Although it has a long tradition, the Estella, Logroño and Vitoria Early Music Week is one of Spain’s most innovative festivals, not only because of its programming, but also because it is a joint initiative of the three city councils of Estella, Logroño and Vitoria. The cycle, which since 2006 has formed part of the prestigious European Early Music Network (REMA), opens in Logroño on 8 September and closes with a family concert in Estella on 14 September.

The concerts will be held in the Chamber Music Auditorium of Riojaforum (Logroño), the church of San Pedro (Vitoria) and the church of San Miguel (Estella). The Harp Consort, directed by Andrew Lawrence King, will be in Logroño on the 9th, Vitoria on the 10th and Estella on 11 September with the programme “El Arte de la Fantasía”.

The harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss will perform Bach’s Goldberg Variations in Logroño on the 10th, Vitoria on the 11th and Estella on 12 September. The final ensemble to visit the three cities will be the Capella della Pietà dei Turchini, conducted by Antonio Florio, with the soprano Yetzabel Arias Fernández, in a performance of the programme Salve Regina. They will appear in Logroño on the 11th, Vitoria on the 12th and Estella on 13 September.

The programme includes the homonymous works by the composers Beneboli, Leonardo Leo, Pergolesi and Vivaldi. In addition to the three shared concerts, Logroño will be host to Los Ministriles de Marsias on 8 September, while Vitoria and Estella will welcome Carlos Mena and Mensa Harmonica on 9 and 10 September, respectively, in the programme “De Scarlatti a Scarlatti”.

Estella completes its programming with a further two concerts: on 9 September Andreas Prittwitz’s ensemble Looking Back will offer the programme “Looking Back Over the Renaissance” and on 14 September they will be joined by Fernando Palacios in a family concert at Golem Los Llanos, an event that aims to introduce children to early music.

Estella will also feature a series of lectures by Manuel Horno Gracia at the Gustavo de Maeztu Museum: “Canciones y danzas: del Renacimiento al día de hoy” (Songs and Dances: From the Renaissance to the Present Day) on 2 September; “La importancia del estilo italiano en el canto barroco” (The Importance of the Italian Style in Baroque Vocal Music) on 3 September, and “The Goldberg Variations of J. S. Bach” on 4 September.