The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and conductors' Guntis Kuzma summer music program with the world-famous jazzman Julian Joseph as a soloist on July 12 at 7 p.m. in the "Pūt, vējini!" concert garden will be complemented by famous flamenco dancers - Letizia Dominguez and Manuel Bellido.
Dancers from Flamenco Agency will be collaborating with Liepāja Symphony Orchestra to perform music by Spanish artists Manuel de Falla and Gerónimo Giménez as well as Spanish influenced music by George Bizet.
With both American and Spanish compositions, the programme will be extremely diverse. The Liepājas Simfoniskais Orkestris will accompany the British jazz pianist Julian Joseph to play George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”; the first half of the program will be filled up with Leornard Bernstein’s West Side Story.
The second half of the programme will come down to Spain. The exoticism and the European influence of Spanish music in Romanticism will be shown in a selection of pieces from the most popular opera in history, “Carmen” by George Bizet. The programme will also include works by composers who have Andalusian gypsy ancestry: “La Vida Breve” by Manuel de Falla as well as a zarzuela classic: “La Boda de Luis Alonso” by Gerónimo Giménez.
The concert will be performed at 7pm, making it a perfect summer soiree or evening out; audiences will not only be enchanted by the programme but also the impressive and completely refurbished open air venue.
The dancers, Letizia Domíngues and Manuel Bellido, have been an integral part of the Flamenco Agency since 2013, performing in productions such as “Among Friends” and many more.
Letizia Domínguez, a true gem of flamenco, began her captivating dance journey at the tender age of 3 years old. Since then, her path has been a constant ascent towards excellence. At 9 years old, she was already immersing herself in the art of flamenco at the Professional Dance Conservatory of Seville, where she excelled, completing her training a year ahead of schedule.
Her thirst for knowledge led her to seek guidance from the greatest flamenco masters, including revered names such as Manolo Marín, Eva Yerbabuena, Ángel Atienza, Isabel Bayón, and Alicia Márquez, among others.
Throughout her career, Letizia has been a standout member of various renowned dance companies, bringing her art to stages across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, collaborating with acclaimed companies such as the Granada Flamenco Ballet, distributed by Flamenco Agency. Additionally, she has illuminated some of Seville’s most iconic flamenco venues, such as the renowned El Patio Sevillano, with her talent.
But Letizia’s impact extends beyond the stage; she has shared her passion through teaching at numerous academies in Seville and has brought her dream to life by creating and directing her own school, which continues to be a beacon of flamenco art in the picturesque Sevillian neighbourhood of Cerro del Águila. Furthermore, she has ventured into the equestrian world of flamenco, collaborating with prominent riders such as Jaime de la Puerta and Ángel Peralta, thus adding a unique and fascinating dimension to her art. Furthermore, she is usually the guest artist of the Flamenco Machine Project, that also performed recently in Liepāja.
Manuel Bellido began his passion and dedication to the art of Flamenco at the age of just 5 while dancing with Antonio Jaén. His innate talent, combined with years of hard work and guidance from distinguished masters such as Joaquín Grilo, Antonio Canales, Javier Latorre, el Mimbre, Antonio Reyes and Andrés Peña, has resulted in an exceptional artistic career in companies such as those of Joaquín Grilo, Pepa Montes, Rafael de Córdoba, Belén López, Vicente Fernández, El Camborio, Pilar Astola and Reyes Carrasco, among others.
This prodigious dancer has performed in some of the world’s best theatres, both internationally, such as Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse in France, Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, Coliseu do Porto in Portugal or Cēsis Concert Hall in Latvia, as well as the most prestigious opera houses within Spain: Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla, Teatro Lope de Vega de Sevilla, Cartuja Center & FIBES in Seville, Gran Teatro de Córdoba, Teatro Alhambra (Granada), Teatro Jovellanos (Gijón), plus Teatro de la Zarzuela, Teatro de la Vaguada, Teatro Apolo, Teatro Conde Duque and Gran Vía in Madrid.
In addition to his brilliant trajectory on world-renowned stages, Bellido has demonstrated his versatility by collaborating with prominent artists such as the trio of musicians from Paco de Lucía: Jorge Pardo, Tino di Geraldo, and Carles Benavent, as well as Antonio Serrano, Diego Amador, Lola Greco and Franco Zeffirelli. Currently, he is pursuing his international career as a member of the Granada Flamenco Ballet (with recent tours in Thailand and the Philippines), while also being in demand weekly at numerous renowned Sevillian tablaos: Teatro Flamenco Sevilla, Álvarez Quintero, La Casa de la Memoria, Sala Almoraima, La Cantaora, El Patio Sevillano, etc.
Tickets for the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra concerts can be purchased at “Biļešu paradīze” ticket offices.
The Concert is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and Liepāja City.