Although we had already arrived in Cerezales del Condado (León, Spain) on Monday 12 February, our artistic residency at the Cerezales Antonino y Cinia Foundation officially began the following day. There we met the young Ukrainian composer Adrian Mokanu, author of Tras las Aguas Leteas, the work that we premiered on Saturday 17 February as the finale of this experience. This new adventure would not have been possible without Juventudes Musicales de España and the Fundación Cerezales, to whom we are infinitely grateful for their excellent work and superb kindness.
Picture: Juan Luís García
Although we also rehearsed in the afternoon to prepare our programme entitled La Sonrisa de las Tumbas for our tour of Castilla y León, every day we had a working session with Adrian on his work. With him, we shared musical ideas that brought us closer to the rhythm of the current of the letean waters. Being able to live with Adrian in the same house was also productive, as it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better and establish a personal connection that helped us to understand the expressive nuances of his compositional style. By the way! We couldn't have lived together more comfortably than in the rural accommodation El Vallín de Lan, a charming house, incredibly well equipped and with an unbeatable customer service. Thank you!
Although we also rehearsed in the afternoon to prepare our programme entitled La Sonrisa de las Tumbas for our tour of Castilla y León, every day we had a working session with Adrian on his work. With him, we shared musical ideas that brought us closer to the rhythm of the current of the letean waters. Being able to live with Adrian in the same house was also productive, as it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better and establish a personal connection that helped us to understand the expressive nuances of his compositional style. By the way! We couldn't have lived together more comfortably than in the rural accommodation El Vallín de Lan, a charming house, incredibly well equipped and with an unbeatable customer service. Thank you!
On Friday 16th February we recorded Tras las Aguas Leteas in the exhibition hall of the Cerezales Foundation, where its great reverberation was ideal for Adrian's sound idea. There, Rafa, the sound technician, and Isma, the audiovisual technician, worked to leave a beautiful memory of the residency. Soon you will be able to see the result in our social networks!
On Saturday 17th of February took place the absolute premiere of Tras las Aguas Leteas in the auditorium of the Fundación Cerezales and the premiere of our programme La Sonrisa de las Tumbas. We were lucky enough to be surrounded, as usual, by our biggest fans: our families! They cheered us on between the seats in the auditorium to give our best. Thank you families, both those of you who were able to come and those who couldn't, for always being there and being our biggest support.
It has been a fantastic experience, in which we have felt very well treated and welcomed. Nature, animals and good weather have accompanied us during intense days of rehearsal full of illusion that have been a step further in our artistic and personal development. Thanks again to the Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia, especially to Luís Martínez for his attention and work, to Juventudes Musicales de España, in particular to Eloy Fernández for his constant support, to Juan Luís García for his incredible photos and recordings, and to Adrian for his new work.
See you soon!
Picture: Juan Luís Martínez
