Ara Malikian

One of the warmest moments came with "Niño rata". Malikian explained that after weeks looking for a title, it was his ten-year-old son Cairo who solved it in seconds: he asked his father to play the melody and, before it was over, had decided what it would be called. The set moved through "El gallo Krikor", "Concerto Grosso", "Karma" and "Mi Capricho 24", based on the piece by Niccolò Paganini, about which he joked that his version had little to do with the original. Then came Astor Piazzolla's "Fuga y Misterio" and "Zyryab" by Paco de Lucía, whom he described as one of the figures who changed the history of music.

Before the last piece, the violinist set humour aside to speak about wars, wildfires, hatred and disinformation, open wounds that, he said, make him wonder what legacy will be left to the next generations. He invited the audience to reflect and to feel empathy for those who are suffering, wishing peace, happiness and love. During the final song he stepped down from the stage to play among the crowd, and said goodbye thanking them for the energy he had received throughout the concert.