The 36^th Festival Internacional de Música de Canarias [Canary Islands International Music Festival] is privileged to have London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Santtu-Matias Rouvali, to open the festival. The young Finnish maestro, who is also an excellent percussionist, is bringing a Romantic programme that apart from starting with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth is also fifty percent Nordic:  Sibelius’s Symphony Nº1 will take up the second part of the concert. 

Established 75 years ago, the Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the great international orchestras of the 21^st century. It is based at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, where it has been resident orchestra since 1995 with an annual season that includes some 50 performances. Led by its Principal Conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, it has created a series of innovative projects to critical acclaim, which are distinctive in their artistic scope and contents both live and digital. 

Santtu-Matias Rouvali (Lahti, Finland, 1985) has been announced as the next principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, where he is currently principal guest conductor. He will take up his position in the 2020/21 season, succeeding maestro Salonen. Rouvali is also principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony and Tampere Philharmonic.