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 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 spans internationally renowned venues: Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall New York, Kennedy Center Washington, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Vienna Musikverein, Tonhalle Zürich, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
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 unique trajectory that combines solo performance, chamber music, and close ties with major musical centres worldwide.
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 Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, 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* (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 Bach’s complete Cello Suites; his recordings have received prestigious accolades 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 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, with appearances 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 performed as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has appeared at festivals including the Dresden Music Festival, International Cello Festival Shanghai, Moritzburg Festival, and Radio France Occitanie Montpellier Festival.
She is an artist of Decca Classics and, together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, released *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks. She has also collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is a pioneer in orchestral conducting: Latvia’s first woman symphonic conductor, founder and conductor 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 world premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in 1873.
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 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.