PROGRAM:
SONG TO ABSENT LOVE
Miquel Ortega (1963) – La casa que vull (2000) Text by Joan Salvat-Papasseit
Borja Mariño (1982) – La grama triste (2022) Text by Antonio Gala
Rubén Díez (1977) – Carta del más allá (2018) Text by Juan Carlos de la Madrid
Jordi López (1982) – El ausente (2022) Text by Carmen Ortiz Mompeán
NOSTALGIA FOR CUBA
Ernesto Lecuona (1896-1963) – Habanera (1958) Piano solo
Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002) – Canciones negras (1945) Cuba dentro de un piano
Text by Rafael Alberti
Punto de habanera Text by Néstor Luján
Sebastián Iradier y Salaverri (1809-1865) – La paloma (1863) Text by Sebastián Iradier y Salaverri
Leonora Milà (1942) – Havanera No. 3, Op. 53 (1992) Piano solo
THE 21ST-CENTURY HABANERA
Marcos Fernández-Barrero (1984) – Van y vienen (2023) Anonymous text (15th century)
Jesús Legido (1943) – Paisajes: Tiempo de habanera (2023) Text by Jesús Legido
Juan Durán (1969) – Músicos del Metropolitano (2023) Text by Javier Mateo
Javier Centeno (1973) – Todo blanco (2023) Text by Antonio García Teijeiro
HABANERAS IN SPANISH LYRIC THEATRE
Emilio Arrieta (1821-1894) – “Habanera”, zarzuela Un sarao y una soirée (1866) Piano solo
Federico Chueca (1846-1908), Joaquín Valverde (1846-1910) – “Oiga usté, caballero”, revue El año pasado por agua (1889)
Libretto by Ricardo de la Vega
Georges Bizet (1838-1875) – “Tan rebelde es el amor”, Carmen (1887, 1890) Libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac, Spanish version by Eduardo de Bray
In habanera mode
The habanera is a song that travels back and forth between Spain and the colonies. Born as a European dance performed with sensual movements, it reached Cuba brought by settlers, and later returned to the continent with its lilting sway and mellow, sweetly coloured air.
This recital offers a wide panorama of the genre, featuring composers from both sides of the Atlantic.
SANDRA FERRÁNDEZ. Mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Sandra Ferrández has established herself as one of the most versatile and expressive voices of her generation, thanks to a deep, nuanced timbre, a captivating stage presence, and a strong interpretive commitment—qualities recognised by critics and audiences alike.
Born in Crevillente (Alicante), she studied with Ana Luisa Chova at the Joaquín Rodrigo Higher Conservatory of Valencia, where she received the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award, and furthered her training with artists such as Gundula Janowitz, Elena Obraztsova, and Wolfram Rieger. She has received honours including the Ópera Actual Award, First Prize at Juventudes Musicales de España, and First Prize in Zarzuela in Abarán.
She made her operatic debut as Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and soon reached a major milestone when she stepped in for Montserrat Caballé in Le Roi d’Ys. Since then, she has enjoyed an intense career in leading Spanish theatres and concert halls, as well as on international stages such as the Kennedy Center in Washington and Osaka’s Festival Hall, in addition to recitals with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra in Caracas and at the Łańcut Festival (Poland).
In zarzuela, she has shone in emblematic titles such as La verbena de la Paloma, Los Gavilanes at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, La Revoltosa at Teatros del Canal, El Barberillo de Lavapiés and La Malquerida at the Palau de les Arts, and Doña Francisquita at the Gran Teatro de Córdoba.
She has worked with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Semyon Bychkov, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Jesús López Cobos, Ivor Bolton, and Guillermo García Calvo, and with stage directors including Emilio Sagi, Giancarlo Del Monaco, and Lluís Pasqual. Her versatility has also taken her into contemporary repertoire, appearing in premieres at the Teatro Real, the Palau de les Arts, and Oviedo Opera.
Recent engagements include Carmen at the Teatro de la Maestranza, La Vida breve and Carmen at Alicante’s ADDA, Los Gavilanes at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, La Dama del Alba in Oviedo, Hansel and Gretel at Teatro Real Retiro, Nixon in China and Tejas Verdes at the Teatro Real, and La Traviata at Los Jameos del Agua. In the 2025/26 season she sings Rigoletto and Carmen at Oviedo Opera, and Los Estunmen at the Liceu and the Teatro Real, among other engagements.
IRENE ALFAGEME. Piano
Irene Alfageme has established herself as one of Spain’s leading pianists specialising in vocal repertoire. She has collaborated in recitals with Bryn Terfel and Plácido Domingo, as well as in rehearsals with, among others, Felicity Lott and Ian Bostridge. As a répétiteur, she works with the Hoffmann Theater in Bamberg and the Teatro Calderón in Valladolid. Her extensive orchestral experience has led her to collaborate with the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra and Spain’s National Orchestra and Choir, and she is a founding member of the Natalia Ensemble. She has given numerous recitals across Europe, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and Japan. Her awards include the Janet Duff Greet Prize, the Concurso Ciudad de S. Sebastián, and Monserrat Alavedra. She is Professor at the Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid, holds a PhD (cum laude) from the University of Valladolid, and has been distinguished as an “Associate” of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
