Artists from all over the world descend on Guadalajara in May for the annual May Cultural Festival, which this year runs from May 7 to 24, and includes 72 events at 30 venues in five municipalities (Guadalajara, Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Chapala and Lagos de Moreno).

A total of 402 artists are set to showcase their talents, 324 from Jalisco, 54 from the rest of Mexico, and 24 from other countries around the world.

The festival starts on Tuesday, May 7 at the Teatro Degollado, with a performance by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco of Beethoven’s famous Ninth Symphony, marking the exact day 200 years ago of the first-ever performance of this major work (May 7, 1824). The Zapopan Municipal Choir will also perform, along with four soloists: soprano Sophie Gordeladze (from Georgia), mezzosoprano Nora Souruzian (Canada), tenor Peter Lodahl (Denmark) and bass Grigory Soloviov (United States). The concert will be repeated on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9.

To further honor this great composer, during the festival Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams will perform all of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas (see sidebar).

Other highlights of the festival program at the Degollado include the Arturo de la Torre Jazz Orchestra presenting the “Jalisco Jazz Suite,” a tribute to the best jazz composers in our state, on Saturday, May 11, 8:30 p.m. (tickets 300-400 pesos).

Modern flamenco dancer Jesús Carmona (Barcelona, Spain, 1985) presents the Latin American debut of his show “Baile de bestias” at the Degollado on Saturday, May 18, 8:30 p.m. (tickets 250-400 pesos).  Carmona has received the Benois de la Danse, considered the Oscar of dance, and The New York Times recently dedicated a cover to this innovative performer, called him “a flamenco phenomenon.”

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.