All-female Spanish ensemble to bring Balkan brass music to Ann Arbor Summer Fest

This story is part of a series about arts and culture in Washtenaw County. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Destination Ann Arbor, Larry and Lucie Nisson, and the University Musical Society.

Barcelona’s genre-blending Balkan Paradise Orchestra (BPO) will light up the Ann Arbor Summer Festival's (A2SF) Rackham Stage with a free show on June 22, promising a vibrant fusion of Balkan folk, jazz, classical, and street music. Formed in 2015, the all-female brass and percussion collective has transformed the festival circuit with its celebratory sound and unstoppable energy.

"We started playing 10 years ago because we all loved how joyful and festive Balkan music is, and the positive reaction to us has been so crazy," says BPO clarinetist Laura Lacueva. "It makes us very proud and very happy."

Lacueva plays alongside nine other musicians from Barcelona and Catalonia, Spain, all bringing different musical backgrounds and experiences to the group. Lacueva explains that BPO's stop at A2SF is part of a larger international tour promoting the group's 2024 album "Nectar."

"We came to the United States last year on tour, but it’s our first time in this area," Lacueva says. "We can’t wait to see all of the places and the reactions of the audience."

BPO trumpetist Berta Gala and bass-clarinetist Eva Garin both describe a typical BPO show as an exciting event for all ages. They express hope that the audience at A2SF is able to move and dance right alongside the musicians on stage. Garin emphasizes that every musician on stage is working together in harmony to bring the audience a great show. Each performance includes a solo or feature for each of the group’s 10 members.

"Our show is very powerful," Gala says. "Every second something is happening, and our fun should be able to cross over to the audience."

"Our show is a lot about teamwork, and we want to become a family with the audience," Garin says. "We hope that time stops when we start playing."

With this year being BPO’s A2SF debut, Lacueva, Gala, and Garin agree that the experience of working with A2SF staff and others in Ann Arbor leading up to their performance has been extremely positive. Gala says A2SF staff and partners have identified instruments to loan to BPO members whose instruments are too large or too difficult to bring overseas. She says she and her fellow musicians have been very happy with how "open-minded and welcoming" the local community has been.

"Every city is different and has a different culture, but at the end of the day, we just want everybody to have fun," Gala says. "Getting to know people and see them all having fun, it’s such a good thing."

Catch BPO at the Rackham Stage on Ingalls Mall in Ann Arbor on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found here. 

"Music is for sharing," Lacueva says. "We have to share it."