THE Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival is an exquisite event. The Maestro is always in the vanguard, a composer who takes risks. His conception of chamber music is very broad, and includes practically all music that can be performed in a small space.

The combinations he proposes in programs, with lots of fusion, different genres, popular and erudite, is very interesting, novel and enriching.

During a press conference prior to the fifth edition of the Festival (September 29-October 13), which the Office bearing his name leads and organizes,

Brouwer explained, "There will be classical, contemporary, jazz, flamenco, electronic, authentic ancient and historical, children’s, fusion in general and humor."

For opening night this year (September 28, in the National Theater’s Sala Avellaneda), the Maestro will reintroduce his Concierto para dedo y orquesta, which he created in the 60’s for the Havana Musical Theater.

In Humor con clase, directed by Brouwer, the prestigious Cuban actor Osvaldo Doimeadios will return to the Festival, along with the Havana Chamber Orchestra, Vocal Sampling, pianist Jorge Luis Pacheco and actors from the Humor Promotion Center.

The program is prodigious. More than 40 Cuban and world premieres will be presented. For example, Cello Plus (September 24, in Santiago de Cuba’s Dolores Hall), by David Poper, on the 170th anniversary of composer’s birth, will include Tarantella Op. 38 for cello and piano (1880); during Organo Plus (September 30, in Havana’s ancient San Francisco de Paula Church), Vivaldi’s Concerto for violin, organ and strings in D major, with Frenchman Vincent Bernhardt on the organ; and in Wagner vs Verdi (October 4 Avellaneda Hall), from the German genius: Wesendonck lieder (1857-58) and, from the illustrious Italian, String Quartet in C minor (1873).

Brouwer himself will offer three world premieres: in Wagner vs Verdi, Retrato de Wagner con Mathilde for flute, viola, guitar and string orchestra; and Verdiana for orchestra, both from 2013, and in De Brouwer para Britten (October 7, San Francisco de Asís Basilica), Pregones de Tata Cuñengue for wind quintet (2012).

Artists from 11 countries will, as Brouwer said, "honor us." Spain (Carlos Piñana, Miguel Angel Orengo), the Basque Country (Enrike Solinis), Germany (Almuth Krauber-Vistel), Mexico (Josué Tacoronte), Costa Rica, Brazil (Quaternaglia, Edelton Gloeden, Adalia Issa), Venezuela (Silfredo Pérez, Ensamble Gurrufio), France (Il delirio fantastico), plus more from Italy, Holland, Norway and Cuba.

More than 300 musicians and artists will participate. Isabelle Hernández, general director and producer of the Festival, recalled that in 2009, there were 10.

Brouwer pointed out that he asks musicians "to go beyond their daily work, because we value the content more than stars, no matter how brilliant they may be."

"I will detain myself briefly in the case of Paco de Lucía, (returning to Cuba after an absence of 26 years, for a concert October 2 in Havana’s Karl Marx Theater) who is more than a star, but a figure who will go down in history. He is a giant who revolutionized flamenco and has developed it through contemporary times. He plays as if he had a hundred fingers."

Among the anniversaries to be commemorated is the 160th of José Martí’s birth, no doubt of great importance in Cuba. Scheduled for the closing event is Meñique by the children’s theater company La Comenita, led by Carlos Alberto, Tin, Cremata (who will receive the Espiral Eterna prize, awarded every year during the Festival.)

Tin Cremata recalled the premiere of the company’s version April 2, 1994, noting that it has now been performed more than 110 times. "We’ve done it in Istanbul, Russia, Bangladesh, Los Angeles," he reported, adding that this presentation (October 1, Karl Marx) at the Festival is a special Meñique a flor de labios, "enriched with text from Martí a flor de labios, by Froilan Escobar and two pieces by Leo which have not been performed since the 70’s, Cantigas del tiempo nuevo (1969) and Varias maneras de hacer música con papel (1970)."

"Both are inserted as entertaining interludes. Las Cantigas… premiered in the Britten Festival, with text from Martí and Che, a pretty dramatic work and, like

Varias maneras…, is very theatrical," Brouwer said.

Cremata explained that the book is a collection of testimonies from older people who were the children Martí spoke of in his Diario de campaña, and with whom he conversed when he landed in Cuba in 1895. The recollections retain the original country language and convey a living Martí. One of them said, according to the director, "Martí was small, good-natured and spoke beautifully."

Cremata continued saying, "We introduced some moments from this book into our version of Meñique (published in Martí’s children’s book La edad de oro). At the end, Martí says something very controversial: "Having talent is having a good heart, only a person with a good heart has talent. This is a phrase we defend with our lives."

Another tribute planned is one commemorating the centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth (1913-1976). Brouwer commented that Britten "is a person I have admired since I was a child, a true case of personal wealth and generosity. I am returning a privilege. When I was young, he invited me to play Cuban music in at the Aldeburgh festival. I played Roldán, Caturla and one piece of my own, Las Cantigas."

The Wagner vs Verdi concert will be very interesting, dedicated to the bicentenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth (1813-1901) and to Richard Wagner (1613-1883). Brouwer described the program as "a duel of love between these two extraordinary musicians. We selected instrumental music because our Festival is not characterized by repetition."

To celebrate the Cuban composer Roberto Valera’s 75th birthday, the Festival organized De Caturla a Valera (October 6, Casa del ALBA). After the press conference, Valera told Granma International, "Once again, Leo shows his generosity. He was very important in the early stages of my career. At the beginning we started working at ICAIC and he was very supportive of me. I can say that Leo discovered me as a professional composer. Years have gone by and now that I’m turning 75, for the first time he has included me in his Festival. Some of my work is going to be presented, something to which I have dedicated much time - choral music. The chamber choir Vocal Leo, led by Corina Campos, will do five of my pieces, two with texts by Dulce María Loynaz and Federico García Lorca, and three of mine."

The Festival by definition looks to break down borders between artistic expressions. Film, painting and flashmobs have been announced, the latter, "nothing but the reincarnation of the happenings of the 60’s and 70’s, brief events in the street where all kinds of expressions come together, music, dance, visual arts and some specific theatrical presentations," Brouwer explained.

This edition will feature several expositions. Britten 100, posters; En viaje con (Italo) Calvino, "a very valuable documentary exhibit, on the 90th anniversary of his birth; Lentes del Festival, from photographers Ivan Soca and Gabriel García Bianchini, in addition to Memorias, Soca, Biachini and Silvio Rodríguez.

A parenthesis: As for this last photographer, the documentary Silvio Rodríguez, OJALÁ (September 29, Charles Chaplin) by Nico García, will be screened along with a mini-concert of three songs by Silvio, "La vida", "Canto arena" and "El problema", as arranged by Leo Brouwer.

Performing these jewels will be Augusto Enriquez, who commented, "Maestro Leo calls so-called cultured music: music for the erudite, because music is always a cultural artifact, and he combines it marvelously with the popular."

He reported that Brouwer himself will conduct a chamber group he put together to accompany the three songs – one which includes quality musicians, giving the singer a sense of security. "It’s not easy working with the Maestro because it’s simple but not simplistic. He goes for details."

Augusto Enriquez also announced that he has just concluded a trilogy of CD’s for the Colibrí studio, with 34 songs by Silvio arranged for symphony orchestra, contemporary groups and choirs.

As for the show Colores del sonido, Brouwer commented during the press conference, "We asked painters for pieces dedicated to music, since we were seeking a connotation, not simply an overlay." With Isabelle Hernández as curator, included are works by Eduardo Roca (Choco), Nelson Domínguez, Liang Domínguez Fong, Alberto Lescay, José Luis Fariñas, Roberto Fabelo and Roberto Camilo Fabelo.

The Festival’s fifth edition will feature more than 20 concerts - three in Santiago de Cuba, one in Pinar del Río, (El cafetal, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ernesto Lecuona’s death) and 16 in Havana.