As part of the Amster Yard Sounds Classical series, this special concert by pianist Josu Okiñena commemorates the centenary of Illustrations musicales pour la Vie Profonde de Saint François d’Assise (1926), paying tribute to Aita Donostia, a key figure in bridging art music and Basque popular tradition. The evening will include a brief introductory talk offering insight into his work as composer, researcher, and collector.

The program unfolds in two formats—solo piano and mezzo-soprano with piano, featuring Noelia Ibáñez—and traces a musical journey that places Donostia at the center of a rich lineage. From historical repertoire by Ibarzabal, Larrañaga, and Anchieta, to the renewal of the early 20th century with Usandizaga, Guridi, and Zubeldía, the concert also reflects the European influence of Maurice Ravel.

The repertoire includes Donostia’s emblematic works such as The Nightingale of Errotazuri, Wedding Group, and several French mélodies, alongside pieces such as Ravel’s Two Hebrew Melodies and Zubeldía’s Sketches of a Basque Afternoon.

An intimate and evocative performance that invites audiences to rediscover Basque music as a space where tradition, modernity, and international dialogue converge.

With the support of the Basque Government and the Etxepare Basque Institute.