it to another level” and has proposed to study the organization “of an organ and orchestra concert” for the future.

Programming

The inaugural concert will be this Friday, January 31, with Pablo Márquez, organ and José Ángel Isla, trombone. On February 28, Daniel Oyarzabal, organ will take part. On March 27, Brice Montagnoux, organ and Eva Villegas, clarinet. On April 24, Alberto Mammarella, organ. On May 29, Javier Artigas, organ. On November 20 the concert will be held in memoriam of Adolfo Gutiérrez Viejo, with Miguel Bernal and Francisco Amaya, organ; and Adolfo Guitiérrez, cello. Finally, on December 11, the ‘Christmas Concert’ will take place with Joxe Benantzi Bilbao, organ and José Antonio Gonzaga and Pedro Cusac, oboes.