"Diáspora Sefardí" in Basel
For the eighth time, the Mizmorim Chamber Music Festival in Basel from January 20 to 23, 2022, under the artistic direction of Israeli clarinettist Michal Lewkowicz, will enable diverse encounters between Jewish and Western chamber music.
The Mizmorim Chamber Music Festival 2022 presents insights into the rich musical tradition of the Sephardic diaspora. More than thirty renowned artists will perform in nine concerts at various venues in Basel (Stadtcasino Basel, Gare du Nord, Zunftsaal im Schmiedenhof, Unternehmen Mitte and Tabourettli).
Musical highlights of this year's edition include the opening concert with the legendary viola da gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI, performances by the Gringolts Quartet with Christophe Coin (violoncello) and a flamenco evening conceived by Spanish composer Mauricio Sotelo with dancer Fuensanta La Moneta. The Israeli composer Jonathan Keren will present new works as Mizmorim Composer-in-Residence.
In the "Mizmorim Jazz" format, the Basel-based Vein Trio will also bring Spanish musical traditions together with a contemporary jazz tradition. And in "Mizmorim Kids", the ensemble Zefirino and actor Adrian Kurmann will present a chivalrous musical adventure about the tragic hero Don Quixote.
Sephardic music has its origins in medieval Spain. In the same year that Christopher Columbus discovered America, the golden age of Jewish settlement on the Iberian Peninsula came to an abrupt end. Those who sought to escape the forced conversion to Catholicism had to flee to neighboring countries. Countless Jews settled in Italy, southern France, North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. In their new homeland, they cultivated the language, customs and culture of their country of origin - including music.
The eighth edition of the Mizmorim Chamber Music Festival brings together a wide-ranging selection of classics from the Iberian musical tradition as well as rarities from the Sephardic diaspora, whose music has evolved over the centuries under the cultural influences of the countries of settlement, under the theme "Diáspora Sefardí".
Founded in 2015, the Mizmorim Chamber Music Festival is the only chamber music festival in the Basel region and owes its name to the Jewish Psalms (Hebrew: Mizmorim).
Further information and advance booking
