A Blend of Literary and Musical Performances
Mexico City’s stages are gearing up to showcase a rich variety of musical and theatrical expressions. This upcoming period features plays by renowned authors such as Arthur Miller and Friedrich Nietzsche, alongside compositions by masters like Schubert, Brahms, and Liszt.
Theatre for its Enthusiasts
From January 8 to 26, the 38th National Encounter of Theatre Lovers will take place, offering 35 free performances across two venues: the Teatro Orientación Luisa Josefina Hernández and the Teatro El Granero Xavier Rojas, both located in the Centro Cultural del Bosque. This collaboration between the National Theatre Coordination of the INBAL and the Mexicano Centro de Teatro ITI UNESCO brings together theatre companies from ten states, primarily Mexico City and the State of Mexico.
- Among the productions are “Ley de gravedad” by Agrupación Teatral Utopía Urbana from Mexico City, an adaptation of “El diario de Ana Frank” by Mexicanos al Grito de Escena from Quintana Roo, and “El soplador de estrellas” by Compañía de Repertorio Teatral del Instituto Irapuato from Guanajuato.
- Additionally, there will be adaptations such as “Así habló Zaratustra” by Consejo de Teatro Antinoópolis, based on Friedrich Nietzsche’s text, and “Como si fuera Salem,” adapted by Arthur Miller through Faramalla Teatro (Puebla), which recounts the grim end of the 17th century in Massachusetts during the witch trials that condemned and executed hundreds of people.
Piano… Pianissimo
From January 10 to February 15, the eighth International Piano Festival will be held by Cultura UNAM, featuring 18 Mexican and international pianists who will showcase their talents at three of the city’s most beautiful venues: the Nezahualcóyotl and Carlos Chávez halls at the Centro Cultural Universitario, as well as the Anfiteatro Simón Bolívar at the Colegio de San Ildefonso.
Renowned pianists such as British Stephen Hough, a Grammy-nominated artist who has won various piano competitions and performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, will participate. Hough will perform on February 12 at the Carlos Chávez hall, playing pieces by Schubert, Brahms, Schoenberg, and Stockhausen, among others. Later, he will join the UNAM Philharmonic as a soloist for performances on February 14 and 15.
French-Hungarian pianist Suzana Bartal, director artística of Festival Piano à Riom and future professor at the École Normale de Musique de París, will perform on January 29 at the Carlos Chávez hall with works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt, and others. She will also be a soloist with the UNAM Philharmonic on January 31 and February 1.
French pianist Andy Emler will give a recital on January 18 at the Nezahualcóyotl hall, while Canadian Sophia Liu will present a recital featuring major 19th-century composers. The festival’s program will also include Mexican pianist Daniela Liebman, who will evoke Beethoven, Germaine Tailleferre, Leoš Janáček, and Rajmáninov at the Carlos Chávez hall on January 22.
Liebman will perform as a soloist with the UNAM Philharmonic in two concerts at the Nezahualcóyotl hall on January 24 and 25. Her impressive credentials include debuting with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes at eight years old, performing with over 30 orchestras across four continents, and giving a solo recital at Carnegie Hall with Shostakóvich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at age eleven.
Beyond these performances, the festival will host other international recitals. The Coordination of Cultura UNAM announced that some Música UNAM guests will also offer masterclasses to advanced music students in Mexico City.
