​There is no single ‘Spanish music’

​ ​Cellist Lidy Blijdorp and pianist Tobias Borsboom perform Spanish and Argentinian miniatures. They have already captivated audiences in solo recitals at Classical NOW!, and now they share the stage together.

With her debut album Journeys, Lidy Blijdorp won two Edison Awards in 2020. She received acclaim for her “highly individual, richly colourful interpretations” and “the rich palette of colors she conjures from her cello, where her instrument sometimes sounds like percussion, other times like a husky flute.” Tobias Borsboom, winner of the Dutch Classical Talent Award and Audience Prize, is celebrated for his “jewel of a touch” and his “personal, boundlessly colorful playing.”

Spain possesses an immensely rich variety of musical traditions, from flamenco to the Catalan sardana. There is no single “Spanish music,” as the two musicians demonstrate in their program. Manuel de Falla’s Suite Populaire Espagnole takes listeners on a metaphorical journey across the Iberian Peninsula. In his masterful Suite for solo cello, Gaspar Cassadó guides the audience through Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Andalusia. Tobias Borsboom also performs as a soloist in several of his favorite piano works by Catalan composer Federico Mompou. A dreamed Spain resonates in Ravel’s masterful Rhapsodie Espagnole, from which Lidy Blijdorp has arranged a section for cello and piano. They conclude their recital with Pampeana, an exhilarating piece by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera that challenges both musicians to their fullest potential.