The festival, taking place July 17–23, will feature performances by Jorge García Martín, Capella de Ministrers (conducted by Carles Magraner), the Acadèmia CdM, the Al Tayr Ensemble, Beatriz Lafont & Eduardo Egüez, the Ensemble Alfonsí, Alessandro Ciccolini, The Gleam Ensemble, Calíope, AVocal & Marco García de Paz, and the Ensemble Andalusí

The International Course and Festival of Medieval and Renaissance Music will feature renowned performers, artists, and experts, as well as traditional music and dance, emerging groups, jam sessions, instrument workshops, social activities, and events promoting early music

The opening ceremony will be presided over by Bernabé Sangüesa, mayor of Morella; Ruth Martínez, councilor for Culture; and Carles Magraner, artistic director of Early Music Morella, at the Municipal Theater on July 17 at 5:30 p.m.

Under the theme “Virtus,” Early Music Morella will explore the concept of virtue as moral excellence and a person’s disposition to act in accordance with ideals oriented toward goodness, truth, justice, and beauty

Early Music Morella will host a total of 14 concerts, which will take place at various heritage sites, along with numerous activities during its fifteenth edition. The International Course and Festival of Medieval and Renaissance Music, organized by the Comes Cultural Association and the CdM Cultural Foundation, continues to promote its internationalization and raise awareness of this event, which bears the prestigious EFFE (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe), and will be held in the town of Castellón under the theme “Virtus” from July 17 to 23.

The cultural event will feature prestigious ensembles, performers, and artists presenting medieval and Renaissance repertoires, as well as a gathering of traditional music and dance, performances by emerging early music groups, and a free evening of poetry and music; guided tours, jam sessions, instrument-making workshops, social activities, and initiatives to promote and spread awareness of early music among young people, seniors, and underprivileged groups.

Early Music Morella will host concerts by Jorge García Martín on the Turull Organ on July 17 at the Archpriestal Church of Santa María at 7:30 p.m.; and by Capella de Ministrers, conducted by Carles Magraner, at the Convent of Sant Francesc at 10:30 p.m. El Bureo, a festival of traditional music and dance, will take place in Plaza Colón on the 18th at 7:30 p.m.; and the Acadèmia CdM will perform at the Convent of Sant Francesc at 10:30 p.m. The Al Tayr Ensemble will perform at the Municipal Theater on the 19th at 12:30 p.m.; in the afternoon, Beatriz Lafont & Eduardo Egüez will perform at the Church of San Juan at 7:30 p.m.; and in the evening, the Ensemble Alfonsí will perform at the same venue at 10:30 p.m.

In the second part of the festival, Italian Baroque violinist Alessandro Ciccolini will perform at the Church of San Juan on the 20th at 7:30 p.m.; the Taiwanese group The Gleam Ensemble will perform on the same stage at the same time on the 21st; and in the evening, Calíope will perform in the Garden of the Poets for a free evening of poetry and music at 10:30 p.m. AVocal & Marco García de Paz will perform at the Church of San Juan on the 22nd at 7:30 p.m.; and that evening, the Ensemble Andalusí will perform at the Municipal Theater at 10:30 p.m. The festival will conclude on the 23rd with a performance by Bassa Capella at the Municipal Theater at 11:00 a.m., and with the traditional *La dansa de la mort* at the massive closing concert to be held at the Convent of Sant Francesc at 7:30 p.m.

On the educational front, the festival continues to promote access to high-quality training led by renowned musicians and will offer classes in a cappella singing, flutes, vocal music (Gregorian, medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque), organ and harpsichord, improvised counterpoint, bowed vihuela, viella, viola da gamba, and chamber music; vihuela de mano, theorbo, and guitar; Renaissance and Baroque violin, and Baroque orchestra; rhythm, percussion, and Persian music; rondalla, dulzaina, and double reed; medieval hurdy-gurdies and zanfoña; as well as workshops on dance, dynamics, and physical expression; and a medieval school for children.

The opening ceremony of the International Medieval and Renaissance Music Course and Festival will be presided over by Bernabé Sangüesa, mayor of Morella; Ruth Martínez, councilor for Culture; and Carles Magraner, artistic director of Early Music Morella, at the Municipal Theater on July 17 at 5:30 p.m.

Music and Virtue

Early Music Morella will explore the concept of virtue as moral excellence and a person’s disposition to act in accordance with ideals oriented toward goodness, truth, justice, and beauty. In medieval and Renaissance art, music often appears as a symbol of harmony and virtue, and as an educational tool capable of perfecting the human being.

This year marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, a model of Christian virtue whose life was characterized by humility, poverty, charity, and love for creation, and the 750th anniversary of the death of James I the Conqueror, recognized as a great king, legislator, and leader concerned with justice, peace, and governance, thus embodying the moral ideals of his time; two anniversaries that will shape the course of this edition. In this spirit, Capella de Ministrers, conducted by Carles Magraner, will pay tribute to the monarch at the opening concert, offering an exciting musical journey back to the Middle Ages.

European Seal of Quality

The Early Music Morella Festival has been awarded the EFFE (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe) certification by the European Festivals Association (EFA). This seal is a mark of quality that distinguishes festivals that stand out for their high artistic quality and significant local, national, and international impact. The association, which brings together festivals from across the continent, raises their profile and fosters artistic collaboration; it awards the seal following an evaluation by international experts.

Early Music Morella, a member of VEM (Valencia Early Music Festivals), REMA (Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne), and Festclásica, is supported by the Morella City Council, the Castellón Provincial Council, the Valencian Regional Government, the Valencian Institute of Culture (IVC), the Castellón Provincial Tourism Board, the Ministry of Culture (INAEM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cervantes Institute, the Cultural Affairs Office of the Spanish Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, the José Ortega y Gasset Foundation - Gregorio Marañón Foundation in Madrid, Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP), the Association of Interpreters and Performers (AiE), La Seu dels Ports at Jaume I University (UJI), and the Archpriestal Basilica of Santa Maria la Major in Morella.