La Valenciana travelled to Uppsala, Sweden, as part of the Erasmus+ project, in a stay that allowed us to share music and experiences with our friends from the Uppsala Wind Symphony.
During the first few days, we explored the city and took part in various cultural activities, including a visit to the Uppsala Songbook, one of the great musical collections of the Renaissance, preserved at the Uppsala University Library and closely connected to Valencian musical tradition and the court of the Duke of Calabria. We also followed a route through some of the Viking archaeological sites and heritage sites around Uppsala, attended a rehearsal by the Uppsala University Big Band, and joined the musicians of the Uppsala Wind Symphony for a rehearsal to prepare for the joint concert.
On Saturday, we performed a concert with the Uppsala Wind Symphony. Our part of the programme included Daniel Juan, Templaris d’Albaida and Chimo, works connected to Valencian traditional and popular music, together with L’Arlésienne. The Uppsala Wind Symphony then presented its own programme, before the concert concluded with two pieces performed jointly: Yakka, a Valencian pasodoble, and Gelotte, a Swedish polka featuring a clarinet soloist.
The stay concluded on Sunday with a guided visit to Stockholm and some free time to continue exploring the city and some of its most iconic sights, such as the Vasa Museum.
Another great experience as part of our Erasmus+ project, allowing us to continue building connections with musicians from other countries, share our music and discover Swedish musical culture first-hand.