Song of Light
ADDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ALICANTE
BENEDICT KLOECKNER, 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 KLOECKNER. Cello
Benedict Klöckner is today regarded as one of the most outstanding cellists of his generation. A prizewinner of 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 Berlin 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 including Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter — consolidating a multifaceted trajectory that blends solo performance, chamber music, and close collaboration 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: concerts at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zurich, Suntory Hall Tokyo, and Concertgebouw Amsterdam — alongside his return to New York’s Lincoln Center and debut with the NCPA Orchestra Beijing.
His recent discography includes the album *Dvořák* (Berlin Classics, 2024, with Cristian Măcelaru, Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and Danae Dörken), and the Brahms sonatas recorded with Yu Kosuge (Sony, 2023).
He has also recorded the complete Bach Cello Suites; his recordings have received prestigious distinctions 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, Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Sydney Opera House, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and L’Auditori Barcelona.
She is a recipient of Latvia’s Grand Music Award and has appeared as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has participated in festivals including the Dresden Music Festival, International Cello Festival Shanghai, Moritzburg Festival, and Radio France Occitanie Montpellier Festival.
An exclusive Decca Classics artist, she released *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas. She has also collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is a pioneering figure in orchestral conducting: Latvia’s first female symphony orchestra chief conductor, founder and artistic director of ANONIMI Orchestra and Charity, and former assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.
She plays the 1849 Charles-Adolphe Gand “Auguste Tolbecque” cello, loaned by The Little Butterfly Foundation — the very instrument used for the 1873 world premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Born in Dobele, Latvia, into a family with no classical music tradition, she began singing rock & 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 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 journey — from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.