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 among today’s most distinguished cellists of his generation. A laureate of numerous international competitions, he maintains an intensive 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 Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Musikverein (Vienna), Tonhalle (Zurich), and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam).
A regular guest at international festivals, he has shared stages with musicians such as Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—solidifying a career that seamlessly unites solo performance, chamber music, and close ties with the world’s foremost musical institutions.
For over ten years, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Coblenz (IMUKO).
In the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons, his international schedule is especially prominent: performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berliner Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zurich, Suntory Hall Tokyo, and Concertgebouw Amsterdam—as well as a return to New York’s Lincoln Center and 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 Bach’s complete cello suites. His recordings have received prestigious accolades, including the OPUS Klassik Award and the Supersonic Award.
Klöckner studied at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Martin Ostertag and at the Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman. He currently serves as 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 music, 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, Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Sydney Opera House, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and L’Auditori (Barcelona).
She has received Latvia’s Grand Music Prize and appeared as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed at festivals including the Dresden Music Festival, Shanghai International Cello Festival, Moritzburg Festival, and Radio France Occitanie Montpellier Festival.
She is an exclusive Decca Classics artist. Together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, she released *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks. She has collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is also a pioneer in orchestral conducting: the first woman symphonic conductor in 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 in the 1873 premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Born in Dobele, Latvia, into a family without classical music tradition, 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 mentored by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s “Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle”, her extraordinary journey spans from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.