SERENA SÁENZ & XABIER ANDUAGA

BEAUTY AND BELCANTO IN A SPECIAL SETTING
Two of the internationally highest profile home-grown voices will be charged with bringing the 37th Peralada Festival to an end with an unmissable recital of arias and songs, accompanied by acclaimed pianist Maciej Pikulski. Serena performed for the first time at the Easter Festival this year in a splendid production of Scarlatti's La Giuditta. She demonstrated great vocal agility and impeccable stage presence, in what was the first foray by the Barcelona soprano into the Baroque repertoire. Winner of multiple prizes in singing competitions, most notably first prize at the 16th Montserrat Caballé International Singing Competition and Special Prize and the Castell de Peralada Festival and star of the most recent Operalia, Serena Saenz is going through a purple patch in her young career. Xabier is a tenor with a voice gifted with a warm timbre, who can be seductive, flexible and has a gift for humour without losing his composure and with a notably expressive vocal register. In 2019 Xabier Anduaga won first prize at the Operalia singing competition, both in the open category and for zarzuela, the International Opera Prize 2021 for best young singer and an Opera XX1 Prize 2021 as best young performer, alongside other awards. Anduaga is today a tenor who is sought after by the world's leading opera houses, including New York's iconic Metropolitan Opera, where he performed for the first time in April last year with Donizetti's ‘L’elixir d’amor’, to great acclaim. The Saenz-Anduaga duo will perform in Peralada a belcanto programme with arias and duets by Bellini and Donizetti. Together, they will create a dynamic and electrifying musical experience bringing to the stage their unique characters and vocal styles. The concert promises to be an emotional offering by two of the most appreciated voices in the world of classical music today. With their talent, passion and artistry, the evening promises to be a truly unforgettable musical experience for the Festival's music-loving audience.