Zubiaurre in Rome 2023: Sociedad Coral de Bilbao

From 10 to 12 March the Bilbao Choral Society will perform three concerts in Rome as part of the 150th anniversary of the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome. The programme selected by the Bilbao Choral Society pays tribute to the work of the Biscayan composer Valentín de Zubiaurre and commemorates his work in Rome.

These three performances will be sponsored by the Etxepare Basque Institute and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

• 10 March: at the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome, celebrating the Academy’s 150th anniversary.
• 11 March: at Chiesa di Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli in Rome.
• 12 March: in St. Peter´s Basilica in the Vatican.

After the premiere and a performance at the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano, the cast will continue the tour by performing at the Capilla Real in Madrid, the Bilbao Ars Sacrum festival and the Church of San Juan de Garai. 

Valentín María de Zubiaurre (Garai, 1837 - Madrid, 1914), was the first to receive an artist in residence scholarship at the Spanish Academy in Rome, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary, and conductor of the Capilla Real of Madrid for almost forty years (1875-1914), is one of the forgotten figures of 19th century music.   

The recovery of his works, mainly of a religious nature, is one of the points of interest of the Bilbao Choral Society, which has rescued from Eresbil (Basque Music Archive) the oratorio ‘The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ’, composed in return for the scholarship offered to him by the Spanish Academy in Rome in 1874, and which, with the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Etxepare Euskal Institutua, sees the light of day for the first time after a century and a half. The performance of the score, edited by Ángel Briz and recorded by Jean Michel Olivares, was conducted by Enrique Azurza and featured the voices of its choralists, soprano Ana Otxoa, tenor Beñat Egiarte and baritones Julen García and Juan Laborería, as well as Ander Marzana and Alberto Sáez Puente at the piano and organ. 

Set in modern times and with a contemporary approach, the project is a tribute to the composer´s work. All the concerts in Rome will be conducted by Enrique Azurza.