Robert Trevino To Lead Mystery Concert For Basque National Orchestra's Epic New Project

Robert Trevino will start his Basque National Orchestra season with a mystery concert Announcing his third season as Chief Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra, fast-rising American maestro Robert Trevino revealed a fascinating, multi-year initiative inspired by a great historical event - and with a twist. The three-year Elkano Project will start with a concert where the audience will be almost entirely in the dark about what it is they are about to hear.

Why? Five hundred years ago, the Basque explorer Juan Sebasti n Elkano set off on a three-year voyage that would see him lead the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe (on his return, Charles I of Spain presented him with a coat of arms featuring a globe, on which was written "Primus circumdedisti me" - 'you were the first to go around me'). Marking this momentous voyage, Robert Trevino leads his orchestra on its own epic (if less dangerous!) journey.

Just as Elkano's voyage took three years to complete, so the Basque National Orchestra will, over the coming three seasons - present five new, specially commissioned works, journeys in their own right. All will be by Basque composers, inspired by aspects of Elkano's voyage. And the very first concert in the Elkano Project (and in the orchestra's 2019/20 season) will be a journey into the unknown, in that the audience will have no idea what it is they will be hearing ahead of time, except from a brand new work by Mikel Chamizo, to feature the Bilbao Choral Society and soprano Mojca Erdmann, with Trevino on the podium. The concert is entitled "Expectation".

Says Trevino of this innovation, "The start of any exploration is filled with emotions, dreams and fears for what we might encounter when we venture into the unknown. One feels trepidation, vertigo even, but you face it with confidence and excitement for what mysteries may be revealed. So our audiences may feel as they join us for this secretive concert. So we will feel as musicians, and that kind of heady mix of emotions, of expectations, is a precious thing in life and the discovery of music. We hope to keep those feelings going throughout this season with its theme of mysterious voyages, and throughout the entirety of the Elkano Project - which is one of the most exciting musical adventures I have yet embarked upon." Among the premieres to feature later in the Elkano Project will be a work, later this coming season, by Mikel Urquiza.

For more information about the 2019/2020 Basque National Orchestra season, see here.