Thursday, September 25
Croatian National Theater in Varaždin, Great Concert Hall, 8:00 p.m.
Accademia del Piacere
Fahmi Alqhai, viola da gamba and artistic leadership
Ana Morales, flamenco dancer
Johanna Rose, viola da gamba
Rami Alqhai, viola da gamba
Carles Blanch, baroque guitar
Agustín Diassera, percussion
Rediscovering Spain
Anonymous 16th c.
Di, perra mora
Antonio de Cabezón & Fahmi Alqhai
La dama la demanda
Heinrich Isaac & Fahmi Alqhai
La Spagna
Jacobus Arcadelt, Diego Ortiz & Fahmi Alqhai
O felici occhi miei
Improvisation & Fahmi Alqhai
Diferencias sobre Guárdame las vacas
Santiago de Murcia
Fandango
Fahmi Alqhai
Glosa sobre Mille Regretz de Josquin
Antonio de Cabezón
Tiento III de primer tono
Anonymous & Fahmi Alqhai
Xácaras & Folías
Fahmi Alqhai
Diminution in canon on G.B. Vitali
Improvisación sobre el pasacalle
Gaspar Sanz & Fahmi Alqhai
Marionas & Canarios
Under the artistic direction of viol player Fahmi Alqhai, Accademia del Piacere is one of Europe’s leading early music ensembles. Renowned for their innovative projects, outstanding musical performance, and strong stage presence, they are at the forefront of historically informed yet emotionally charged interpretation. The ensemble is celebrated for its direct and vivid communication with the audience, approaching early music as a living art form – expressive, passionate, and relevant. Their repertoire includes the Italian Seicento (Le Lacrime di Eros, Amori di Marte), Spanish Renaissance music (Rediscovering Spain, Colombina), and theatrical works of the Spanish Baroque (Muera Cupido, with Nuria Rial). Projects such as Las Idas y las Vueltas and Diálogos explore the intersection of early music and flamenco. Accademia del Piacere has received numerous awards, including the Opus Klassik, Choc de Classica, GEMA, and the Giraldillo of the Seville Flamenco Biennial. They perform at major venues worldwide, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Wiener Konzerthaus, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Oji Hall Tokyo, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, and many others. Their concerts are regularly broadcast by major radio and television networks across the globe.
Fahmi Alqhai is one of today’s most prominent viola da gamba players and a leading interpreter of early music, known for his personal, emotional, and communicative approach to historical repertoire. Born in Seville, he spent his childhood in Syria and studied in Spain and Switzerland, at renowned institutions such as the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. In addition to his musical training, he also holds a degree in dentistry. He is the founder of Accademia del Piacere, with which he has released numerous internationally awarded albums (Opus Klassik, Choc de Classica, ICMA nominations). His projects often bridge early music with flamenco and contemporary expression, placing him among the most original artists of his generation. Albums such as The Bach Album, A piacere, Las idas y las vueltas, and Diálogos have earned widespread acclaim. As a soloist and member of ensembles like Hespèrion XXI (Jordi Savall) and Il Suonar Parlante (Vittorio Ghielmi), he performs across Europe, Japan, the United States, and Latin America. Since 2009, he has served as artistic director of FeMAS, Spain’s foremost early music festival.
A dancer of remarkable expressiveness, sensuality, and innate elegance, Ana Morales is considered one of the leading artists on the contemporary flamenco scene. Deeply rooted in personal experiences and life’s transitions, her artistic expression is built on a rich and diverse language that blends flamenco with other performing arts in a unique and powerful way. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Premio Giraldillo for Dance (Bienal de Sevilla, 2018), Desplante Award (Festival de Las Minas, 2009), and three LORCA Awards for Best Flamenco Performance, Choreography, and Production (2019). Ana Morales has performed at major international venues such as Sadler’s Wells (London), Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse (Paris), Théâtre de Nîmes, Posthof (Austria), and the Tampere Flamenco Festival (Finland). She has collaborated with renowned artists including Esperanza Fernández, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Belén Maya, and Carlos Saura. As a member of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, she stood out in productions such as La memoria del cante 1922 and Imágenes, the latter awarded the Giraldillo for Best Show at the 2014 Bienal de Sevilla. In 2022, she was awarded Spain’s National Dance Award (Premio Nacional de Danza).