Algarabía

Overview

The University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra come together with dancers and actors in a unique fusion of disciplines. The result is a groundbreaking meeting of flamenco and Arab poetic traditions. An Arab girl embarks on a journey of discovery, studying the ancient botanical theory of flowers. Her intellectual approach contrasts with the instinctive love of a Spanish florist for the flowers themselves, their scents and colours. Poetry, Spanish and Arab dance and flamenco rhythms all come together in a vibrant celebration of music, movement and storytelling.

Programme

Stay tuned for the details...

Artists

Borja Quintas – Conductor
Ignacio Garcia and Jihad Mikhael – Directors
Liuba G. Cid – Artistic director

Jesús Carmona – Dancer
Lucía Campillo – Dancer
Cynthya Karam – Singing actress
Rafic Ali Ahmad – Poetry

Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de Navarra

A student ensemble based in Pamplona, Spain, the orchestra comprises university-aged musicians and offers students the opportunity to enhance their musical skills within a high-quality symphonic setting. Under the guidance of esteemed professionals, the orchestra prepares and performs a diverse repertoire, often collaborating with renowned soloists and conductors. Throughout the academic year, the orchestra engages in regular rehearsals that culminate in public performances, showcasing the talents and dedication of its members. These concerts are held at various venues, including the Museum of the University of Navarra (MUN), providing a platform for students to present their work to the public.  

In addition to its musical endeavours, the orchestra is a part of the university’s Artistic Talent Programme, allowing students to earn academic credits while pursuing their passion for music. This initiative facilitates the balance between academic commitments and artistic pursuits, enriching the cultural life of the university community.

Borja Quintas

The conductor Borja Quintas has performed in most European capitals and in the Middle East, in countries including Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, conducting some of the world’s finest orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the New Russia Symphony Orchestra.

With scholarships from various organisations, including the Barrié de la Maza Foundation, he studied conducting at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Professor Vladimir Ponkin, earning the Red Diploma of Excellence, a distinction awarded to graduates with the highest academic performance.

He has always combined the symphonic and lyrical worlds, cultivating different genres such as theatre, flamenco, sacred drama and audiovisual media. He has collaborated with artists as diverse as Roque Baños, Kuzma Bodrov, Dmitry Krymov, Lucas Vidal, Lucero Tena, Valery Sokolov and Ara Malikian, and has worked with singers including Plácido Domingo, Javier Camarena, María Bayo and Ainhoa Arteta, among many others. He has also immersed himself significantly in 20th and 21st-century music, recording for labels such as Naxos.

Strongly committed to young symphonic ensembles as a driving force of art and social change, he is currently the artistic director of the JMJ Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir, the University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra, the CSMA Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras and the UCAM Symphony Orchestra.  

Quintas also teaches orchestral conducting at the Aragon Conservatory of Music and is academic director of the Katarina Gurska Higher School’s Master in Conducting programme. He was recently invited to serve as a jury member at the Second Sergei Rachmaninov International Conducting, Composition and Piano Competition in Moscow.

Jesús Carmona

Jesús Carmona was born in Barcelona in 1985. He is a dancer and choreographer, and one of today’s most internationally recognised figures in Spanish dance and flamenco. A graduate of the Institut del Teatre, he joined the Ballet Nacional de España becoming principal dancer in 2007.

After leaving the company, Carmona developed a celebrated career creating works such as Ímpetus, Baile de Bestias (Max Awards 2022) and Súper-Viviente. In 2023, he founded the Ballet Español of the Community of Madrid and successfully launched its first season at Teatros del Canal.  

He has performed at top venues such as Sadler’s Wells, Lincoln Center and the Bolshoi Theatre, and has been honoured with major awards, including the Spanish National Dance Prize (2020), the Benois de la Danse (2021) and the Ojo Crítico Award (2019). His work blends technical mastery with a contemporary, emotionally resonant vision of flamenco and Spanish dance.

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