The First International Violin Competition, Buenos Aires 2010, organized by Comunidad Amijai and presented by YPF Foundation, was created with the idea of encouraging the study of music in young people, creating a cultural exchange between violinists from around the world.

The Competition's Jury is made up of prestigious artists of international renown, chaired by Maestro Shlomo Mintz, and integrated by international artists: Eduard Grach (Russia), Itzhak Rashkovsky (Israel / UK), David Cerone (USA), Kimiko Nakazawa (Japan), Vera Tsu (China), Rafael Gintoli (Argentina), Pedro Ignacio Calderón (Argentina) and Enrique Barrios (Mexico).

The 23 participants that will arrive to Buenos Aires for Competition, who have been selected for a whole year from around the world, are: Iskandar Widjaja (Indonesia), Francesca Dego (Italy), Sergey Pospelov (Russian Federation), Frederick Nathan (Uruguay), Ayrton Coelho Pisco (Brazil), Maia Cabeza (Canada), Soh-Yon Kim (South Korea) Stefani Collins (USA), Anne-Sophie Lacharité-Roberge (Canada), Jeremy Rhizor (USA), Jinjoo Cho (South Korea), Rachel Ostler USA), Paula Suman (Latvia), Miran Kim (USA), Nigel Armstrong (USA), Betty Zho (USA), Luis Eduardo Cuevas Sanchez (Venezuela), Nobuhiro Suyama (Japan), Artem Kononov (Russian Federation), Mariana Hernandez (Mexico), Dawn Wohn (USA), Kwun Hyuk Joo (South Korea), Xavier Inchausti (Argentina).

The event will formally begin on Saturday, July 10, 2010 with the opening ceremony at Comunidad Amijai, with the presence of jurors, participants of the competition, authorities, media and special guest, and will end on Wednesday July 21, with the winner´s Concert Gala followed by the Awards Ceremony. at Teatro Colon. In this occasion the winners will play accompanied by the Orchestra of the Association of Professors of Teatro Colon. under the direction of Maestro Mintz.

From Sunday 11 to Tuesday 20 the different levels of competition, heats, semifinals and finals, will be open to the public with free admission.

There will also be a day dedicated to tango in which the 12 semifanalists will perform, at "Tango Porteño" and also with free entrance, works by Troilo-Manzi, Piazzolla, Matos Rodríguez-Maroni, Gardel-Le Pera, Marconi, Plaza and Aieta, on transcripts produced for violin, bandoneon and bass.

Schedule of activities

Opening Ceremony - Comunidad Amijai

Saturday 10, 7.30 pm.

Qualifying Rounds - Comunidad Amijai

Works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Eugene Ysaye, Alberto Ginastera and Adam Skoumal.

Sunday 11, 10am to 1pm, and 5pm to 8pm

Monday 12, 10am to 1pm, and 5pm to 8pm

Tuesday 13, 10am to 1pm, and 5pm to 8pm

Semifinals - Comunidad Amijai

Works by Maurice Ravel, Leos Janacek, Karol Szymanowski, Bela Bartok and Niccolo Paganini.

Wednesday 14, 3pm to 8.40pm

Thursday 15, 3pm to 8.40pm

Tango Award - Tango Porteño

The semifinalists will play two tangos transcribed for violin, bandoneon and bass.

Friday 16, 2pm to 7pm

At the end of the day, six finalists and the winner of Tango Argentino will be announced.

Finals - Comunidad Amijai

Works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Johan Sibelius, Niccolo Paganini, Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven, Bela Bartok, Maurice Ravel and Sergei Prokofiev, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Association of Professors of the Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colon under the direction of Maestro Mint.

Sunday 18, 8.30pm

Tuesday 20, 8.30 pm

Venues:

Comunidad Amijai, Arribeños 2355, Belgrano

Tango Porteño, Cerrito 570

Qualifying rounds, semifinals, tango award and finals: free access to the public. Space is limited.

Opening ceremony and closing ceremony: access by invitation only.

More information: www.violinbuenosaires.com

Arteclásica is the classic Art Fair in Buenos Aires for experts and amateurs alike, which offers a plural space for our visual arts of international renown. The Fair will also hold many of its already traditional institutional programs such as Meeting Cultures, Landmark Installation and the Ñ Space for Great Contemporary Masters.

Program Meeting Cultures: Thailand

The program Meeting Cultures, especially created by Arteclásica in 2006, introduces in our market artists coming from different cultures, whose work is practically unknown in our latitudes. This is a unique project and a great opportunity to approach both different aesthetics and new symbolism.

Just as in 2006 with the Arab world, in 2007 with the Post-Soviet world, in 2008 with Western Africa, mainly from the Republic of Nigeria, 2009 with Japan, this year Arteclasica brings us the contemporary art scene of Thailand with a selection made by curator Steven Pettifor, Independent curator and author of the book “Flavours – Thai Contemporary Art".

The auditorium of Arteclásica 2010 will host every day important conferences, round tables, talks, seminars and book presentations.

Dates and Opening times: July 14 - 19, 2010. 1 pm to 9 pm

Location: Pavilions 1 and 2, Centro Costa Salguero Convention Center. Av. Costanera and Salguero

The 2nd International Record Fair of Buenos Aires (2da Feria Internacional de Coleccionismo Discografico) will take place on July 16, 17, and 18, 2010, at the Pavilion 4 of Costa Salguero Exhibition Center. 

Collectors, big or small, will have the opportunity to buy, sell, or exchange recorded material that is virtually impossible to find on the market, including vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, posters, photographs, autographs, manuscripts, concert programs, slides, magazines, trading cards, videos, cinema guides, books, concert tickets, t-shirts, and all kinds of music merchandising.

On Sunday 18, some of the best pieces and records displayed at the fair will be sold at a large auction. The Fair invites all the attendants to include their own items in the auction. These have to be registered in advance at the Fair's website.

Location: Centro Costa Salguero. Av. Costanera and Salguero
Opening Hours:
Friday and Saturday: 12 noon to 10 pm
Sunday: 12 noon to 8 pm
Tickets: $ 20 Pesos, on sale at www.tuentrada.com

More information: www.feriadediscosdebuenosaires.com.

The 6th edition of "Caminos y Sabores" (Roads and Flavors), will feature during 4 days the offers in typical food, tourism and handicrafts from all the regions in the country.

The Argentine provinces will be represented in the exhibition through their native foods. As every year from the first edition in 2005, visitors will be able to sample and buy olive oil; home made salamis; cow, sheep and goat cheeses; wines from family owned wineries; homemade jellies, just to mention some of the products. There will also be tourist offers of all kinds at the Tourism Road, and a variety of handicrafts made with the typical materials and features of every region.
In the Cooking Room (Sala de Cocinas), at every moment, different chefs will be preparing dishes based on Argentine typical ingredients; and at the Conference Room, specialists in every topic will talk about tourism, regional food, territorial development, and other subjects related to the Argentine culture.
One of the main features of the Fair is "Terra Madre Argentina 2010". Terra Madre Network brings together food communities, cooks, academics and youth delegates for four days to work towards increasing small-scale, traditional, and sustainable food production.

Dates: July 8th - 11th. 2010
Location: La Rural Exhibition Center. Pabellon Azul. Av. Sarmiento 2704.
Opening hours: 12 pm to 9 pm
Entry fee:
General: AR$ 25

Children under 6: free

The Festival Rumbos - Musicas del Sur, a series of free concerts that feature innovative and recognized artists from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay will take place during July, as part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Centro Cultural General San Martín.

Rumbos - Musicas del Sur is a joint undertaking of Itaú Cultural and Centro Cultural General San Martín, that will take the stage from July 1st to July 13th, 2010 at Teatro 25 de Mayo, Av. Triunvirato 4444, to show the musical diversity in the southern hemisphere.

The artistic selection presents emerging artists and authentic references of the new popular music scene in the region, such as: the great interpreter Liliana Herrero, one of the referents of Argentina folklore; the renowned pianist and composer Carlos Aguirre; Veronica Condomí; the duo Juan Quintero-Luna Monti, one of the great musical revelations of recent years; Manuel Onis; Pablo Dacal; Los Nuñez with Ruiz Guinazu; and rising duo Orozco-Barrientos with the production for their latest albums by Gustavo Santaolalla, all from Argentina.

From Brazil: Rubi, Alessandra Leão, Luiz Felipe Gama & Ana Luiza and Alessandro Penezzi, are noted for combining avant-gard and tradition in Brazilian popular music. And from Uruguay, singer Martín Buscaglia, star of the new Uruguayan song.

As invited artists to this first edition of Rumbos - Musicas del Sur: the concerts by singer Noelia Moncada, in the series "Tangos of the Bicentenary", and the world premiere of "Surdomundo Impossible Orchestra" consisting of a real selection of great musicians from the three countries in the project: Osvaldo Fattorusso, Martin Buscaglia, Martin Sued, Ignacio Varchausky, Mauricio Pereira, Caito Marcondes and Arthur de Faria. In the final concert, Mauricio Pereira will be presented together with pianist Daniel Szafran, and closing the Festival, the exquisite singer Na Ozzetti, considered one of the greatest singers of Brazil.

Program:

Thursday 1, 9 pm

Rubi (Brazil)

Liliana Herrero

Friday 2, 9 pm

Rubi (Brazil)

Verónica Condomí

Saturday 3, 9 pm

Alessandra Leão (Brazil)

Manuel Onis

Sunday 4, 8 pm

Alessandra Leão (Brazil)

Pablo Dacal

Tuesday 6, 9 pm

Luiz Felipe Gama & Ana Luiza (Brazil)

Carlos “Negro” Aguirre

Wednesday 7, 9 pm

Luiz Felipe Gama & Ana Luiza (Brazil)

Noelia Moncada

Thursday 8, 9 pm

Alessandro Penezzi (Brazil)

Luna Monti – Juan Quintero

Saturday 10, 9 pm

Alessandro Penezzi (Brazil)

Los Nuñez with Ruiz Guiñazú

Sunday 11, 8 pm

Surdomundo Imposible Orchestra (Argentina-Brazil-Uruguay)

Orozco-Barrientos

Tuesday 13, 9 pm

Mauricio Pereira (Brazil) + Na Ozzetti (Brazil)

All the concerts are free of charge. The tickets (two per person) must be picked up two hours before every concert at the ticket office of Teatro 25 de Mayo, Av Triunvirato 4444.

On the grounds of Buenos Aires Polo Circo, Avenida Juan de Garay y Combate de los Pozos, the show "Notre terreur" (Our Terror), by the French theater group D'ors et déjà, will be presented for the first time in Argentina, in a unique series of 6 performances, from June 23 to June 27, 2010, organized by the Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires, the Embassy of France in Argentina and Culturesfrance.

The show revives the history of the French Revolution in a particular staging that also invites the audience to participate as actors involved. The play, directed by Sylvain Creuzevault, was created and presented at Théâtre de la Colline in the last Autumn Festival in 2009. It was nominated for Molières 2010 category public theater. Our Terror is a work of 10 artists that makes sense in this Argentinean Bicentennial year. The play examines the fall of Robespierre, his death, his last day.

The French company took the challenge of making this new play in a circus tent for 400 people, equipped with all necessary comforts for winter weather.

Tickets are on sale at:
Casa de la Cultura: Avenida de Mayo 575.
Centro Cultural General San Martín, Sarmiento 1551.
Teatro 25 de Mayo, Av. Triunvirato 4444
Polo Circo Buenos Aires, Avenida Juan de Garay y Combate de los Pozos

Prices and times of performances:
Wednesday 23, 8pm: AR$ 35
Thursday 24, 8pm: AR$ 35
Friday 25, 8pm: AR$ 50
Saturday 26, 8pm: AR$ 50
Sunday 27, 6:30pm: AR$ 50

The show will be presented in French with Spanish sub-titles.

On Tuesday, June 29, 2010, Ciudad Cultural Konex presents the seventeenth edition of Pecha Kucha Night, a “showcasing + networking” event created in Japan in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, in which 12-15 creators from different disciplines have 6 minutes and 40 seconds each to show an idea or project, through 20 images screened for 20 seconds. Once the presentations are finished, the guest artists get together to exchange their opinions, and the public is invited to enjoy some music and conversation.

The participating artists confirmed for this edition are:

José Eduardo Abadi (psychoanalysis)
Laura Varsky (design and illustration)
Revista THC (editorial)
L’epi (gastronomy)
Max Aguirre (comics)
Elevate (business design)
Fundación Huerta Niño (NGO)
Enrique Avogrado (creative industries)
Ralph Haiek (media and technology)
Gustavo Di Mario (photography)
José Eduardo Abadi (psicoanalysis)
Ezequiel Borra (music)
Cinco (audiovisual production)

“Pecha kucha” (which means chit-chat in Japanese), is presented in several cities around the world, including: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Auckland, Austin, Bangladore, Bangkok , Beijing, Belfast, Berlin, Bern, Bogotá , Budapest, Buenos Aires, Buffalo, Chicago, Cologne, Copenhagen, Costa Rica, Delhi, Dublin , Frankfurt, Glasgow, Gothenberg, Groningen, Hamburg, Harvard, Helsinki, Hobart, Lagos, Linz, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Mexico city, Miami, New York, Newcastle, Oslo, Perth, Portland, Porto Alegre, Prague, Riga, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Santiago, Seattle, Seoul, Seville, Shanghai, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Toronto, Udine, Vienna, Washington DC. 

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2010. 8 PM 

Location: Ciudad Cultural Konex. Sarmiento 3131. Buenos Aires. 

Tickets: AR$ 25. Ticketek Argentina or Ciudad Cultural Konex ticket office: Monday to Thursday 5 PM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday 5 PM to 11.30 PM, Sunday 5 Pm to 9:30 PM.

More information: www.pechakucha.com.ar

For those who were not able to watch it live on May 25 for the celebration of Argentina's Bicentennial, the video mapping show on the facade of the Cabildo in Plaza de Mayo will be repeated on June 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2010, this time celebrating the National Flag Day.

There will be three performances daily, at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. During the intervals the military band "Fanfarria Alto Peru" from the Regiment "Granaderos a Caballo" will perform classic marches, and each day will culminate with a fireworks show.

With different images the history of Argentina in these two hundred years will be projected in a continuous ten minutes. From the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata to the present, highlighting passages such as immigration, the Centenary, the bombing of 1955, the 70s, the struggle of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, the return of democracy to the assumption of Alfonsin, among others.

The mapping consists of projecting video images on real surfaces, generally inanimate, to obtain 3D motion effects or resulting in an unusual artistic performance. The more common practice in this technique is to project images onto buildings, accompanying the visual effects with sounds to make the show even more spectacular.

arteBA Contemporary Art Fair, that will take place on June 25 - 29, 2010, is the most popular cultural event in the city of Buenos Aires and the most important one of its kind in Latin America. arteBA is an art exhibition where art galleries display their best Latin American artworks, offering the general public the chance to come face to face with truly unique collectors’ pieces. It is also an opportunity for the newer art centers from all over the region to present their younger artists and reveal the very latest trends, which are simply absent from other art fairs. Over 800 Latin American artists present their works at this great cultural event.

arteBA Foundation called for the seventh edition of arteBA-Petrobras Prize for the Visual Arts. Each one of the five selected projects will be awarded the amount of $ 12,000 pesos to be used for its realization and exhibition at arteBA `10. Once the winning projects have been exhibited at the Fair, a second, International Prize-Giving Jury will award a (non-acquisitional) Incentive Prize of $ 50,000 pesos. The prize will be granted after the final in situ installation of the works.

On this new edition of arteBA`10 Contemporary Art Fair the Chandon Young Quarter will consist of 19 stands, sponsored by Chandon for the fourth consecutive year. 

A series of conferences will take place every day at 6.00 at the auditorium.

Location: La Rural Exhibition Center. Blue and Green Pavillions. Av. Sarmiento 2704, Buenos Aires

Dates and hours: June 25 - 29, 2010. 1 pm to 10 pm

Entry fees:

General: AR $30

Students and pensioners: AR $15

Children under 12: Free

For more information, visit arteBA'10 official website.

Los Pumas, Argentina's National Rugby team, will play again in Buenos Aires, this time against the French team.
This will be the third of a series  of friendly matches in which Los Pumas will face the national teams of Scotland and France. The first two test matches against Scotland will take place in the cities of Tucuman, on June 12th, and Mar del Plata, on June  19th.
The test match against France will take place in Buenos Aires on Saturday June 26th, at the Velez Sarsfield Stadium.
Don't miss the opportunity of attending this exciting game the easiest and safest way, with a service that includes tickets, transfers, and bilingual host. Contact me and make your reservation.

As part of its Tour 2010 (Argentina - Brazil - Chile), the Imperial Russian Ballet Company presents "Don Quixote" on June 18 and 19, 2010, at the Teatro Coliseo de Buenos Aires.

The Imperial Russian Ballet Company was established in 1994 at the initiative of Maya Plisetskaya, who until 2004 was its Honorary President and General Counsel. The current Artistic Director of the Ballet is Taranda Gediminas, who, before setting up the company, was featured soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and studied under the direction of choreographer Yuri Grigorovich.

The main stage of the Company in Moscow is the Theatre "Novaya Opera" where they offer their representations combined with international and national tours. With great success The Imperial Russian Ballet performed its 7-week season at the Teatro Gran Vía de Madrid in the summer of 2005.

The company's repertoire includes all classical ballets like "Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty", "Nutcracker", "Romeo and Juliet", "Giselle," "Carmen," "Don Quixote", "Scheherazade", among many others.

The cast of the Imperial Russian Ballet is composed of 40 dancers of the highest artistic level, many of them winners of prestigious ballet competitions.

DON QUIXOTE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Gediminas Taranda

SOLOISTS: Elena Kolesnichenko, Yara Araptanova, Nariman Bekzhanov, Ana Pashkova

Music: Ludwig Minkus

SCRIPT: Marius Petipa, Based on the Novel by M. de Cervantes

Choreography: Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky, Gediminas Taranda

DURATION: 2 hours 30 minutes with two breaks.

Location: Teatro Coliseo, Marcelo T de Alvear 1125

Tickets: From AR$ 60 to AR$ 330, on sale at the Theater or through www.ticketek.com.ar

If you need help getting tickets Contact me.

From June 11 to July 11, 2010 the Government of the City of Buenos Aires presents "Buenos Aires Mundial", a multidisciplinary approach so that all residents and visitors can live the passion of the World Cup taking place in South Africa.

The 64 matches of the World Cup will be transmitted live on two giant screens (10 x 7 meters) with LED technology (from Monday to Sunday, 8am to 6pm.), one will be located in Plaza San Martin (Av. Santa Fe and Maipu) and the other one in the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario (Avenida Lillo and Marechal), for the public to watch all the matches for free.

In Florida street interventions will be presented to form part of the Digital Museum, reviewing the history of the different World Cups since 1930, with a detail of the various locations, figures, and highest scorers.

In addition, at Plaza San Martín an interactive tent of 1200 square meters will be mounted (Monday-Sunday, 10.30am to 7pm), that will feature cultural, educational, and sports activities:

1. A "Fan Corner" for people to send messages to the national team players, suggest new songs to be sung at the stadiums, and hear the latest news about the national team.
2. A recreation area for children, which will include a playground, an educational sector so that more kids learn about the countries that dispute the World Cup and a sports field so they can enjoy free time kicking penalties and playing football.
3. A digital museum with stands from each participating country, which will feature information about geography, languages, religions, customs and other activities. 
4. A mini stadium, which will feature an indoor giant screen and grandstand for people to experience the World Cup as if they were in the stadium, or as a valid alternative for rainy or very cold days. 
5. Conference Room to hold discussions between journalists, former players, and anyone who is interested in participating in post-game meetings and getting involved in all the controversy around football.

Over 100 first class companies will showcase their products at the Expo Cuisine&Vins 2010, the 17th edition of the exhibition organized by Cuisine&Vins Magazine. 

New wineries, along with the most traditional ones, present their premium labels, talks and tastings by enologists and wine makers. There will also be stands dedicated to spirits, cigars, luxury resorts, delikatessen products, crafts from all over the country, as well as the new flavors of the most outstanding restaurants of the moment. The latest technological releases will also be present at the expo.

Location: Palacio Paz. Santa Fe 750, Plaza San Martin, Buenos Aires
Dates: June 9th through June 11th, 2010

Opening hours: 5 pm to 11 pm
Entry fee: 

General: AR$ 70, includes a complimentary tasting cup.

General + Premium Wines sector: $\AR$ 100, includes a complimentary tasting cup.

On Saturday June 5, 2010 the Government of the City of Buenos Aires celebrates the World Environment Day with a free festival of music, eco-design and environmental art at Centro Cultural Konex, Sarmiento 3131, from 11am to 7pm.

The event, organized by the Environmental Protection Agency from the Ministry of Environment and Public Space, together with to the Metropolitan Design Center, joins the worldwide celebrations for the World Environment Day. This year, under the theme "Many species, one planet, one future", the World Environment Day aims to be "the largest and most celebrated global positive action day for the environment," according to the United Nations.

Programming:

Live Music:

3 pm: Doña María

4.15 pm: Bicicletas

5.45 pm: Super Ratones

Ecodesign Fair:

Throughout the day, 15 exhibitors display and sell their products made on the basis of sustainable design.

Workshops:

12 pm: Clothes' Recycling Workshop

2 pm: Experimenting with bamboo

Talks:

11.30 am: Environment and the New Media

3.15 pm: Sustainable Design

Environmental Films:

1.15 pm: Adictos al Plastico (Addicted to Plastic)

5.15 pm: Esperanza en un clima cambiante (Hope in a Changing Climate)

Exhibitions:

Environmental History of the Riachuelo. Historical process of uses of water and soil of Matanza-Riachuelo Basin through a socio-economic analysis.

Sustainable Architecture Exhibition. Display of winning projects from the competition Sustainable Building of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, UBA

Live Mural by Miguel Brea.

Free admission. Not suspended for rain.

"Por la Calle" is an urban self-guided tour, to discover the keys for the identity of design in Argentina. "Por la Calle" invites visitors to stroll around those shops where textile and clothing design is present, and to enjoy the talent and creations of Argentine designers in their own spaces.

This edition of "Por la Calle" 2010 will take place in Recoleta, on Friday, June 4, 2010, from 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm. A great opportunity to discover the new collections for the Fall/Winter season, interacting with the talented designers and their original pieces, while enjoying different activities and incredible offers.

The routes are self guided, and visitors will be able to pick up free printed material that will guide them through the circuits, at 5 meeting points:

• Av. Quintana & Callao
• Santa Fe & Rodriguez Pena
• Av. Santa Fe & Suipacha
• Libertad & Posadas
• Arenales & Uruguay

There will be 3 different thematic routes: Form, Texture, and Ensemble. Every participating shop will be signaled with yellow balloons for their easy identification. This event is totally free of charge.

Recoleta is a design circuit that combines the creativity of Argentine designers with renowned international brands.

Foundation ProTejer and INTI textiles are the promoters of this event, in the belief that Argentina is generating new trends, and with the aim of helping people understand the personal and original vision of Argentine designers.

For detailed information about the participating designers and route maps, visit Por la Calle website (in Spanish only).
In case of rain, the event is suspended until the following Friday.