Annual Music Festival Brings High-Caliber Music to Country

AT the cusp of its 15th year of democratizinghighbrow music, financial institutionCredomatic has gathered moreacclaimed national and international musiciansto lay at the feet of the commonCosta Rican. String ensembles, a concertpianist, opera sopranos and other artistsaccustomed to performing in world-classconcert halls will entertain both payingand non-paying audiences in San José’sNational Theater and hotels and churchesaround the country.“We want to contribute to the countryas it becomes more educated and cultured,and we are happy to bring this event toevery Costa Rican,” Credomatic GeneralManager José Ignacio Cordero said.The musicians will perform 40 publicconcerts, five of which will be free inrural churches in the mountains aroundthe Central Valley and in Liberia, capitalof the northwestern province of Guanacaste,and seven of which will take placein the National Theater for reduced fees.Tickets for National Theater events willcost ¢2,000-10,000 ($4.20-21); two ofthese performances will be transmitted onclosed circuits to a screen in the Plaza dela Cultura in front of the theater, wherepassersby will be able to watch and listen.“We’ve brought together differentmusical groups for a balance of instrumentaland vocal performances from differentplaces around the world,” festivalproducer Jordi Antich said.Most of the concerts will take place inhotels in the capital, on the coasts, in themountains and around the most populartourist destinations, such as Arenal Volcano,in north-central Costa Rica, andRincón de la Vieja National Park, inGuanacaste.“It’s really a different moment in musicin this country, not what we have seen normally,”Antich said. “Costa Rican musicianswill perform alongside internationalmusicians. It’s really a formidable effort.”For more information, see theCalendar pages and watch for updates onconcert times and locations.