From October 24 to November 11, the XVIII International Festival of Baroque Music is being held, and all concerts are free.

The activity is organized by the Santa Ana Municipal School of Integrated Arts (EMAI). The majority of the concerts will be held at the downtown Santa Ana musical school and at the Catholic church in Santa Ana.

Free concerts will also be given at the Monteverde Institute (in Monteverde, Puntarenas), the Jade Museum, the Sarapiquí Rainforest Lodge Auditorium (La Virgen, Sarapiquí), the First Baptist Church of Limón, the Parish Church of Barbacoas de Puriscal, the Abelardo Bonilla Auditorium the University of Costa Rica, and in Granada, Nicaragua.

Among the featured musicians are the Spanish artist Abraham Cupeiro, researcher and interpreter of baroque instruments; the Icelandic Sólveig Thoroddsen, interpreter of baroque harp; and Brazilian pianist Rubia Santos.

The full program can be found here.

From Costa Rica, the list of artists includes organist Jorge Luis Alvarado Bravo; guitarist Oscar Jiménez Fernández; Keren Padilla, mezzo-soprano; and pianist Jacques Sagot.

The director of the school, Carlos Acevedo, said that the purpose of the festival is to fill a void that was on the national music scene, as well as offer more cultural opportunities to the general population.