Dear audience:

This 2023-2024 season begins with a concert full of incentives. One of them will be to enjoy the art of the young Sevillian violinist Irene Arriaza González , brand new winner of the “Iberian Sinfonietta” Special Prize that each edition grants the "Ciudad de Estepona" Young Performers Competition , in this case, the winner of this prize in its fourth edition. It will be a great pleasure for us to present a performer who has so much to say in the complicated world of classical music. The work is a marvel, the most important and famous work of Max Bruch (1838 - 1920), his Concerto No. 1 for violin and orchestra in G minor, Op. 26 . We spoke with Irene, who, as you can imagine, has the date of Saturday, September 16, well noted on her calendar to give her best and what we will witness in the very special evening that we will have in a few days.

You inaugurate a new season of Iberian Sinfonietta as a soloist. What are your feelings?
I feel very lucky and happy to have the opportunity to play with the orchestra and share Music with the public in Fuengirola.

Who came up with the idea for the Max Bruch concert?
I thought it would be very special to play it with the orchestra, since it is a work that I have always been passionate about, attractive to the public and it is a great pleasure to be able to perform it.

What is your relationship with this work?
The first time I heard this concerto was at my first competition and I was fascinated by the strength it had and how beautiful and expressive it was. When I got home all I wanted to do was start studying it and feel it in my hands. I remember that I also listened to it many times when I went to school because I loved it. I have progressively matured it, playing it in concerts and competitions. It is a work that has taught me to work from the depth and beauty of sound and that has accompanied me in many moments of my life. I am very happy to play it with the Iberian Sinfonietta orchestra.

Do you think these are good times for classical music?
I think that classical music is at a time when there is a very good level in general, a lot of demand and a lot of resources for the development of the performer. With technological evolution we have at hand countless recordings, scores, we can see broadcasts of competitions, concerts, interviews with great teachers, master classes..., resources that musicians of previous times did not have. For the formation of
A musician is very lucky to have access to so much information.
When you have the opportunity to play it is wonderful and very motivating to feel the support that the public gives to young musicians.

What musical moment are you in?
I am lucky to be working with great teachers in musical environments that have a great musical tradition. I am trying to learn as much as possible of the technical and musical aspects that they teach me in order to have a good foundation for the future, expand my repertoire, continue training and acquire new experiences and learnings. I am very grateful to all the people who support me and offer me the opportunity to play. Now, I feel like I need to play in public a lot.

Anything left in our minds?
I would like to thank the "Ciudad de Estepona" Young Performers Competition , the entire organization, and of course the Iberian Sinfonietta orchestra and its director Juan Paulo Gómez for all the work they are doing to support young musicians and make our dreams come true. .

Jorge Rodríguez Morata
Pedagogical content coordinator.