AUSTRIA
Festival of Early Music Resonanzen and the Opera Ball, through January 31, Vienna. The Vienna festival of medieval and baroque music Resonanzen resumed its work last year after a long break. This time the event will be held from January 19 to 27 at the Konzerthaus, and will feature the ensemble Concerto Italiano, Sara Mingardo / Rinaldo Alessandrini, Les Cornets Noirs, La Capella Reial de Catalunya and other musicians. As part of the festival, whose theme is 'Improvisation, Presentation, Ecstasy', there will also be a themed film festival 'Early Music'.
And on January 31, the capital of Austria will host the traditional Opera Ball, one of the most popular and prestigious social events. //konzerthaus.at //www.staatsoper.at
Mozart Week, January 25 - February 3, Salzburg. Mozart's birthday (January 27) is celebrated by Austrians for a whole week: at the Salzburg Mozarteum, 25 concerts of orchestral and chamber music by Mozart and his contemporaries will be held these days. Festival participants this year include Sofia Gubaidulina, Cappella Andrea Barca, Leonidas Kavakos, Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble, Anne-Sophie von Otter, Isabelle Faust and other world-renowned musicians. Festival tickets cost from €15 to €75. //www.mozarteum.at
GREAT BRITAIN
30th International Mime and Circus Festival, January 12-27, London. The London Mime festival features physical theatre companies, famous mimes and clowns, illusionists and acrobats from all over the world. This year Mime will open with a presentation of a new program by Belgian actor Jos Houben (January 12-13) and Belgian mime theatre Mossoux-Bonté (January 14-16). Among the interesting events of the festival are the absurd physical comedy 'This Beautiful World' performed by French theatre B.P. Zoom (January 17-20), the music and movement piece 'Mozart Preposteroso!' performed by British mime and clown Nola Rae (January 21-23), the physical drama 'Woyzeck' by Georg Büchner performed by Korean theatre Sadari Movement Laboratory (January 24-26), and the acrobatic show by French troupe Collectif Petit Travers (January 24-27). Festival ticket price – €13. //www.mimefest.co.uk //www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Celtic Connections Festival, January 16 - February 3, Glasgow. Over 200 concerts on 14 stages will take place as part of the world-famous Celtic Connections festival, which annually gathers thousands of fans of Celtic culture from around the world. The celebration will open with a torchlight procession through central Glasgow and live music concerts. Participants in this year's Celtic Connections include: Daimh & Anxo Lorenzo (January 18), Maeve Mackinnon's (January 19), Steve Forbert & the Soundbenders (January 22), June Tabor and Harriet Earis Trio (January 30), and many other distinctive Scottish groups. During the festival, visitors can explore visual Celtic art at exhibitions, dance at folk music parties, and purchase traditional handmade crafts at special fairs. //www.celticconnections.com
GERMANY
Carnival, January 25-26, Bremen. The origin of the January carnival in Bremen is simple: in 1985, the city's samba club decided to hold a Brazilian music festival on the street. Over six years, the Brazilian party turned into a real carnival. In 2008, the carnival will open on January 25 at 12:00 with a children's costume parade in the city center, and in the evening and night there will be samba group competitions on the streets. The next day, a grand parade with giant puppets will take place, followed by drumming competitions, and in the evening and night, costume balls will be held at indoor and outdoor venues. //www.bremer-karneval.de
DENMARK
VinterJazz Festival, January 25 - February 3, Copenhagen and other cities. At the end of January and beginning of February, all of Denmark listens to 'winter jazz', as musicians will perform not only in Copenhagen but also in other cities. This year, about 100 live jazz concerts are planned for every taste. Festival participants include: Marilyn Mazur, JazzKamikaze, Christian Scott Quintet, Marc Ribot Spiritual Unity, Badun, The Fried Okra Band, Thomas Agergaard, and others. The event will feature retro balls and a themed documentary film festival. The detailed VinterJazz program can be found on its official website. Many concerts are free admission. //www.vinterjazz.dk
SPAIN
24th Classical Music Festival, January 10 - March 1, Canary Islands. This festival has long dispelled the myth that the Canary Islands are only suitable for enjoying beaches and carnivals. You can listen to classical music performed by world stars here for two months. This year, the Leipzig String Quartet (January 12-18), pianist Murray Perahia (January 16-19), the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (January 17-20), the Budapest Festival Orchestra (January 21-27), German pianist Lars Vogt (January 27-31) will perform. //www.festivaldecanarias.com
Flamenco Festival, January 22 - February 2, Madrid. The traditional Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival will be held this year for the 16th time at its traditional venue – the Albeniz Theater. This year's event is dedicated to dancer Mercedes Esmeralda. Participants will include: La voz creadora, Duende y compas, Zambra s.1, Mujeres, and other Spanish groups. //www.madrid.org
ITALY
10th Future Film Festival (FFF), January 15-20, Bologna. FFF is the most important Italian festival of new technologies in film and multimedia. The main theme of this year's event will be the latest developments in 3D animation. However, prizes are also awarded in traditional categories: best video clip, best sports video, science fiction film. The festival will include themed exhibitions and conferences. //www.futurefilmfestival.org
Chocolate Festival, January 24-27, Florence. This festival of Tuscan handmade chocolate is still very young – it first took place in 2005. Probably no one expected such a grand success, but the fact remains: this year the festival will be held at Piazza Santa Croce, and the number of participants will double. At the festival, you can not only taste non-factory chocolate, but also watch the work of master confectioners, which is no less interesting. And since the chocolate festival is part of the "Florentine Winter" campaign, visitors can expect themed exhibitions, music shows, comedy competitions, parades, and a masquerade ball "Chocolate Night". //www.invernoafirenze.it //www.fieradelcioccolato.it
FRANCE
Cheval Passion Horse Festival, January 16-20, Avignon. Fans of equestrian competitions and horse breed experts gather every year at the Avignon Parc des Expositions at the end of January. The Cheval Passion program includes classic dressage, polo, and jumping competitions. During the event, a salon will be held showcasing the best world horse breeds. On January 20, the awards ceremony, final concert, and a grand horse parade will take place. //www.cheval-passion.com
SWITZERLAND
26th International Snow Festival, January 14-19, Grindelwald. It is impossible to imagine January life in Grindelwald without this festival. Its main feature is that not only professional sculptors but also amateurs can participate. The current theme this year: "Experiment". On the last day of the festival, the jury will evaluate and award the authors of snow experiments in the following categories: relevance, idea, image, originality, and skill. The snow festival will end with musical folk parties and sleigh rides. //www.grindelwald.com
Nyuta KUKUSHKINA.
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