Ketevan Music Festival, which celebrates sacred music from different cultures across the globe, is set to hold its 4th edition at the World Heritage City in Old Goa from February 21 to 24
TGLife
Beginning at the World Heritage City Old Goa on February 21, the 4th edition of Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival combines sacred music traditions from different eras from the East and the West inspired by the life of St Ketevan, Queen of Georgia. It is a project of music and religious coexistence; a space where the language of beauty and music becomes a bridge to connect and foster dialogue among cultures. Like an oasis, different cultures have existed and coexisted in Old Goa, which was declared as the world heritage city in 1986. Throughout history, many centuries ago, the relics of St Ketevan were brought from Middle East to Old Goa and were found just a few years ago after being buried for almost 400 years.
The full project is a very enthusiastic space in which different influences (East and Western culture) are put together in order to offer a beautiful experience of the coexistence between music and faith. Ketevan Sacred Music Festival offers concerts, workshops and conferences with artists from several traditions around the world: Western Classical, Carnatic, Orthodox, Christian Catholic, Sufi, Hindustani, Jewish, Native, and many others. Ketevan is an eclectic and vibrating experience of music, ethnicities and traditions, where past and present become one to propitiate coexistence between cultures.
The artistic director and founder of the festival Santiago Lusardi Girelli (Argentina), is an Argentinian-Italian orchestra and choir conductor, composer and scholar of philosophical traditions of the East and West. A lecturer, Dr Santiago has worked as a choir and orchestra conductor in more than 20 countries in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia for over two decades. He holds the Anthony Gonsalves Chair as ‘visiting research professor’ at the Goa University in India, working as lecturing professor and conductor of the Goa University Choir. He also collaborates as lecturer, composer and guest conductor with different Universities and professional orchestras from South America, Africa, Europe and India.
This year’s edition of the festival will include existing programmes such as ‘Spiritualia’ by the Italian jazz violinist Luca Ciarla and some new programmes designed especially for the festival, such as ‘Bach’s Dreams and XXth Century Sounds’ directed by UK-based Indian conductor Manvinder Rattan; combining ancient sacred chant from all eras and traditions.
From Milan will come the distinguished soprano Natalia Lemercier, who will perform as a soloist in the two biggest concerts of the festival! The oratory ‘Passion Landscapes’, written for the occasion, will be premiered at the festival and conducted by the composer and artistic director himself, maestro Santiago Lusardi Girelli from Argentina. The Ketevan will also count with the participation of dhrupad singer Pandit Ritwik Sanyal, from Benares; the awarded youth male choir from the UK, ‘The King’s Barbers’; the santoor player Jonathan Voyer and dancer Gautam Nima. The Goa University Choir, in collaboration with renowned artists from France, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Germany, UK, Italy, Georgia and India, will perform the ‘Misatango’ by the ‘Carnegie Hall Resident Composer 2018’, Martin Palmeri which will be the closing concert of the 4th edition.
Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival begins on February 21-24, at Old Goa, UNESCO Heritage City
n Artists - conductor - Manvinder Rattan (UK) and Lux Vocalis Ensemble (India, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands) on February 21, St Monica at 7 pm - Soundscapes: Bach Cantatas; The King’s Barbers Choir (UK) - conductor Peter North at 7.40 pm - Sacred Music
n Pandit Ritwik Sanyal (Varanasi) and Goa University Choir on February 22 at Our Lady of the Rosary at 7 pm - Pace E Benne - Dhrupad chant on St Francis of Assisi prayers; Goa University Choir, Vidya Shah, The King’s Barbers Choir and Ketevan Ensemble (Natalia Lemercier, Leo Rossi, Parvesh Java, Rahul Bhardwaj, Mathias Durand, Gautam Nima (Argentina, Germany, India, Portugal, Spain, UK) at 7.40 pm - Passion Landscapes: Passion Secundum Markum, Composer: Santiago Lusardi Girelli (world premier)
n Jonathan Voyer (Canada) on February 23, St Augustine Ruins at 6 pm - Santoor; Ensemble Sakhioba (Georgia) at 6.30 pm - Georgian Folk and Sacred Music Chant; Vidya Shah and ensemble (India) at 7 pm - Indian Classical Music; Ignacio Menteverde and Dario Polonara (Argentina) at 7.45 pm - Tango and Flamenco Dreams
n Goa University Choir, The Bangalore Men and ensemble, Santiago Lusardi Girelli (conductor) featuring Ektal Children Choir (Goa) on February 24, St Francis of Assisi at 6 pm - Misatango (Martin Palmeri); Ensemble Sakhioba (Georgia) at 7 pm - Sounds from St Ketevan’s Kingdom
