The new Gazteklasika festival will take place in Vitoria-Gasteiz from June 10 to 16, 2026. It is a classical music festival designed, organized, and performed entirely by young musicians with international projection.
Behind the project is the Vitoria-based clarinetist Pablo López Ortega, who serves as artistic director. This festival champions emerging talent and the dialogue between music and other disciplines such as architecture, painting, poetry, dance, and even enology. All these activities will be held in some of the city's most emblematic venues.
The festival will bring together young performers from various countries, including cellist Luka Coetzee, violinist Javier Comesaña, pianists Uladzislau Khandohi and Simon Haje, and clarinetist Yehuda Gilad, who will also offer masterclasses. The Vayla Quintet will also participate, alongside performers from Italy, Canada, Germany, the United States, France, Greece, and Spain.
The repertoire will span several centuries, from the Baroque to the 20th century. Composers such as Bach, Brahms, or Ravel will be featured, alongside names linked to Basque identity like Guridi or Sarasate.
The festival's guiding principle is fusion. Each concert will connect music with another artistic discipline. Five programs have been designed to be presented in different venues.
At the Museum of Fine Arts of Álava, for instance, works by Ravel, Guridi, and Sarasate will be performed, linking them with the collection of the Augustin Zulueta Palace. Musicologist Marina Junquera will contextualize the pieces and their relationship with painting.
At the Cathedral of Santa María, a program dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach will be presented. Archaeologist Ismael García will bridge music and the building's architecture.
Gazteklasika also offers sensory experiences. In the Aula San Pablo, the Vayla Quintet will perform a concert accompanied by a tasting led by Vinosfera. Chamber music and wine will be central to a proposal aiming to attract new audiences and break down barriers.
Additionally, there will be a 'candlelight' concert at the Jesús Guridi Conservatory, featuring works by Clara and Robert Schumann and Brahms. Vitoria-based actress Enare Martín will read letters and diaries of Clara Schumann, adding a literary and emotional dimension.
The festival's closing event will take place at the Aula Magna, featuring a fusion of music and dance. Choreographies in classical, contemporary, and flamenco styles will be presented, with works by composers such as Saint-Saëns, Chopin, Piazzolla, Falla, or Ravel. The intention is to showcase the versatility of chamber music and its capacity to dialogue with movement.
Tickets are on sale from April 1, 2026, at reduced prices to facilitate access.
Gazteklasika is founded with a vision for continuity. The organization collaborates with various cultural and social agents to consolidate the project. "We want to make Vitoria-Gasteiz a meeting point for international young talent and attract new audiences with accessible and multidisciplinary proposals," states its artistic director, Pablo López Ortega.
Ultimately, the festival aims to offer a more intimate way to experience classical music, overcoming the prejudices that often associate it with elitism, distance, or being outdated.
