Music Network continues its autumn touring schedule with violinist Francisco Fullana and pianist Alba Ventura, two of Spain’s leading international classical music stars, starting this weekend in Galway.
Both thrilling individual performers, they came together in 2023 to record and release Spanish Light, a gorgeous collection of Spanish and Catalan music including dazzling virtuoso pieces by the great violinist-composer Pablo de Sarasate, as well as the evocative Sonata Española by Joaquín Turina.
This duo’s playing is something truly special to witness and their November programme will feature pieces from Spanish Light as well as some incredible performances of music by Bach and Mozart.
Fullana and Ventura are kicking off an Irish tour this season with a concert at the Station House Hotel, Clifden on Saturday, November 23 at 8pm. Tickets available at the door.
A native of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain, Francisco Fullana is renowned as a soloist and leader of innovative educational projects around the world.
A recipient of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2023 Khaledi Prize, he has performed with orchestras such as the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Spanish Radio Television Orchestra, Argentina’s National Orchestra, Venezuela’s Teresa Carreño Orchestra and numerous American ensembles.
He has worked with noted conductors such as the late Sir Colin Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Alondra de la Parra, Christoph Poppen, Jeannette Sorrell and Joshua Weilerstein.
In 2015, Francisco received 1st prize in Japan’s Munetsugu Angel Violin Competition, as well as all four of that competition’s special prizes, including the Audience and Orchestra awards.
Additional awards include 1st prizes at the Johannes Brahms and Julio Cardona International Violin Competitions, the Pro Musicis International Award and the Pablo Sarasate Competition.
Born in Barcelona, Alba Ventura made her debut as a concert soloist at the age of thirteen with the Orquestra de Cadaqués conducted by Sir Neville Marriner in San Sebastian and at the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid. In addition to appearing regularly in Spain’s leading concert halls.
As a former ECHO (European Concert Halls Organisation) Rising Star, Alba’s career as an international soloist has taken her to such prestigious concert halls as London’s Wigmore Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, The Barbican, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Musikverein (Vienna), Cité de la Musique (Paris) and Svetlanovsky Hall (Moscow).
Further afield, Alba’s international concert programme has led to performances in the USA, Colombia, Argentina, New Zealand and China. She has collaborated with conductors such as Antonini, Harth-Bedoya, Hogwood, Mas, Oue, Pons, Ros Marbà and Vásary.
Performances with esteemed orchestras include appearances with the Philharmonia, Hallé, London Mozart Players, Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech National Symphony Orchestra as well as many leading Spanish orchestras.
She is also a dedicated chamber musician and her collaborators include Elisabeth Leonskaja, the Brodsky, Takács and Casals quartets, and violinists Lina Tur Bonet, Boris Belkin, Gordan Nikolic and Tai Murray.
This tour runs from 23rd November to 1st December and includes dates in Galway, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Waterford, Newry, Donegal, Westmeath and Wicklow. It also notably features a world premiere of a new Music Network commission by Gráinne Mulvey. Classical music enthusiasts will want to ensure they snag a ticket for one of the eight concerts; a wonderful evening of music to lift the soul in the dark days of late autumn.
Dates & Venues
Sat 23 Nov Station House Theatre, Clifden, Galway Show 8pm / Tickets on the door
Sun 24 Nov Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin Show 4pm /Tickets €23-25*
Tue 26 Nov Music Network at 1WML, Dublin 2 Show 7.30pm / Tickets €18-25
Wed 27 Nov Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford Show 7.30pm / Tickets €15-20*
Thurs 28 Nov Warrenpoint Town Hall, Newry Show 7.30pm / Tickets £10-20*
Fri 29 Nov Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny Show 8.00pm / Tickets €12-15
Sat 30 Nov Tullynally Castle, Castlepollard, Westmeath Show 7.00pm / Tickets €12-35
Sun 1 Dec Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Wicklow Show 8.00pm / Tickets €19-21
