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 prizewinner of numerous international competitions, he maintains 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 spans prestigious international venues: Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Vienna Musikverein, Tonhalle Zurich, and Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
A regular guest at international festivals, he has shared stages with artists including Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—building a distinguished trajectory that unites solo performance, chamber music, and close ties to major global musical institutions.
For over a decade, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO).
In the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons, his international schedule is especially prominent: performances at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berlin 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 Beijing.
His recent discography includes the album *Dvořák*, released by Berlin Classics in 2024 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 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 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 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 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 together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas. She has collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is a pioneering figure in orchestral conducting—the first woman symphonic conductor in Latvia, founder and artistic 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’s 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 siblings to help fund instruments and travel.
At age 15, she earned a full scholarship to the Purcell School and later studied cello and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she received the Bicentenary Scholarship.
Artistically mentored by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s Cello Masterclass, she has traced an extraordinary journey—from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.