LOVE IS IN THE AIR - Camenae de Cymru

A Romantic Journey through Europe of the 19th and 20th centuries ~ Performers: - Kistina Bitina, contralto - Yuri Savkin, violin - Giordano Ferla, piano - Nichola Bojczuk, compère ~ “Love is in the Air” is a romantic concert performed by Camenae de Cymru, an international classical music ensemble based in Cardiff. The concert showcases some selected pieces by Georges Bizet, Carlos Gardel, Jacob Gade, Pablo de Sarasate, Rodolfo Falvo, Fritz Kreisler and Manuel de Falla. The enchanting pieces included in the concert are Tango Por una cabeza, Tango Jalousie, Habanera, Séguedille, and many more. The Camenae were deities in Roman mythology associated with music, poetry, and healing. They were named after the Latin word ‘carmen’, which means ‘song, poem, or magical formula’. Camenae de Cymru was established in 2020 by Kristina Bitina, a rich contralto originally from Latvia, and Nichola Bojczuk, a poet, choral singer and compère born in Ukraine but raised in Wales since early childhood. Camenae de Cymru invites top professional musicians from the UK and Europe. It has hosted over 30 concerts across South Wales and England in the last few years. Kristina Bitina is the founder and lead singer of Camenae de Cymru. She is a Master of Music in Performance and Teaching (Latvia). Nicknamed ‘the velvet contralto’, she has extensively performed in Latvia, Europe, Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales. Kristina moved to Scotland in 2005 and then to Wales in 2010. Yuri Savkin is a renowned violinist from Riga, Latvia. He currently holds the position of concertmaster for the first violins in the Latvian National Opera and Ballet Orchestra. He has performed extensively across various European countries and has also played with Camenae de Cymru in England and Wales. Giordano Ferla is an accomplished pianist specialising in classical and modern music. He was born in Italy and received his education from the Alfredo Casella Conservatory in L’Aquila as well as the Royal College of Music in London. He now resides in Wales, where he is a professor of piano at the Royal Welsh College of Music Junior Conservatoire. Additionally, he serves as the director of the Serenata Singers Choir in Cardiff.