The Danish National Symphony Orchestra is coming to the Canary Islands for the first time as part of the 36º Festival Internacional de Música [36th International Music Festival]. And they are coming in “Danish style”: Carl Nielsen will be one of the protagonists of the double programme they are bringing to our Festival, under the baton of Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena.
Their first programme features a young soloist, British Mark Simpson, who will play the Clarinet Concerto by the Danish composer in a repertoire that opens with the Overture ‘In the Highlands’, by Niels Gade (a Danish maestro and Nielsen’s teacher) and is rounded off with Schubert’s Ninth Symphony.
Bachtrack referred to Mark Simpson (Liverpool, 1988) as “a revelation”. The young musician is noted both as a clarinettist -a brilliant interpretation is expected- and as a composer, which places him as a major new voice in the international arena.
Juanjo Mena (Vitoria, 1965) is one of the most internationally renowned Spanish conductors. He is currently Principal Conductor of the Cincinnati May Festival and Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Nacional de España. In 2016 Juanjo Mena was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música for performance.
Founded in 1925 as part of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the Danish Symphony Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Europe, featuring the best conductors and soloists in the world.
JUANJO MENA, conductor
MARK SIMPSON, clarinet