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 laureate 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: 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 the stage with musicians including Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—building a trajectory that seamlessly blends solo performance, chamber music, and close collaboration with major global music centres.

For over ten years, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO).

In 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, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, return to New York’s Lincoln Center, and debut with Beijing’s NCPA Orchestra.

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 distinctions, including the OPUS Klassik Award and the Supersonic Award.

Education: Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (with Martin Ostertag); Kronberg Academy (with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman). He 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.

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 Prize and has appeared as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also 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 recorded *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas. She has collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.

Balanas is a pioneer in orchestral conducting: Latvia’s first female symphony conductor, 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, into a family with no classical music background, 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 London’s Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded the Bicentenary Scholarship.

Artistically guided by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s Cello Masterclass d’Excellence, she has traced an extraordinary journey—from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.