Song of Light
ADDA Alicante Symphony Orchestra
Benedict Klöckner, cello
Margarita Balanas, guest conductor
Mozart — Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”
Haydn — Cello Concerto in C major
Mendelssohn — Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” (“Hymn of Praise”)
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: From 30 July 2026.
BENEDICT KLÖCKNER. Cello
Benedict Klöckner is today regarded as one of the most outstanding cellists of his generation. A laureate of numerous international competitions, he enjoys an intense solo career with top-tier orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, Deutsche Radiophilharmonie, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Kremerata Baltica, MDR Symphony Orchestra, and Munich Chamber Orchestra.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Sanderling, Ingo Metzmacher, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Oana Mallwitz, Cristian Măcelaru, and Sir Simon Rattle.
His artistic presence has taken him to world-renowned venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Tonhalle in Zurich, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
A regular guest at international festivals, he has shared stages with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—building a distinguished trajectory that balances solo performance, chamber music, and close collaboration with leading musical institutions worldwide.
For over a decade, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Coblenz (IMUKO).
During the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons, he maintains an especially prominent international schedule: performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Zurich Tonhalle, Tokyo Suntory Hall, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw—as well as a return to New York’s Lincoln Center and his debut with the NCPA Orchestra in Beijing.
His recent discography includes the album *Dvořák* (Berlin Classics, 2024), recorded with Cristian Măcelaru, the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and Danae Dörken; and the Brahms sonatas with Yu Kosuge (Sony, 2023).
He has also recorded the complete Bach Cello Suites. His recordings have received prestigious accolades, including the OPUS Klassik Award and the Supersonic Award.
Trained at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Martin Ostertag and at the Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman, Benedict Klöckner is currently Professor at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
He performs on the “Ex Maurice Gendron” cello, built by Francesco Ruggeri in 1680.
Deeply committed to contemporary creation, he has premiered works by Wolfgang Rihm, Eun Hwa Cho, Eric Tanguy, and Dai Fujikura in major international concert contexts.
MARGARITA BALANAS. Guest Conductor
Latvian cellist and conductor Margarita Balanas has established herself as one of the most distinctive musicians of her generation, performing at Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and L’Auditori in Barcelona.
She has received Latvia’s Grand Music Prize and appeared as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has participated in festivals including the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, the International Cello Festival Shanghai, the Moritzburg Festival, and the Radio France Occitanie Montpellier Festival.
She is an artist of Decca Classics. Together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, she released *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks. She has also collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is a pioneer in orchestral conducting: the first woman principal conductor of a Latvian symphony orchestra, founder and director of ANONIMI Orchestra and Charity, and former assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich (2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons).
She plays the 1849 Charles-Adolphe Gand “Auguste Tolbecque” cello, loaned by The Little Butterfly Foundation—the same instrument used for the 1873 world premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Born in Dobele, Latvia, into a family without classical music tradition, she began singing rock and roll with her family and busking on the streets with her siblings to help fund instruments and travel.
At age 15, she received a full scholarship to the Purcell School and later studied cello and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded the Bicentenary Scholarship.
Artistically mentored by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s *Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle*, her journey—from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls—is truly extraordinary.