A premier new festival presented by ABAO Bilbao Opera and Opus Formosa. Bringing world-class artistry to the heart of the Basque Country, we are proud to collaborate with prestigious institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, to create an unforgettable week of music.
A Visionary Partnership: ABAO Bilbao Opera & Opus Formosa
Basque Musikaste is the inaugural fruit of a strategic alliance between ABAO Bilbao Opera and Opus Formosa. By combining ABAO's deep-rooted history in the European operatic tradition with Opus Formosa's mission to champion world-class artistry on a global stage, we have created a festival that is both local in heart and international in soul.
Our collaboration extends beyond the stage. Through close partnerships with cultural pillars like the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Musikene, and the Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, we are weaving music into the very architectural and intellectual fabric of the Basque Country. This festival is more than a series of concerts—it is a cultural dialogue, bringing the finest artists from across the globe to one of the world's most vibrant artistic regions.
Festival Highlights at a Glance
| Date | City | Venue | Special Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 3 | Vitoria-Gasteiz | Europa Congress Palace | The Grand Opening |
| June 4 | San Sebastián | Musikene | A Spotlight on Excellence |
| June 5 | Bilbao | Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao | Intimate Classical Masterpieces |
| June 9 | Bilbao | Guggenheim Museum Bilbao | The Festival Finale |
Featured Artists
Violin · France
Boris Borgolotto
A French violinist of rare communicative brilliance, Boris Borgolotto is a prize-winner at the IBLA Foundation International Competition in New York. His concert career has taken him to Carnegie Hall, the Paris Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, performing under conductors including Myung-Whun Chung, Ton Koopman, and Joe Hisaishi.
String Quartet · France
Quatuor Arod
First Prize winners of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Quatuor Arod are BBC New Generation Artists, ECHO Rising Stars, and exclusive recording artists for Erato/Warner Classics. They perform regularly at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Vienna Musikverein.
quatuorarod.com ↗
Piano · Japan
Kyohei Sorita
Silver medalist at the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition—the highest prize for a Japanese-born pianist since Mitsuko Uchida in 1970—Kyohei Sorita is among the most compelling pianists of his generation. Trained at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Chopin University of Music, he has appeared with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
kyoheisorita.com ↗Why This Matters
- ✦ Global Reach: We are flying in top-tier artists specifically for this week-long residency.
- ✦ Iconic Backdrops: From the modernism of the Europa Congress Palace to the avant-garde curves of the Guggenheim.
- ✦ Cultural Synergy: A rare opportunity to see two major organizations (ABAO and Opus Formosa) unify their resources for the Basque public.