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The new programme features four small-format performances of decidedly contemporary works

The Tenerife Island Council, in collaboration with the Canary Islands Government, presented the first edition of ‘Ópera en minúscula’, a new undertaking of the Auditorio to be held at the Espacio La Granja. The performances consist of four small-format operas of decidedly contemporary works. The first event takes place on Friday, the 20th and Ópera en minúscula runs until Saturday, the 28th, to draw new spectators to less conventional venues using innovative formats.

The details were announced by the provincial Minister for Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, the General Director of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries, Cristóbal de la Rosa, the Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero, as well as Ruth González and Ricardo Campelo, the Artistic Directors of ‘Ópera en minúscula’.

The Minister for Culture said his administration was 'proud to present something new that will likely become much bigger, thanks to the collaboration of the Canary Islands government and Madrid's autonomous community. We also collaborated with them in our production of 'Alone with Marilyn', which is scheduled to conclude the programme. 'These four works are part of our strategy of targeting new audiences, which will bring in new spectators who, in this case, will enjoy opera performances. We have put the opera's appeal into a smaller venue, without detriment to its potential for emotion.'

Cristóbal de la Rosa stated, ' We intend to continue in this direction with the other Island Councils, thus enriching the public's entertainment options. The General Director said that the initiative results from 'the ongoing efforts of consultants and collaborators', adding that 'the idea is to provide audiences with entertainment and to allow creators and artists to approach opera as another means of expression'. The Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife acknowledged that ‘the launching of a new project is always exciting. We must uphold the operatic cultural heritage and to broaden our horizons with modern compositions in Spanish’. Rivero added that, in this new undertaking, ‘we are offering lower-case scenes for upper-case projects in which nothing is technically impossible, so the works may be similarly interpreted in other Canarian venues’. He also mentioned ‘the contemporary nature of all the works, which draw on modern issues such as vicarious violence, fake news, improvisation and credibility in general’.

Ruth González commented on the 'sustainable format' of the four performances, which give spectators up-close performances of the artists, which is an altogether different experience from that of large-format operas. She expressed her belief that 'There are people who don't yet realize how much they will enjoy opera, and all we have to do is to give them the opportunity'. She concluded, 'This initiative facilitates the creation of new works by today's composers and is a first step towards greater awareness of them. It also deepens the connection between the public and what is being performed, as well as how it is being performed.

Ricardo Campelo, the other half of this artistic tandem, comments on breaking away from the paradigm of collaboration, saying 'everything here has been transversal and composed as a dialogue '. The director explains that modern and standard approaches are used, owing to the contemporary nature of the compositions: 'So, a viol may converse with a saxophone, spoken word with singing, and hip hop with traditional song. It used to be that composers had to wait a long time to be called on for the composition of an opera. What we are seeking now is that private companies are the ones who will call on composers to create opera'.

The four shows, programmed under the artistic direction of Teatro Xtremo, are a selection of operas for soloists and ensembles and represent several periods and styles. The spectators will enjoy well-known works of Kurt Weill to contemporary pieces of Spanish composers such as Madrid-born María Herrero and David del Puerto, the latter being a winner of the National Music Award. Ópera de Tenerife, the opera programme of the Auditorio de Tenerife, has the support of the Canary Islands Government and the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM).

All performances will be held at the performing-arts theatre Espacio La Granja at 7:30 p.m. Mahagonny & The Seven Deadly Sins opens the programme on Friday with six singers and a piano in a very pop atmosphere. The journey of the sisters Anna through the world of vice in The Seven Deadly Sins (1933) and the incursion into the streets of a chaotic city in Mahagonny Songspiel (1927) are combined in a single work in this adaptation of two operas of the German composer Kurt Weill with texts of the playwright Bertolt Brecht. Its contemporary staging and ingenious scenography immerse spectators in the intricate worlds of these two pieces, which are woven into a coherent narrative that highlights their emotional depth and critical view of society.

This Sunday, the 22^nd, the stage will host the operetta buffa Cassandra o el elogio del fracaso, a performance riding the line between contemporary chamber opera and theatre, which delves into the life and inner world of the mythical character Cassandra, known for her gift of prophecy and the curse placed on her by Apollo that caused her predictions to be rejected by the public. María Herrero composed the music of this work and collaborated in the writing of the text with Íñigo Guardamino, in addition to her role as director of this opera. The work combines original compositions for four voices, electronic devices such as loopers and classic pieces for voice, guitar, piano and viola da gamba. The work invites spectators to reflect on the past and the future, proposing several modern-day Cassandras and suggesting the importance of the societal credibility that might allow their messages to be heard.

Ópera en minúscula programmes on Wednesday the 25^th outside the Espacio La Granja the performance La Plaza, an ongoing experiment that showcases how eight artists come together to create and seek possibilities within the opera genre, exploring the limits of each of its member's performing skills. This creative process blurs individuality and roles in favour of creativity, fostering a space for vulnerability and affection or a search for commotion.  With a largely process-based approach, this group has worked as a laboratory during an artistic residency, prioritising search and exploration and shunning the logic of an industry-imposed result. La Plaza seeks to defy the operatic canon by breaking away from judgment, space and time.

Finally, on the 27th and 28th, Alone with Marilyn will take place, a chamber opera for soprano, mezzo-soprano, electric viola, electric guitar and soundscapes. This work explores betrayal, self-destruction and the influence of modern-day myths on society's perception of reality. David del Puerto, winner of the National Music Award, composed this opera's music, combining contemporary styles with classic techniques. The story is based on Alfonso Zurro's theatrical work with the same title, and Zurro himself adapted it to the operatic format. The work focuses on the everyday life of a mother and supermarket cashier and the crisis she experiences after being abandoned by her husband. Upon hearing the name Marilyn, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and desperation in which she will confuse reality, fantasy, dreams and delirium when she becomes obsessed with the enigmatic figure of the cinema actress Marilyn Monroe. Alone with Marilyn is a co-production of Teatro Xtremo, Ópera de Tenerife and Madrid Cultura y Turismo (MACUTU) of the Community of Madrid.

The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium's box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are also available at the Espacio La Granja box office on the day of the show. Check the special discounts for unemployed people (-50%), the audience under 30 years of age (single price €5), students (-20%), 65 years or more (-20%), large families (-20%), people with a disability degree equal to or greater than 33% (- 20%) and 33% low visibility seats (-20%).

The concert will take place on Friday 20 September 2024, at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorio de Tenerife and will feature the guest pianist Marco Mezquida, creator of the central piece of this performance, Talaiot

The maestro Víctor Pablo Pérez will conduct the second concert in the new season of the Sinfónica de Tenerife, which got off to a brilliantly successful start under the baton of Vasily Petrenko, achieving an exceptional reception and practically selling out. The second will take place on Friday, 20 September 2024, at 7.30 p.m. at the Auditorio de Tenerife. This concert will feature a debut by Marco Mezquida's first performance as a soloist with the Sinfónica de Tenerife. The pianist from Menorca is also the creator of Talaiot, the central piece of the performance, which premiered in 2023 with Víctor Pablo Pérez conducting the Vallès Symphony Orchestra at the Palau de la Música Catalana.

In the concert's first part, the audience will enjoy Tribute to the Film Composer by John Williams and Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture by George Gershwin.

Víctor Pablo Pérez, who has conducted practically every Spanish orchestra over his long career and who is currently the Honorary Conductor of the symphony orchestras of Tenerife and Galicia, as well as Artistic Director of the Canary Islands Youth Orchestra, will oversee this concert that will blend the languages of the classical and jazz genres, characteristic elements in Marco Mezquida's work. Talaiot was the first foray by the Menorcan composer into symphonic composition; the work is inspired by his native island, Menorca, and its prehistoric monuments. According to Mezquida, it is a 'romantic, impressionist, Iberian, minimalist piece with touches of jazz'. The commission came from Vallès Symphony Orchestra and the Palau de la Música Catalana in 2023, which also staged the work's premiere.

Beforehand, and as part of this start of the season, the Sala Avenida, located in the hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife, will be hosting a lecture by the Tenerife Association for Friends of Music on the different formal aspects of the pieces played in the concert. Leandro Martín will provide the talk at 6:30 p.m.

The tickets for this concert can be purchased until the day of the event on the website www.sinfonicadetenerife.es, at the auditorium's box office and by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Yeol Eum Son, Paul Lewis, Alba Ventura, Sergey Belyavsky, Denis Kozhukhin and Sergei Babayan will star in the concerts

The Auditorio de Tenerife is offering a new subscription for the six piano concerts of its 2024-2025 season, with a 25% discount. Pianísimo, as this concert cycle is called, includes performances by six international musicians: Yeol Eum Son from South Korea, Paul Lewis from England, Alba Ventura from Barcelona, the Armenian-American pianist Sergei Babayan, as well as Sergey Belyavsky and Denis Kozhukhin from Russia.

The cycle dedicated to this instrument runs from September 2024 until June 2025. All concerts will take place at 7.30 p.m. in the Chamber Hall. The first concert will be held next Tuesday, the 24, with the South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son, interpreting a selected repertoire of short pieces composed by the most outstanding pianists, all of them legends whose careers consolidated over the 20th century. The next concert will be the fourth and last of the performances by the British pianist Paul Lewis and his Franz Schubert integrals, which have been held in the Auditorium since September 2023.

The pianistic event that closes the year will be led by Alba Ventura, who will perform creations by the Spanish composers Federico Mompou and Enrique Granados, to finish with Frédéric Chopin. In 2025, on 29 April, Sergey Belyavsky, winner of the 1st edition of the International Piano Competition City of Malaga, will take over the Chamber Hall. On 20 May, Denis Kozhukhin will perform the Delivish & the Divine concert, with works by Liszt and Ligeti. The piano cycle ends on 5 June with the acclaimed musician Sergei Babayan, an exclusive artist of the Deutsche Grammophon label, who will perform the programme Songs.

The subscription and the single tickets for the performances are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium's box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, and large families.

In-depth study and completion of works put the Symphony Hall among the best venues worldwide

Auditorio de Tenerife kicks off its 2024-25 season by optimising its acoustics. The results allow the sound produced onstage to reach the public as clearly as possible. After experts conducted an in-depth study, complex works were undertaken for the strategic placement of a series of acoustic diffusion panels that improve the auditorium's projected sound and complement its aesthetics.

José Carlos Acha, the councillor for cultural affairs in Tenerife, visited the auditorium as part of a technical inspection of the completed works, commenting, 'It's an impressive change that the public will appreciate, the artists onstage and the musicians in the orchestra pit, and it's going to make the Auditorio de Tenerife one of the best venues in the world'. The councillor said, 'The works have vastly improved the aesthetics of the Chamber Hall, and we're sure that everyone will be pleasantly surprised'. Several years of preparation have made the renovation possible.'

Along with the councillor, the following were present: Daniel Cerezo, Executive Director of the Auditorio; José Luis Rivero, Artistic Director of the institution; Jorge Cabrera, Head of Technical Production; Blanca Arévalo, Office Management Assistant; Ricardo Sanles, sound engineer of RG Sanles Acoustics and project manager; and Julio Orta, Manager of Etcétera Estudio, in charge of the construction site management.

Achieved after a process that has taken several years, this new investment reflects the commitment of the venue's management to keep the Auditorio de Tenerife up to date and to offer a high-quality public service that targets excellence in its programming and administration. Examples are the continuous, comprehensive inspections of its facilities and the recent certification of its policies regarding environmental protection, tourism and quality, among other concerns.

The first stage of the renovation project, initiated in 2019, saw the acquisition and installation of the bandshell and the updating of the sound system. The subsequent stages, now completed, focused on enhancing the orchestra pit, the proscenium, and the seating areas of the auditorium's two large halls. These improvements, carried out by three UK-based companies, involved the use of 1,200 square metres of acoustic material, significantly enhancing the venue's acoustics and overall experience.

A test performance was conducted in August with over 3,000 acoustic diffusion panels that complement the building's architecture, resulting in improved sound without radical transformation of the venue. The renovation has optimised the acoustics of the Symphonic Hall, its orchestra pit and the Chamber Hall. Although these areas already complied with versatile standard parameters for all types of ensembles and styles, they will now benefit from this cutting-edge technology.

To this end, the company RG Sanles Acoustics performed a study to prepare a tentative project to ensure the best possible execution of the work, right down to the last detail. The company used a scanned, 3-D model of the halls, took abundant measurements, and conducted numerous trials, in addition to analysing the music to be performed and the human voice to optimise performances in the auditorium.

The textures of the wall coverings were altered to enhance the warmth of sounds, boosting lower frequencies while reducing reverberations and disruptions. Although the venue's sonic distribution and overall volume remain the same, the improvement provided by the new coverings is such that they act as another musician, contributing significantly to every concert.  With the addition of diffusion panels, sounds are no longer reflected in a single direction but spread in all directions, resulting in a better listening experience.

The contractor Acoustic GRG Products was hired to oversee the renovation, the manufacturing of the materials, and their installation, and the firm ISS Acoustic & Interiors was also involved. The audio-visual technical staff of the Auditorio de Tenerife have already favourably evaluated the results in the Symphony Hall.

Work was meticulously performed at the reflection points of walls in the Symphonic Hall. High-density plaster reflectors were covered with unpainted, perforated wood panels containing medium-density fibres. The panels, wrapped in acoustically transparent fabric, a technology developed in France and applied in other auditoriums worldwide, ensure the proper reflection of sounds. This innovative approach, rather than damping sounds, enhances their quality. The renovation has also notably improved the perceived clarity of the auditorium's unique organ, a one-of-a-kind instrument built into the walls of the hall.

The orchestra pit, previously not meeting the standards of sound absorption and acoustics, has been transformed into a space that is both visually and acoustically pleasing with the introduction of new panels. This enhancement is bound to elevate the experience of the public and the musicians of the Sinfónica de Tenerife during the auditorium's performances, including those of the Opera de Tenerife's season.

In addition, the side wall of the proscenium and the ramp accessing the hall have been renovated with black, reflective panels comprising a system of perforated surfaces that optimise acoustic diffusion.

As part of the project, significant work was also undertaken in the Chamber Hall, which now features a new entry wall with white wooden diffusion panels that are grooved on their horizontal and vertical edges. Diffusion panels were also installed on the trusses from which the stage lighting is hung.

The bandshell, designed specifically for the stage area of the Symphonic Hall, offers versatility in its setup. The installation of the new equipment presented several challenges, particularly the issue of the front panels reducing the orchestra's volume. However, the innovative solution of equipping the current white bandshell with adjustable panels and a micro-absorption device has effectively softened sound waves, allowing the musicians to hear each other more clearly.

The results of the renovation may be seen and, in particular, heard by the public starting today (Friday 6th) in the Symphony Hall during the season-opening at 7.30 p.m. with the performance of Triptych: The Missing Door, The Lost Room, and The Hidden Floor. These performances have been recognised at the Spanish Critics' Awards as the best international theatre production of 2023. The second show will take place tomorrow (Saturday 7th) at the same time.

In addition, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife opens its season next week (Friday 13th) at 7:30 p.m. with works by Weber, Mendelssohn and Sibelius, conducted by Vasily Petrenko and the violinist Sergei Dogadin as soloist.

Ten municipalities participate in this programme which offers stage training for people from the age of seven.

The Escuelas de Teatro programme (Theatre Schools) has opened the enrolment period for the year 2024-2025, and the activities starts on 1 October. Ten municipalities participate in this programme’s edition fostered by Auditorio de Tenerife: Adeje, Arona, Candelaria, El Rosario, El Sauzal, Fasnia, Guía de Isora, La Laguna, La Orotava, and Tegueste.

Classes are divided into age groups: group A is for children from seven to 10 years old, group B is for those between 11 and 12 years, group C is for teenagers between 13 and 15 years, and group C is for pupils over 16 years. There is no need not need to have prior knowledge or special skills to register in one of the theatre schools’ groups.

To register for the courses, visit the Auditorio de Tenerife’s website (https://www.auditoriodetenerife.com/en/learning-and-social-programme/theatre-schools) and fill in the form under ‘learning-and-social-programme’, section ‘theatre-schools’, and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Places are limited to fourteen students per class.

The island’s network Escuelas de Teatro de Tenerife (Theatre Schools of Tenerife) is developed together with the island's municipalities. The theatrical training to children, youth and adults is offered in educational and cultural centres. All programme teachers have a degree in performing arts from the School of Performing Arts of the Canary Islands (Escuela de Actores de Canarias) and will give classes in different parts of the island.

This Citizen Laboratory for the Performing Arts is a programme of the Educational and Social Area of the Auditorio de Tenerife. One of its main aims is to foster a quality artistic hobby and contribute to the cultural development of their environment.

The 2024-2025 school year catalogue offers thirteen artistic proposals, including performances and creative processes.

The Auditorio de Tenerife and the Island Council's Culture Area present the ninth edition of the 'Teatro en la Escuela' programme (Theatre at School). The catalogue comprises thirteen proposals, including creative processes and performances related to theatre, music, dance and movement arts. Schools can now submit their applications to host some of these activities in their facilities during the school year.

The catalogue's proposals have been chosen through a competitive public call for proposals. They are aimed at pupils for preschool, primary, secondary, baccalaureate education, and training cycles. In addition, the Auditorio de Tenerife will provide teachers with a teaching guide to prepare the work beforehand in class and optimise the educational possibilities of the programme.

After the schools have chosen from the 2024-2025 catalogue those proposals they are interested in, they just have to complete the fillable form to be downloaded from the section 'Teatro en la Escuela' of the Educational and Social area of the organisation's website: https://www.auditoriodetenerife.com/en/learning-and-social-programme and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. As the activities start in October and will run throughout the school year until June 2025, the deadline for their submission is 30 September.

The catalogue includes the following performances: The Brave Squirrel by Laura Esucela, La más bonita (The Most Beautiful) by Bolina Títeres, A ciencia cierta (For Sure) by El Wije Producciones, Abuelo Ado y señor Balleno (Grandfather Ado and Mr. Balleno) by Ana Erre, uNpACKAGING by Zireja, Manos Mojadas (Wet Hands) by Mon Peraza and ¡Valientes! (Brave) by Burka Teatro. Regarding the creative processes, the following projects have been selected: La bailarina y la caja mágica (The dancer and the magic box) by the company I+D Danza with Ana Beatriz Alonso, Asombrario by Paloma Balandis, Guateque by Innova_ dos23 and Paula Quintana, Atrás. Hacia futuros fantásticos (Back. Towards fantastic futures) by Producciones Arteide-Aleksandar Georgiev, Ellos y ellas también escriben canciones (They write songs too) by Andrés Molina and Tormenta (Storm) by Susana García.

The specific topics included in the project are one of the new features of this edition. They might be representations or processes linked to multiculturalism, interculturality or the objectives of some of UNESCO’s SDGs, such as promoting mental health or eliminating gender disparity.

Making students aware of performing and musical languages in their educational context, as well as providing access to and disseminating the performing and music arts among pupils on the island are some of the objectives of this programme.

In addition, it is important to link academic aspects to the professional context of performing and musical arts in Tenerife. Encouraging the all-around development of students through arts and creating the foundations to encourage the socialisation of students within the school facility through cultural activities are other goals of this initiative, which is celebrating its ninth consecutive year.

In this award-winning dance and theatre play, several characters are wandering through a mysterious ocean liner

The Auditorio de Tenerife opens this weekend the programme of the 2024-2025 season with the magnificent dance show of the Belgian company Peeping Tom. The two performances of Triptych, The Missing Door, The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor, recognised by the Spanish Critics' Awards as the best international theatre production of 2023, are scheduled for this Friday (6th) and Saturday (7th), starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Symphony Hall.

The tickets are on sale for €15, €5 for those under 30. Check the special discounts for students, unemployed people, large families and subscription holders of Ópera de Tenerife. Peeping Tom comes to the island with its award-winning Triptych, a haunting combination of dance and theatre in which the characters wander on an ocean liner between reality and what's imagined, lost in a cinematic, mysterious and macabre labyrinth.

Triptych is an adapted version of three short pieces Peeping Tom created for the Nederlands Dans Theater. Gabriela Carrizo directed the first part, The Missing Door, while Franck Chartier provided the two following pieces: The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor. Carrizo and Chartier wanted to bring these pieces into the Peeping Tom repertory so that they could continue performing them. Together, the choreographers reimagined the pieces for their company's dancers. In that sense, Triptych shows how different bodies, languages, and working methods can overlap and mutually benefit.

Each part of the trilogy has its stage and evokes a film set. The setting of The Missing Door is a room or hallway full of doors that cannot be opened. The action of The Lost Room takes place in a ship's cabin and focuses on the characters' inner worlds. The Hidden Floor takes place on the ship's abandoned restaurant stage, where the forces of nature have taken over. The sets are changed between each part before the audience as part of the show as if it were the live staging of a film.

Yet another layer is to be found in the new team of performers that Peeping Tom selected primarily for the characters of Triptych. Carrizo and Chartier focused on the new group's distinctive combination of technical qualities, straddling dance and theatre. With their physical vocabulary, the new dancers will trace new lines of memory across Triptych and the company.

The Peeping Tom company was founded in 2000 by the Argentinian Gabriela Carrizo and the Frenchman Franck Cartier and has presented its creations worldwide. Carrizo and Cartier have been honoured with several important awards, including the FEDORA Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet for La Visita, an Olivier Award in the United Kingdom for 32 rue Vandenbranden, and a Patrons Circle Award at the International Arts Festival in Melbourne as well as several selections for the Belgian and Dutch Theatre Festivals.

Triptych is recommended for audiences of 16 or older, as it includes scenes that some may find offensive. It makes use of nudity, graphic violence, disturbing content, adult themes and sex scenes, a smoke machine, startling sound effects and strobe lighting.

The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium's box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz and the festival founder, Diego Navarro, will conduct the orchestra at weekend

The Tenerife International Film Music Festival (FIMUCITÉ) was founded and will be directed by the composer and orchestra conductor Diego Navarro. This 18^th edition will conclude this weekend at the Auditorio de Tenerife and is dedicated to musicals, featuring two important concerts whose tickets have been sold out for weeks. Details were provided by the President of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, the Vice-president and Councillor for Tourism of the Island Council of Tenerife, Lope Afonso, the Island Minister of Culture and Museums of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, the General Director of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries, Cristóbal de la Rosa, the director of FIMUCITÉ, Diego Navarro, and the two-time Oscar-winning composer of La La Land, Justin Hurwitz.

The president said the festival "is the world's longest-running event involving film music, now in its 18th year, and is celebrating in style, with a programme that has met acclaim". Rosa Dávila also thanked "Diego Navarro and his staff because this festival highlights the importance of Tenerife as the location of extraordinary events such as this festival. In addition, the festival is made possible by people who proudly represent the Canary Islands. She invited guest composer Justin Hurwitz 'to fall in love with our island, just as we have fallen in love with his music".

Diego Navarro said, "We're ecstatic with this year's festival, and the fact that tickets have sold out so far in advance is exhilarating". Regarding the first scheduled concerts, the festival founder and conductor said, "La  La Land brought musicals back to the public's attention with a story about the struggle of two artists to fulfil their dreams, reminiscent of Hollywood classics in the genre"'. He described Saturday's concert as "a journey through the best musicals in cinema history, led by the orchestra and an ensemble of pop-rock musicians and solo artists, all from the Canary Islands". He encouraged authorities to "continue taking good care of this cultural gem so that it may see further development in the future".

The composer Justin Hurwitz, who won two Oscars for his work in La La Land, said he was thrilled to visit Tenerife: "a beautiful place to work with an orchestra that's performing wonderfully. Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land, and I have worked together for many years, and we never expected that the film would be so successful or still make such an impression on spectators. The public's response and everything else makes it worthwhile".

José Juan Lorenzo, head of the region's tourism agency, explained that calls for sponsorship had helped "to create one of the best programmes of cultural, sports, gastronomic and scientific events offered by tourism authorities in Europe". He added, "We have improved the tourism experience for those who visit us every year. At the same time, Canarian citizens will benefit from the scheduled events which have become a landmark in the Canary Islands and of which this festival is a clear example".

The Vice-president of the Island Council of Tenerife, Lope Afonso, acknowledged that "this year's festival is special because it coincides with Diego Navarro's win at the Academy Awards. Justin Hurwitz is well-known in music for his great talent as a composer. This year's festival is a golden opportunity to establish Tenerife as a destination for culture and tourism, which we know is a winning combination."

Cristóbal de la Rosa pointed out "the tremendous technical complexity of these concerts' and praised 'the hard work of the Auditorio de Tenerife's technical staff to make this possible". He said that "visual arts provide people with a kind of well-being that is often taken for granted', and that 'having tickets sold out repeatedly over the course of 18 years is quite the accomplishment. It's worth mentioning and should be taken into account. He concluded by saying, 'These kinds of projects should be developed further in the future".

José Manuel Bermúdez described the FIMUCITÉ festival as "a story of perseverance, of overcoming all obstacles to become what it is today: a story of success and an example of what we can do here in the Canary Islands if we put our minds to it". He congratulated and thanked the festival organiser, Diego Navarro, a friend awarded for his achievements by the cultural authorities of Santa Cruz and his collaborators. "Tomorrow, our capital shall become a "city of stars", he said, about the title of the Oscar-winning song of La La Land".

Minister of Culture José Carlos Acha said, "Eighteen years ago, I was a councillor for cultural affairs when we launched the festival FIMUCITÉ, which we considered the soundtrack of our lives and a means of making Santa Cruz de Tenerife a landmark in the world of film music. Using soundtracks to connect with the public is the first step towards getting people involved in other kinds of music, and one of our priorities is to engage new spectators, which is why we support this festival. Music is a necessary part of films and of our lives".

Justin Hurwitz composed the music used in the film La La Land and was awarded two Oscars for Best Soundtrack and Best Original Song (City of Stars, along with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul). Tomorrow, 19 July, he will conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife starting at 7:30 p.m. with a screening of the said film, during which the orchestra will play in synch with the film's images, dialogues and sound effects. This new live-to-picture experience echoes the FIMUCITÉ's past programmes, which featured performances of the music of films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The orchestra will be accompanied onstage by a jazz band comprised of 10 members, including the extraordinary pianist Polo Ortí, who will be the principal soloist of this concert.

Directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land combines passions for music and film in a modern musical set in Los Angeles. Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, it tells the story of struggling actor Mia and jazz musician Sebastian, who meet and fall in love in the City of Stars. Hurwitz composed the music for piano and afterwards for an orchestra of 95 musicians, which resulted in a thrilling and richly textured sound that takes spectators back to the classic musicals of Hollywood.

The FIMUCITÉ's grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, 20 July at 7 p.m. It features an extraordinary journey through the best musicals in the genre's history and their adaptations to the big screen, conducted by Diego Navarro. The programme A Million Dreams includes the interpretation of monumental works and world premieres of symphonic arrangements of soundtracks of films such as A Chorus Line, The Wizzard of Oz and The Greatest Showman. as well as well-known pieces from other beloved musicals, such as An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story and Les Miserables.

On this occasion, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife will be accompanied by a pop-rock ensemble and the participation of top-ranked Canarian soloists, such as Cristina Ramos, Carmen Acosta, Néstor Galván and Fran León, among others. This is an extraordinary opportunity for spectators to sit back and imagine 'a million dreams', as sung by Hugh Jackman, Ziv Zaifman and Michelle Williams in The Greatest Showman (2017), which is based on the life and times of circus visionary Phineas Taylor Barnum.

With these events, this year's festival will draw to a close. The shows at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna, the Teatro Guimerá in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Auditorio de Tenerife are sold out, and the summer cinema, workshops and conferences have reported buoyant ticket sales.

FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy

The programme of the FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy will conclude today with two long-awaited sessions. A lecture titled ‘Evolution of the Musical’ is to take place at 4:30 p.m. at Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The lecture will be given by Paco Dolz, creator of the specialised website Love4musicals.com. An expert on the subject, Mr Dolz will lecture on the most legendary musicals in cinema history, the music of which will be performed at the festival's final concert A Million Dreams.

The finishing touch of FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy 2024 will be a round table to take place from 6 p.m. onwards with Justin Hurwitz, Paco Dolz and Robert Townson, one of the world's most prolific producers of film music. Cinema and music enthusiasts alike are invited to take part in this special event whose attendees will be given the opportunity to explore the fascinating world of musical composition for film through an in-depth discussion of the box-office success of La La Land. Moderated by Gorka Oteiza, founder and director of the digital media firm SoundTrackFest, the round table will be an exclusive event that will perfectly enhance enjoyment of the live-to-picture experience of La La Land in concert.

The open-air concert

In addition, FIMUCITÉ will offer an open-air concert this Thursday in Plaza de España of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Admission is free of charge, and the music will be performed by the Municipal Music Band of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is the oldest of its kind in Spain, directed by Juan Antonio Domínguez Martín. Along with a selection of solo singers, the concert is to start at 8 p.m. with a delightful selection of the scores of films from West Side Story to Chicago, Les Miserables, Cats, The Lion King and Moulin Rouge.

The Tenerife International Film Music Festival, the world's longest running festival dedicated to soundtracks and audiovisual music, is directed by the composer and conductor Diego Navarro. Its sponsors include the Tenerife Island Council, the Tenerife Tourism Council, the Canary Islands Government through the agency Canarian Tourism and the Regional Institute of Cultural Development as well as the councils of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. FIMUCITÉ also wishes to acknowledge the collaboration of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and the Auditorio de Tenerife, the special collaboration of the Disa Foundation, Emmasa, the SGAE Foundation, the CajaCanarias Foundation, the Ciudad de La Laguna Isla Calavera Festival of Fantasy Cinema of the Canary Islands, Domingo Alonso and AUDI as the official car of the festival, and the Diario de Avisos Foundation, the Grupo Plató del Atlántico and the Canarian Television as its most important media partners.

La ceremonia tendrá lugar el 28 de julio en la Sala de Cámara

El Auditorio de Tenerife y la Asociación Réplica de empresas de teatro de Canarias han suscrito un acuerdo de colaboración para la gala anual de entrega de premios de la asociación, que tendrá lugar el 28 de julio, a partir de las 17:00 horas, en la Sala de Cámara.

El consejero de Cultura del Cabildo de Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, señala que “este compromiso con la Asociación Réplica reafirma nuestra decidida apuesta por el sector” y para el Auditorio también resulta un colofón en el cierre de la temporada acoger las dos galas de artes escénicas nacional y regional con los Premios Max y Réplica respectivamente.

Desde el Cabildo de Tenerife “somos conscientes de la labor que vienen realizando las compañías profesionales de artes escénicas”, apunta el consejero insular de Cultura, quien recuerda las diferentes iniciativas que la corporación insular realiza para impulsar su trabajo.

“La programación en la Red de Espacios Escénicos Municipales (REEM) y las acciones de Teatro en la Escuela son un claro ejemplo de colaboración con las compañías, sin olvidar otras líneas de actuación vinculadas a las artes escénicas que son apoyadas por el departamento de Cultura”, concluye José Carlos Acha.

This Wednesday at the Chamber Hall, the music disseminator will expound what is to come in the 2024-2025 season.

The Auditorio de Tenerife renews its collaboration with Ramón Gener for the 2024-2025 season with five educational talks. The first date with the cultural populariser will be this Wednesday (10 July) at 7:30 p.m. in the Chamber Hall, presenting the operas that make up the programme for the next season, entitled Tu lugar en la ópera (Your place at the Opera).

For these presentations, where Gener enriches his explanations with live piano accompaniment, tickets for the general public are priced at 8 euros and 5 euros for those under 30. However, opera subscription holders receive a 50% discount, reducing the cost to 4 euros. After the lecture, there will be a stand in the Hall with Genere's first novel, Historia de un piano (History of a Piano), and the winner of the Ramon Lull Prize himself will sign his work.

The following lecture, for which tickets are already available, takes place on 3 October, explaining Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, the first subscription opera of the season. On 5 and 20 November, the writer and singer will return to the island to delve into Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Alberto Carretero's La Bella Susona, respectively. Gener's last lecture about Giuseppe Verdi's Giovanna d'Arco takes place on 14 March 2025.

Born in Barcelona, Ramón Gener holds a humanities and business studies degree. When he was six, he began his studies as a musician at the Higher Conservatoire of Music of the Liceu. After a career lasting several years as a baritone, he started a new phase as a musical educator, offering conferences about opera, classical music and art, which have taken him to radio and television, even internationally. He has published four books: Si Beethoven pudiera escucharme (2013), El amor te hará inmortal (2016), Beethoven, un músico sobre un mar de nubes (2020) and Historia de un piano (2024).

The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium's box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are discounts for students, unemployed and large families.

Performances for school and social centres, educational visits and mediation activities make up the programme

The Educational and Social Department of the Auditorio de Tenerife benefitted a total of 26,130 people during the season that has just ended. They participated in the activities carried out by the project, which involved the Culture and Education departments of the Tenerife Island Council. The proposal comprised shows for schools and social centres, classroom performances, teaching guides, mediation activities, online meetings with teachers, didactic guides, educational resources and educational and technical guided visits from October 2023 to June 2024.

The Culture of the Island Council delegate, José Carlos Acha, considers «the work that the Auditorio de Tenerife carries out in this area to be fundamental. It is necessary to reach new audiences in the activities we propose, and for this, we reach all ages in this line of work, both with educational centres and with social groups.»

Acha also explained that «the proposal offered is very varied. It also reflects the diversity that the shows organized by Auditorio de Tenerife have.» The regional minister highlighted that the actions promoted by the Educational and Social Department are not only carried out in the Auditorio; sometimes they take place in the facilities of the educational centres.

The educational concerts and shows offered to the schools and social centres on the island that took place at the Auditorio de Tenerife amounted to 29 performances, attaining 17,921 attendees. To be highlighted are those of the Sinfónica de Tenerife (El circo de don Nicanor for the youngest, Cuentan las voces for Primary and Abemón for Secondary Education Level) and the family title programmed by Ópera de Tenerife each year (El niño y los sortilegios, by Maurice Ravel).

The Teatro en la Escuela (Theatre at School) programme consists of a public call for entries for theatre and dance companies and musical groups, which —after a selection process through a committee of experts—results in a catalogue. 11 companies were included in this year, offering their performances and activities to schools and social centres on the island. In total, 5,608 spectators enjoyed 90 shows and a dozen sessions of creative processes in 100 centres of 24 island municipalities.

The  Escuelas de Teatro (Theatre Schools) program was spread across nine municipalities on the island, teaching 174 students divided into age groups. On the other hand, Teatro Aficionado(Amateur Theatre), which promotes this art among cultural associations, programmed more than 25 performances by nine groups from the island.

The artistic and social project Danza en Comunidad celebrated its tenth anniversary. The anniversary was celebrated with a meeting in the Auditorio attended by a hundred professionals and collectives who have been involved in the program’s activities over the past decade.

The educational guided visits took place for the second consecutive season. This cross-disciplinary educational activity consists of carrying out a process of training and informing the public during school hours. It is meant for all levels and aims to give rise to autonomous and critical students. It involves a visit to the building and a series of workshops for the different educational levels in a specific classroom for this audience, which reached 428 pupils. In addition, educational, technical guided visits were also given to 88 students to show them the building.

Caja de Música (Music Box) was presented as the first digital project in Spain carried out by a public cultural institution. The project focuses on providing teachers with artistic and musical resources that enrich students' experiences at all stages of their education. This project follows the criteria of the Department of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands. Generally, it adheres to the fundamental strategic guidelines defined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for practical and quality education. Twelve professionals from different educational, cultural and musical sectors are testing the new tool.

Mediation activities were also carried out with pupils from the island and with groups such as the ONCE Foundation. There was also a workshop on mediation and creative processes in charge of mediator Beatriz Bello and multidisciplinary artist Checho Tamayo. The aim was to provide companies and professionals in music, dance and theatre, through consensus work, with curricular and artistic tools for the development of creative processes. 40 professionals from companies participating in the Teatro en la Escuela programme and companies from the catalogue of the Network of Municipal Performing Arts Venues (REEM) of Tenerife attended.

Another of the new programmes implemented is Prevenidos, whose objective is to bring live music and performing arts closer to the students of Baccalaureate and training cycles. Through this initiative, 1,735 people from educational and social centres on the island could enjoy a first-class cultural option while understanding the artistic and technical intricacies of the Auditorio's shows through resources created by the area.

The Educational and Social Department of the Auditorio de Tenerife is associated with RESEO European Network for Opera, Dance and Music Education and the Spanish Network of Organisers of Educational Concerts (ROCE). The department was created to bring arts and creative processes to all citizens, with a particular focus on school pupils and people at risk of social exclusion.

One of the objectives is to nurture the relationship between artistic and cultural activities and how they are conveyed to society and to encourage space for building a relationship between art and people. Its main idea is for art to make an unquestionable contribution to social well-being, the recognition of individual and collective identity, training, and critical thinking needed for mature democratic social coexistence.

Tickets can now be purchased for the five subscription titles, the chamber, the family opera and the October lecture with Gener.

The Ópera de Tenerife puts on sale the tickets for the five subscription titles (Ariadne auf Naxos, Madama Butterfly, La bella Susona, Giovanna d’Arco and Parsifal, síntesis sinfónico-coral en tres actos), the chamber opera Trouble in Tahiti, the family opera El retablo del maese Pedro and Ramón Gener's lecture on 3 October to further explore Ariadne auf Naxos. The prices range from 5 to 50 euros, depending on the age, title, and performance day. Special discounts are also available for unemployed people, students, large families, and groups. All information, as well as the purchase of tickets, are available at www.operadetenerife.com.

Accordingly, the following events are for sale: Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss (15, 17 and 19 October), Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (19, 21 and 23 November), a production of the Teatro Comunale di Modena, La bella Susona, by Alberto Carretero (7 December), a contemporary proposal co-produced by Auditorio de Tenerife and the Teatro de la Maestranza of Seville, the chamber opera Trouble in Tahiti, by Leonard Bernstein (18, 19, 25 and 26 January, produced by Auditorio de Tenerife, Giovanna d'Arco, by Giuseppe Verdi (25, 27 and 29 March), a co-production by the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, El retablo del maese Pedro, by Manuel de Falla (26 and 27 April), a family opera inspired by an amusing episode from Miguel de Cervantes' The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha, and Parsifal, síntesis sinfónico-coral en tres actos (Parsifal, a symphonic-choral synthesis in three acts) by Pedro Halffter (28 June), an adaptation of Wagner's work for choir and orchestra.

All of these titles involve the participation of the Tenerife Symphony, except for Gener's lecture, which is with a piano, and the chamber opera, with an orchestral ensemble format. The Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo choir will participate in all the productions except the season's opening show, the chamber opera and that of the music disseminator. The performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Symphony Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife, with special schedules for the two family performances.

In addition to the single ticket sales, it is still possible to subscribe until 15 October. The Club Ópera offers five 2024-2025 season titles for 100 euros (Tuesday and Thursday performances) and 150 euros (Saturday performances). In this new season, the Symphony Hall now has a single price zone for all seats, and subscribers now have an Iberia discount of 5% on Spanish and European flights and 7% on intercontinental flights.

The Club offers discounts for large families, wheelchair users, and the person accompanying them. Aside from the special price, subscription holders of the Club Ópera enjoy a series of benefits, such as being invited to exclusive events for each title and a free drink in the interlude of each subscription title. They can also benefit from discounts in the store, on guided visits and in the café. On the other hand, the Club Ópera Joven (Youth Opera Club) for those under 30 years of age costs only 20 euros, and the subscription holders enjoy some of these benefits.

The opening hours of the box office and telephone sales (902 317 327) are Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., except for public holidays and for August, when the box office will be closed. The information telephone number of the Auditorio de Tenerife, 922 568 625, is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., except for public holidays and for August.

The rest of the events for the 2024-2025 season will be on sale soon: the programme 'Ópera en minúscula' (small-format opera, on 20, 22, 25 and 27 September) at the Espacio La Granja,  Die Fledermaus (The Bat) by Johann Strauss (28 December), in collaboration with the Canary Islands music festival 'Festival de Música de Canarias' and the Teatro Pérez Galdós, the baroque opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto by Handel, in collaboration with the Teatro Guimerá (12 February), and the opera recitals with the soprano Raquel Lojendio (10, 11 and 12 April), as well as the rest of the lectures with Ramón Gener.

The Ópera de Tenerife is an initiative organised by the Island Council through the Auditorio de Tenerife with the collaboration of the ICDC (Regional Institute of Cultural Development) and the INAEM (National Institute of Performing Arts and Music).