Tribute to Manuel de Falla

In this commemorative year dedicated to Manuel de Falla, the Gijón International Piano Festival joins the tribute to the Cádiz-born composer with a programme inspired by the richness and identity of Spanish music.

The Gijón International Piano Festival Chamber Orchestra, together with pianist Nabeel Hayek and under the direction of Josu de Solaun, will perform an arrangement of Nights in the Gardens of Spain, one of the most emblematic works in the Spanish repertoire, specially adapted for this occasion. This new version offers a renewed perspective on Falla’s masterpiece, preserving its evocative power, its rich palette of colours, and the poetic atmosphere that defines the work.

Nabeel Hayek, winner of the First Prize at the 23rd José Iturbi International Piano Competition in Valencia, is a pianist recognised for his artistic sensitivity and outstanding international career. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Orquesta de Valencia, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the Israel Symphony Orchestra (Rishon LeZion), as well as giving recitals throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. He studied at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University and The Juilliard School, where he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Since 2017, he has received guidance from renowned pianist Murray Perahia.

The recital will be completed with a selection of solo piano works by Liszt, Brahms, and Albéniz.

Nabeel Hayek, piano
Josu de Solaun, conductor
Gijón International Piano Festival Chamber Orchestra

Programme:

Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Harmonies poétiques et religieuses

• III. Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, Op. 122 No. 5
Piano transcription: Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924)

Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909)
Iberia, Books I and IV

• Evocación (Book I, No. 1)
• Málaga (Book IV, No. 10)

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain