This year’s 19th Festival Cultural de Mayo (May Cultural Festival) in Guadalajara will not feature a guest country for the first time in many editions. Instead, organizers are inviting high quality performers from seven nations that have been invited to the festival in recent years. Artists from Mexico, Germany, Spain, Canada (Quebec), the United Kingdom, France and Hungary have been booked for the month-long festival.
All the performances take place at the Teatro Degollado in downtown Guadalajara, except for the closing show, which will be held at the Palacio de la Cultural y la Communication (Palcco).
Tickets are available at the Teatro Degollado box office or through Ticketmaster. For more details visit festivaldemayo.org.
Dance
The festival opens with Antonio Gades Company from Spain giving two presentations of the famous ballet “Carmen,” with music by Bizet.
Saturday, May 7, 8:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 8, 6:30 p.m. 300-450 pesos.
Mime
Talented French mimes Patrice Thibaud and Philippe Leygnac put on a show for kids (and adults with a sense of humor), Cocorico. Monday, May 9, 6 p.m. 170 pesos.
Piano recital
Hungarian pianist Gergely Boganyi performs works by Franz Schubert, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Bela Bartok and Franz Liszt. One of the leading pianists of his generation, Boganyi has won a string of awards and is also known for his revolutionary piano designs. Wednesday, May 11, 8:30 p.m. 200 pesos.
Orchestral
German pianist Lilya Zilberstein joins the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra to interpret the works of Sergei Rachmaninov, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. In addition to her orchestral appearances, Zilberstein has presented recitals in many of the world’s musical capitals. Several of her recordings made for Deutsche Grammophon have drawn enthusiastic reviews. Friday, May 13, 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. 120-270 pesos.
Jazz
British jazz singer Zara McFarlane shows off her talents. She released her debut album, Until Tomorrow, in 2011. Named one of Los Angeles Times’ “Faces to Watch” in 2013, she has already shared stages with legends such as Gregory Porter and Dianne Reeves. Saturday, May 21, 8:30 p.m. 200-350 pesos.
Opera
Internationally acclaimed Mexican baritone Alfredo Daza accompanies the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (with invited conductor Ivan Lopez Reynoso) in pieces by composers Ruggero Leoncavallo, Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Ricardo Castro and Maria Grever. Sunday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. 300-450 pesos.
Modern dance
Quebec contemporary dance company, Cas Public, present “Symphonie Dramatique,” featuring the music of Berlioz, Gounod, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev and choreography by founder Hélène Blackburn. Wednesday, May 25, 8:30 p.m. 100-200 pesos.
Circus arts
Contemporary circus arts group Les 7 Doigts de la Main from Quebec close the festival with their acclaimed show, “Traces,” described by the New York Times as “a dose of pure urban adrenaline.” Saturday, May 28, 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 29, 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. 300-600 pesos. At the Palacio de la Cultural y la Communication (Palcco).