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| Local Festivals |
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Arte Santander
Santander's visual arts fair has been around for ten years. The Palacio de Festivales provides the setting for this festival, which includes various exhibits, performances, and stalls. Arte Santander takes place from late July to early August.
Concurso Internacional de Piano Ciudad de Santander
Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria Gamazo, s/n Santander , 39004 Tel: +34 942 361606 Fax: +34 942 364061
Held every summer in July and August, Santander's International Piano Competition is one of the most important cultural events of the city. Other popular events are the popular Festival Internacional and the annual summer school at the Universidad Internacional Men y Pelayo .
The competition was set up in 1972 by Paloma O'Shea . From all over the world, talented young musicians come to take part. Competing in the event certainly guarantees significant international prestige. Participants may even be awarded grants to continue their studies by the event organizer, Fundaci Isaac Alb The event is very enjoyable, and is often frequented by tourists as well as locals.
Festival Internacional de Santander
Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria, Dique de Gamazo, Santander , Spain 39004 942-210-508
Santander's International Festival is now more than 50 years old. This is a time when Cantabrians celebrate their cultural heritage through dance, music, and the arts. This festival is held in late July through late August.
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Along with the more famous Festival of Granada, which took place in June, this is the oldest of Spain’s fiestas, and the longest.
The 2004 program reflects the international breadth and quality of this festival which rivals any other European festival for its international quality with performances by the Gala Flamenca, Beijing National Opera, Berlin Symphony, Argentine Ballet, Dresden Philharmonic, Helikon Opera Theatre of Moscow, Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra and Chorus, pianists Grigorij Sokolov and Lucille Chung, viol soloist Jordi Savall and soprano Angela Gheorghiu.
As well as the impressive Festival Palace in Santander, a number of churches, monasteries and other buildings of architectural and historic interest and beauty in and around the city are used as venues for performances, bringing much of Cantabria within the festival’s embrace.
Tickets: Prices range from $12 to $160 with tickets for most concerts costing 32 euros, (about $38.50).
The Festival was born from the need to offer cultural entertainment to foreign students and, according to some of its founders, “bring culture out into the streets.”
In 1948, musical performances were held in the cloisters of the Corbán seminary, in the inner courtyard of the San Rafael Hospital, now the seat of the Parliament of Cantabria, and in the Magdalena Peninsula.
In 1952 efforts by Jose Manuel Riancho, who would become the first director of the Santander Festival, led to the creation of the Porticada Square, considered for 40 years as the “Music Main Square” in Spain. Street market by day, it was transformed by night into a magical and unique stage, graced by the greatest artists of the twentieth century, from the world of music, dance and theater.
For 38 years of the Festival’s history, it was the backbone of the cultural offer of the region, centered almost exclusively in the month of its activity. The Porticada Square was officially closed on August 30, 1990, with the participation of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and Mstsislav Rostropovich.
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The Festival Hall (Palacio de Festivales) as its heir has hosted the International Festival since 1991, which, thanks to this new theatrical stage, has been able to broaden its artistic offer, introducing opera and illustrious ballet companies to its program.
Since 1979 the Festival’s director has been Jose Luis Ocejo, under whose direction the festival has branched out to other outstanding locations in the region, creating a cultural weave that transforms Cantabria into a summer fiesta under the common denominator of the arts. The Festival seeks to create an artistic program that appeals to the different sectors of society, in an attempt to satisfy the needs of the most demanding supporters and all those wishing to enjoy artistic events of the highest quality.
For this reason, the Santander International Festival especially seeks to strike a balance between the most traditional styles and the latest ground-breaking and innovatory tendencies, and this characteristic has given shape to the festival’s own identity.
Another of the features defining the festival is its desire to open up new paths. Along with its main venue, the Festival Hall, activities spread throughout the region, offering concerts in the historical venues of Cantabria, churches and buildings of architectural and historical importance.
All these factors contribute to turning the International Festival into the driving force of the social and cultural life of the region, and whose magnetic appeal draws people from many parts. The event is listed in the European Association of Festivals based in Ghent which counts among its roster the major festivals in Salzburg, Florence and Verona to name a few, making it among the more respected and closely followed cultural events in Europe and America.
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The list of the world-class artists who have performed in each edition throughout the long history of the Festival has further cemented its reputation in the global cultural community.
As well as the purely artistic, the International Festival Santander takes place in of the most visited regions during the summer months -Cantabria - offering tourists a perfect combination of nature, art, and culture, converting it into a first class holiday destination chosen by visitors demanding only the very best of quality.
For further Information contact Festival Internacional de Santander, C/ Gamazo, s/n - 39004 Santander (España). Tel.: (34) 942 21 05 08 - 942 31 48 53. Fax: (34) 942 31 47 67.
During the summer, the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo holds interesting lectures, talks and short courses covering a wide subject area. In summer too, the following events are held: Feria de las Naciones (Nations Festival), Feria Taurina de Santiago (Santiago's Bullfighting Festival), festival season at the auditorium of El Sardinero, the festivities at Baños de Ola at Primera beach in El Sardinero, Semana Grande (Big Week) of Santander and Arte-Deco .
Also there are the Spanish music concerts which come to the city and the live shows at the following places: Rocambole, Café Victoria, Dragón (gay scene), Barraquito, Canela or Deco. Santander also has a lot to offer in terms of films showing at its cinemas. Although without the latest technological advances, Los Ángeles Cinema is well known for its comfortable seats while quality remains the buzzword for the Cine Capitol. Both are located near the city center.
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