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 among the most distinguished cellists of his generation. A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, he enjoys an intense solo career with leading orchestras worldwide, 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 internationally renowned venues including the Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Wiener Musikverein, the Tonhalle Zürich, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
A regular guest at international festivals, he has shared the stage with artists including Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—solidifying a trajectory that combines solo performance, chamber music, and close ties with some of the world’s foremost musical institutions.
For over ten years, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO).
During the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons, his international schedule is especially prominent, featuring performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Cologne Philharmonie, the Tonhalle Zürich, the Suntory Hall Tokyo, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam—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*, released by Berlin Classics in 2024 with Cristian Măcelaru, the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and Danae Dörken, as well as the Brahms sonatas recorded with Yu Kosuge (Sony, 2023).
He has also recorded the complete Bach Cello Suites, and his recordings have received 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, crafted by Francesco Ruggeri in 1680.
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 Barcelona.
She has received the Grand Music Prize of Latvia and performed as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as appearing at 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 and, together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, recorded *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks. She has also collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is also a pioneering figure in orchestral conducting—the first woman symphonic conductor of Latvia, 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 premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Born in Dobele, Latvia, without a family background in classical music, she began singing rock ’n’ roll with her family and busking on the streets with her brothers 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 guided by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s *Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle*, she has traced an extraordinary path—from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.