The 9th edition of the Early Music Festival "La Vila del Joy" presents a very varied and attractive programme that covers medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical and, for the first time, early romantic sounds with period instruments. The Church of Santa María (and Assumption) of La Vila Joiosa, a Catalan Gothic temple rebuilt in the 16th century, will be the setting for four high-level musical proposals that bring together musicians of renowned prestige in the field of early music, such as the singers Ruth Rosique, Belén Roig and Adriana Mayer, the young Ucranian violinist Vadym Makarenko, the guitarist Rubén Parejo, the harpsichordist Dani Espasa and the percussionist Pere Olivé, among others.

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The festival will begin on FRIDAY 22 September with a concert by the percussion group Arbeau Project led by Pere Olivé, one of the most sought-after musicians by prestigious historicist ensembles in Europe. They present the programme Batteries de Tambours, which takes us through medieval, renaissance, baroque and modern music, with a view that reflects the tradition of the different cultures of the Mediterranean.

 

On FRIDAY 29th September, sopranos Ruth Rosique and Belén Roig together with the group Harmonia del Parnàs conducted by Marian Rosa Montagut, present a programme celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth in Artà (Mallorca) of Antoni Lliteres, one of the best composers of the stage music in the first half of the 18th century. Along with works by the Mallorcan, we will hear others by the Aragonese José de Nebra and Antonio Ripa, and also the Valencians Francisco Hernández y Llana, Pasqual Fuentes and Vicent Martín y Soler.

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And after the success of the previous edition, on FRIDAY 6th October we will once again be delighted by the baroque orchestra Vespres d'Arnadí. On this occasion they will present concertos for solo instruments by Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the concerto in A major for harpsichord whose soloist will be the group's conductor Dani Espasa, as well as the double concerto for oboe and violin featuring Pere Saragossa and the young Russian Vadym Makarenko, and the 5th Brandenburg concerto with Marina Durany on traverso in addition to the aforementioned soloists on violin and harpsichord.

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And as every year, the closing concert will be on MONDAY 9 October with a project to recover the work of the Valencian Josep Melcior Gomis. The programme Hôtel Favart will allow us to take on, for the first time in our festival, music of romanticism made with period instruments. Gomis' music has many expressive registers of great lyrical inspiration, reflecting part of the Valencian Romantic heritage. Along with the works of Gomis, we will be able to listen to Giacomo Rossini, Ferdinando Carulli and Manuel Garcia. They will be performed by the mezzo-soprano Adriana Mayer, the guitarist Rubén Parejo, the pianist Carles Budó and the percussionist Pere Olivé.