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Ópera de Tenerife comunica que, debido a una ligera indisposición de la soprano Ángeles Blancas, el rol de Rusalka será interpretado el próximo martes (día 5) por Vanessa Goikoetxea.

Ópera de Tenerife confía en la plena recuperación de Ángeles Blancas, que afrontará este papel en las otras dos funciones previstas, programadas para el jueves y sábado de la próxima semana.

The Canarian coastline, an eastern palace and a magical atmosphere characterise next week's opera event

The in-house production of the opera Rusalka that Auditorio de Tenerife is preparing is ready for its premiere next week. On 5, 7 and 9 March at 7:30 p.m. The Symphony Hall will offer this show composed by Antonín Dvořák which over two hundred people are working on, including musicians, singers, craftspeople, and the technical and artistic team.

The soprano Ángeles Blancas, plays the starring role. She believes that "the ending of Rusalka is magical, it leaves you breathless" and she is "endlessly" grateful to the Auditorio de Tenerife for being able to do this Rusalka, an immensely beautiful role, which I last performed in 2007”.

“The passing years have helped me to bring greater depth to it, a broader dimension. Now my voice, mind and body are indeed ready to give the character everything that I feel this role needs, which is genuinely dramatic, with very dark and highly powerful tones, even though we are dealing with a young immortal aquatic nymph" reflects Blancas.

The recent winner of the Opera XXI Best Singer award acknowledges that "Rusalka is one of my favourite operas. The music of Dvořák makes you transcend, forget, leap into another dimension...every phrase has a story, none is in vain, and during the entire opera you surf over a sea of beauty”.

It will be the first time that this opera by the Czech composer has been staged on the island, coinciding with the 120^th anniversary of his death. It also marks the debut in Spain of the Brazilian stage director André Heller-Lopes, who proposes a show that ranges between the classic and the contemporary with references to the Canarian coastline, eastern culture and the magic of nature.

This production has been taking shape for months in both Tenerife and other places around the world. As Indian fabrics were needed, part of the stage design was carried out in Italian workshops and several members of the team have travelled from Brazil. Also, there are twenty external companies and professionals linked to the project to carry out different aspects of it, from costume design details to the special effects inherent to audiovisual resources for staging and uncommon prop elements.

Heller-Lopes, the director of the opera, has shared his thoughts on the proposal. He found the idea of changing realities interesting and decided to make it a part of the opera. For instance, in acts one and three, which are usually fantasy worlds, he portrayed them as reality. On the other hand, act two, which takes place in a palace and is designed as a reality,

is a fantasy for the audience. The director also highlighted that the opera's subject matter is relevant to the present times, where there is a lack of communication due to social media, fake news and wars.

Heller-Lopes' team is completed by the set designer Renato Theobaldo, Marcelo Marques' costumes and the lighting designer Gonzalo Córdova. The Brazilian assistant director also undertakes choreographer duties with the dancers from the ballet Centro Internacional de Danza de Tenerife who are participating. The videographer Pedrós created the images that will be screened, and they have a great local component.

The British conductor Paul Daniel is the musical conductor of this show. He will conduct the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and the Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo Choir, directed by Pablo Moras.

In addition to Ángeles Blancas, the cast of Rusalka's three performances includes the bass Vazgen Gazaryan as Vodník, Rusalka's father. The tenor Rodrigo Porras will play the prince with whom Rusalka falls in love. The soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann plays the role of the foreign princess with whom the prince is infatuated. The witch Jezibaba, who grants Rusalka's wish, will be played by mezzo-soprano Adriana Bignagni Lesca.

The cast is completed by three wood spirits, played by soprano Julietta Aleksanyan and mezzo-sopranos Carmen Artaza and Maria Schellenberg. Baritone Jiří Brückler will take on the roles of a hunter and a forester, while mezzo-soprano Nicole Chirka will be the perceptive kitchen maid.

Rusalka, an opera in three acts, was premiered in 1901. It has a libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, freely based on the fairy tale Undine (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and inspired by The Little Mermaid (1837), the work by Hans Christian Andersen, and other European tales. Rusalka is the most popular of the ten operas that Dvořák composed and the one that earned him an international reputation. The opera is in Czech and will have subtitles in Spanish and English.

Rusalka is a water nymph who falls in love with a prince and asks a witch to turn her into a human so that she can be with him. However, this transformation comes at the cost of losing her voice. The ending of the opera is tragic, which sets it apart from other versions of the same story that are often sugar-coated for children.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. There are discounts for students, unemployed and large families, and for those under 30, the price is 5 euros.

The concerts take place on 25 and 26 May in the Symphony Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife

The Island Council of Tenerife is paying tribute to Elfidio Alonso, the founding member of Los Sabandeños, with two performances of the homage that extols his career. The historic Tenerife group will assemble at the Symphony Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife on 25 and 26 May at 7:30 p.m. with the show Elfidio. Un espectáculo de Los Sabandeños (Elfidio. A Show by Los Sabandeños).

The president of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, highlighted the "well-deserved recognition and showcasing of the human and professional trajectory of Elfidio Alonso who, at present, aged 88, undeniably remains the great leade. He has been the flagship of Los Sabandeños, a group that, for almost 60 years continuously, has been one of the unquestionable benchmarks of Canarian folklore and culture. He is the great guardian of our traditions”. 

“Los Sabandeños is the most longstanding group in traditional Canarian music. This tribute concert at the Symphony Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife recreates everything from his childhood and youth in Punta del Hidalgo to his phase as founder and director of Los Sabandeños, along with his relationship with Canarian literary figures, his facets as a writer, journalist, composer, and his beloved city of La Laguna.  In all, a journey through his 88 years" notes Rosa Dávila.

The founder of Los Sabandeños, Elfidio Alonso, said "I intended to retire quietly without a fuss, but my colleagues and the current musical director didn't let me. I am very grateful. For me, it is an honour to extend my time in a group that we love so much, and which, very shortly, is going to celebrate its 60^th anniversary in the music world. I welcome this tribute and the generosity of the Island Council of Tenerife”.  

The island minister of Culture and Museums of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, stated that "Los Sabandeños simply had to play a part in the commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the Auditorio de Tenerife, along with Elfidio Alonso with his 88 years of experience, and the 60 continuous years of the musical trajectory of this great group. It is satisfying to be able to organise these two shows at the Auditorio de Tenerife”. 

The musical director of the group, Israel Espino, has stated that they aim to produce a show that is worthy of the intellectual and musical legacy of Elfidio Alonso. All the songs featured in the show were written by Alonso himself, and he has poured his heart and soul into them, leaving an indelible mark. Throughout the two-hour show, the audience will embark on a journey through Alonso's life.

The show which can be watched at the Auditorio de Tenerife recreates everything from his childhood and youth in Punta del Hidalgo to his phase as founder and director of Los Sabandeños, along with his relationship with Canarian literary figures, his facets as a writer, journalist, composer, and his beloved city of La Laguna. In all, an 88-year journey.

The playwriting and stage design of the show introduces the audience to the different life stages, represented by the actresses Carmen Hernández and Alicia Ramos, giving a voice and meaning to the narrative discourse, complemented with audiovisual materials from interviews with people who are closely linked to the culture, sport, literature, journalism, politics and music of the Canary Islands. Friends and family members will also talk about him.

The show, an immersive process in the biography of Elfidio Alonso, is performed by the 35 members of Los Sabandeños, accompanied by their technical sound and lighting staff and by two actresses.

Los Sabandeños get out of their comfort zone, take risks and experiment with new ways of reaching the audience. They break away from their normal aesthetic format to sing without microphone stands, in free space and supporting the narrative discourse that the piece offers.

Elfidio. Un espectáculo de Los Sabandeños was premiered on 8, 9 and 10 June 2023 at Teatro Leal de La Laguna. The second stop of the work was on 21 October at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In addition to his status as a founder member and director of Los Sabandeños, he has a long career as a sportsman, journalist, poet, novelist, and advocate of Canarian culture. A graduate in Law and Journalism from the University of La Laguna, he was a regional representative and mayor of his city. 

Also, Elfidio Alonso, the writer of over three hundred songs, has created conceptual works such as La Misa Sabandeña, La Cantata del Mencey Loco, Las Seguidillas del Salinero and La rebelión de los Gomeros. This vision led the group to make forays into South American music and enabled it to penetrate the world of bolero and love songs with mastery, producing themed works such as the Cantos Canarios (Canarian songs) and the albums Canario y Personajes.

Los Sabandeños began their musical activity in 1965. Almost 60 years have passed -the anniversary is in 2025- since that group of friends from the University of La Laguna decided to officially become a group. They began their continuous work in music, embodied in over 95 albums, a sound archive that includes part of the traditional legacy as well as their songs and adaptations.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed and large families.

The ensemble Proyecto Ocnos, the dancer Juan Luis Matilla and the artist Cachito Vallés present their performance this Sunday.

The Auditorio de Tenerife offers this Sunday (3rd), at 7:30 p.m., at the Chamber Hall the world premiere of the show Faena. This new contemporary proposal will reflect on the world of work. The Sevillian ensemble Proyecto Ocnos leads this project, with the Salamanca-born dancer and choreographer Juan Luis Matilla, the scenography of the artist Cachito Vallés from Seville, who has already built a sound installation in the hall of the Auditorio.

A historical and cyclical journey through the world of work is proposed by Proyecto Ocnos. Different songs and melodies that accompany the tasks of different cultures, known as work songs, are reinterpreted and modified electro-acoustically. The musicians Gustavo A. Domínguez and Pedro Rojas Ogáyar are the members of this ensemble. For them, "work, like religion and art, stems from a unitary and universal phenomenon that branches into endless actions, attitudes, and motivations. From the farmer to the cyborg, from sunrise to sunset, from cradle to grave”.

The technological revolution represents a paradigm that drives humans to perform as machines and machines to acquire the capacity to think as humans. Those interconnections have led to the installation entitled Anthropometric. Here, Cachito Vallés proposes a three-dimensional space that simulates a peculiar work cubicle that is inaccessible and impracticable.

The work originates from a main structure incorporating a series of mechanisms that are controlled by motors. This way it creates sounds, beats and rhythms based on pieces taken from the archive of the musicologist Alan Lomax on country work songs. Simultaneously, the spectator can be an active part of the work by activating sensors located at specific points of the installation, generating changes to what was programmed beforehand.

Anthropometric also includes a video screen that shows processed images from the archive of Alan Lomax. The speakers are activated in the presence of the spectator, reproducing the different work songs selected. The piece is open for visits in the hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife until 3 March and will be the prelude and climax of the show Faena.

Proyecto Ocnos views contemporary and classical music as a set of paradigms that are shifting and in crisis at present. This entails both a responsibility and an opportunity for the performers to participate and redefine the music that is emerging through dissemination and approaching more diverse audiences.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, and large families.

The 27^th Max Awards will take place on 1 July with the support of the Island Council of Tenerife, INAEM, Eulen and RTVE (Spanish Radio and Television Public Corporation)

The SGAE Foundation and the Island Council of Tenerife announced the venue today (Monday 26) for the 27^th edition of the Max Awards for the Performing Arts, the most prestigious Spanish distinction for theatre and dance professionals. The stage of the Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín will host the awards ceremony for the prizes which will take place on the evening of 1 July 2024. 

The collaboration agreement between SGAE Foundation (Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers) and the Island Council of Tenerife was announced by the president of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, and the president of SGAE, Juan José Solana. The press conference was also attended by the vice-president and island minister for Tourism, Lope Afonso, the island minister for Culture, José Carlos Acha, and the director general of the SGAE Foundation, Rubén Gutiérrez.

The 27th Max Awards for Performing Arts involve the collaboration of the Island Council of Tenerife, the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport through the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM) and the group Eulen. The ceremony will be broadcast on Channel 2 La 2 on Spanish TV, through the International Channel of RTVE and via streaming on RTVE Play. 

The president of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila, stated that "it is a real honour to host these awards on our island and more specifically at the Auditorio de Tenerife. We are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of this place that is so special to us, not only for its architectural value but also for its cultural programming”.

Dávila highlighted the role of SGAE, "one of the most active agents in our country in terms of culture and the protection of performers" and outlined her desire for Tenerife to become fashionable again by showcasing the culture that is created here with events such as the Max Awards ceremony. “We want to showcase the creativity and talent of our region" concluded the president of the Island Council.

In turn, the president of the SGAE Foundation recalled the importance of these awards and the talent of regional creators: “We are coming to Tenerife with a great deal of gratitude, aware of the complicity and enthusiasm with which our travelling companions have wanted to join this great celebration of Spanish performing arts, the Max Awards, which are so important for Spanish theatre. We will be on a wonderful stage with an idyllic climate”.

Juan José Solana recalled that "the cultural movement on the island is extremely important. Names such as Abreu, Correa and the recently deceased María Araujo attest to the theatre boom on the islands”. The SGAE president said that this year 522 entries were submitted for this edition, of which 396 were selected, the third highest figure of all time.

Fifteen years ago, we held the Max Awards at the Teatro Cuyás in Gran Canaria. On this occasion, the venue will be the Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, a state-of-the-art and beautiful space with a team of great professionals. It has established itself as an emblem of the Performing Arts in our country. 

Solana also recalled the success that the Max Awards have sparked with the audience, the media impact and the professional companies in the sector in our country, with rising numbers of entries year after year. Lastly, he ended by stressing the high quality of the Canarian theatre, a benchmark throughout Spain, and he recalled some names from the theatre scene of the archipelago.

The vice-president and island minister for Tourism, Lope Afonso, highlighted that "Tenerife is consolidating its status as a place for major events and also in the cultural sphere. These awards are part of the intense programme to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Auditorio de Tenerife, which is showcasing the programming work and work of the island's creators, it is a great recognition to strengthen this link. These events have the quality to further the success of tourism in Tenerife, which will come from other areas with events of special importance”.

José Carlos Acha expressed his satisfaction that "the SGAE has chosen the Auditorium for the awards ceremony, which is an endorsement for the Auditorio de Tenerife as a centre for the production and dissemination of the performing arts”.

Don't miss anything in this edition
#Max2024

Canarian authors, a boom of creativity

The Canarian archipelago is currently experiencing a genuine creative boom corresponding to a contemporary generation of playwrights and choreographers, either well-established on the national scene or who began working in the new millennium, and who oozes creativity and talent. Names such as José Padilla (winner of the 2019 Max Award for best children's or youth show for Dados), Daniel Abreu (who a year earlier stood out with three awards for La desnudez, in the best dance show, best choreography, and best performer categories) and Irma Correa (winner of the award for best new show in 2008 for Desde lo invisible) are now regulars on national stages. A special mention is deserved by the now-deceased costume designer María Araujo, who won three awards during her extensive artistic career for her work as a costume designer on Amadeus (1999), El Lindo don Diego (2014) and Ricard III (2018). The company Una hora menos producciones also received its first Max Award in 2022 for Moria after being a finalist several times. The list of Canarian creators and technicians is endless. Several administrators have managed to overcome the logistical difficulty of the archipelago and position it as a fruitful region on the contemporary Spanish scene. It is worth highlighting names such as the siblings QY Bazo, the choreographers Roberto Torres, Javier Cuevas, Carmelo Fernández and Paula Quintana, the set designer Sergio Calvo, the lighting specialist José Manuel Guerra, the playwrights Antonio Tabares, Ángel Martínez and Victoria Oramas, and the producer and director Fernando Navas. We currently enjoy outstanding cultural facilities where these performing arts are celebrated, such as the Cuyás Theatre, the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, the Pérez Galdós Theatre, the Guiniguada Theatre, the Circo de Marte Theatre, the Guimerá Theatre, the Leal Theatre and the Auditorio de Tenerife, among many others.

The Auditorio de Tenerife, cutting-edge, innovation, and excellence

The Max Awards are coming to Tenerife for the first time. Only in 2009 did Gran Canaria host the Max Awards ceremony, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Teatro Cuyás in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 2027, the 27^th Max Awards will take place on the stage of the Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, the main production centre for shows in the Canary Islands. This stage space with avant-garde architecture hosts the seasons of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, as well as a first-rate music and dance programme, and it also implements its own educational and social department.

Since 2003, the Auditorio de Tenerife has hosted thousands of national and international shows of the highest level. Notable political, state and scientific figures and even winners of the Prince of Asturias award have also passed through the facilities of this cultural venue. It is also the setting for film and advertising shoots, events, and conferences.

This avant-garde work by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava covers 23,000 square metres. It combines the spectacular nature of a unique building enveloped in shiny white. It was created using the trencadís technique (uneven pieces of tile arranged as a mosaic) with a large square and the immense Atlantic Ocean behind it. It has a maximum capacity of 1,616 seats.

The main value of the Auditorio de Tenerife resides in the excellence of its programming and proceedings, innovation on an artistic and technological level, the desire to serve a diverse range of audiences, the creation of new audiences, and a pedagogical and critical vocation. Moreover, it commits to local companies and to the training of performing arts professionals.

Three special awards    

Organised by the Fundación SGAE, the most prestigious award for the Performing Arts in Spain is celebrating its 27^th edition while maintaining its 20 competition categories and three special awards: Honorary Max Award, which will recognise the career of a person for their contribution, dedication and defence of the profession, the Audience Applause Max Award which will be awarded to the show that has earned the greatest acclaim from the public, based on the mass attendance of spectators and how long the show has run for, and the Amateur or Charity Max Award which encompasses projects that support integration and social outreach and amateur companies with an outstanding contribution in the sector.

About the Max Awards

Organised by the Fundación SGAE since 1998, the Max Awards, whose trophy is designed by the poet and plastic artist Joan Brossa (Barcelona-1919/1999), the driving force behind one of the groups that renewed Spanish art in the post-war era, have consolidated their status as the biggest recognition within the field of performing arts in Spain over the years.

The Max Awards for the Performing Arts have attracted a larger number of followers and aroused the interest of all kinds of companies throughout the national territory. At the last edition, held on 17 April 2023 at the Gran Teatro Falla in Cádiz, there were 529 shows up for awards, achieving a record number of entries in the history of the awards.

The Basque singer is accompanied by her band during a performance that takes place tomorrow at the Chamber Hall.

Tomorrow (Saturday 24), the Auditorio de Tenerife is staging the concert Fado y Chanson en Femenino by the artist María Berasarte. The show has been sold out for several weeks. The meeting of the singer from San Sebastian and her band with the audience will take place in the Chamber Hall at 7:30 p.m.

María Berasarte merges in this concert two genres that are not usually heard together live: the fado and the chanson. In addition to the attraction that the singer feels for these musical expressions, there are other converging and inspiring realities such as the legacy and feeling of the female voices: Edith Piaf, Barbara, Amália Rodrigues, Maria Teresa de Noronha, and François Hardy, among others. This echo also leads to the embodiment of the tradition of inspiring cities such as Paris and Lisbon.

This repertoire of songs familiar to the public is brought back to the present thanks to the versatility and elegance of the great musicians from Portugal, Spain, and Argentina who accompany the San Sebastian performer, María Berasarte. Playing alongside the singer and musical director of the project are Gon Navarro on guitar and arrangements, Bernardo Couto on Portuguese guitar, Carlos Barretto on double bass, Fabián Carbone on bandoneon and Joshua Diaz on clarinet.

María Berasarte, “the naked voice", as she is described abroad, is one of the most internationally renowned Basque artists of the moment. Naked is an adjective because her voice has no artifice or ornament, it is pure and essential, clear and transparent... But also naked as a verb, because anyone who listens to her is laid bare, stripped of any barriers or clothing, she gets under the skin and touches the soul like few can.

Berasarte lives in a constant state of change, development, and above all, emotion through unexpected and elegant simplicity. She is torn apart and dazzles in a minimalistic way with an enveloping and spellbinding staging. She has appeared in the same shows as Paco de Lucía, Dulce Pontes, Cristina Branco and Carminho, Rodrigo Leão and Carlos do Carmo.

The concert ˊUna notte d'amoreˊ will take place tomorrow at the Chamber Hall with the mezzo-soprano Cristina Faus

The Auditorio de Tenerife is offering tomorrow (Thursday 22) the concert Una notte d'amore, by the Aede Ensemble with the mezzo-soprano Cristina Faus. The Chamber Hall will welcome this programme at 7.30 p.m., which also includes the Cantata d'amore by David Krivitsky (1937-2010), performed for the first time in Spain after its premiere in Moscow in 1984.

In this concert, the Aede Ensemble proposes a celebration of love, performing different musical miniatures with some of the jewels of love poetry in Spanish interspersed among them. Music and poetry merge to open a window to love in its many facets and forms.

Dutch Renaissance poet Johannes Secundus (1511-1536) wrote his collection of poems in Latin, Basia (Kisses), which in turn inspired several subsequent poets of different origins, such as Sannazaro, Ben Johnson, Meléndez Valdés, and Jean Bonnefons. The first translation into Spanish was done by the pre-Romantic writer and humanist Graciliano Afonso (1775-1861), born in La Orotava. El Beso XVIII (18th Kiss) by Johannes Secundus served as the basis for the composition of the Cantata d'Amore (Love Cantata) by Russian composer David Krivitsky (1937-2010), the central piece of this concert, performed in seven movements by a mezzo-soprano, a narrator, a viola d'amore and a chamber ensemble.

Aede Ensemble is comprised of narrator Ana Hernández Sanchiz, Catherine Mooney and Elisa Bartolomé Gómez on the flutes, Ana Isabel Rodríguez Martín with alto flute, Vladyslava Havryliuk on the English horn, Verónica Cagigao Bautista and Andrea Domínguez de Dios on percussion, Gustavo Díaz-Jerez on harpsichord, organ and piano, the viola player Sviatoslav Belonogov, the violinist Irina Peña Sánchez, David Barrera Suárez on the cello and Iker Sánchez Trueba on the double bass. They are directed by José María de Vicente.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, and large families.

The opera version of `The Little Mermaid´, composed by Dvorák, is premiering in Symphony Hall on 5, 7 and 9 March

The Auditorio de Tenerife presents its in-house production of the opera Rusalka, by Antonín Dvořák, which will be staged in the Symphony Hall on 5, 7 and 9 March at 7:30 p.m. The details were announced by the provincial Minister for Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, the artistic director of the Auditorio de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero, the soprano Ángeles Blancas, who plays Rusalka, the musical director, the British maestro Paul Daniel, and the stage director, the Brazilian André Heller-Lopes, who makes his debut in Spain with this opera.

José Carlos Acha explained that "this premiere is taking place at the time of the 120th anniversary of the death of this famous Czech composer, the author of this opera”. He also recalled that "as on other occasions to explore this opera further, Ramón Gener is returning this Wednesday (21) at 7:30 p.m. to the Chamber Hall with his concert-talk format”. The island minister praised the work "of the highly talented team that is producing this piece, which stars Ángeles Blanca, who recently won the Opera XXI award for Best Singer”.

José Luis Rivero acknowledged that "we were keen to work with the maestro Paul Daniel at the Opera of Tenerife, and also with André Heller-Lopes, who is bringing us an interesting and intelligent show that won't fail to leave an impression on anyone”. Rivero stated that "this is the Tenerife premiere of this opera, as Rusalka had never been staged before" and finished by thanking "the entire team for the work that makes it possible to enjoy the opera in Tenerife”.

Paul Daniel recalled his beginnings as a repertoire performer in London when Rusalka had an impact on him. “Dvořák is a musical genius across all genres and this opera represents the Everest of his work as a composer, and he was already adored for his compositions filled with the human touch", analysed the British maestro. Regarding the score, he praised "how dramatic shifts in the story are reflected in the change of colours in the score”. “It takes a good orchestra to produce this opera, thank goodness we have the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra!" declared the musical director.

For André Heller-Lopes, "it is a great pleasure to be here and more so with this Rusalka, which is like the sister of the operas of Puccini and Dvořák, which is like a grandson of Wagner”.  “I like the freedom of being able to be a classic or modern stage director, according to what the opera needs, committing to connecting with people who come to the theatre" explained the Brazilian director. Regarding his show, he shared that "it seemed interesting to change realities; therefore, act one and three, which is normally the fantasy world is a reality for us, while act two, which takes place in a palace, devised as reality, is a fantasy for us”. Heller-Lopes also spoke about his reflection on "happily ever after, which doesn't exist, but which is a contemporary issue in this world of social networks, awful wars and fake news”. Lastly, he highlighted his Eastern inspiration due to a recent trip to Persia.

The singer Ángeles Blancas expressed her gratitude at being in Tenerife with this character "and the Ópera de Tenerife's boundless commitment to creativity”. The soprano recalled first performing this role in 2007 and that, although she was very well-prepared vocally, she "had the feeling that Rusalka needed greater drama and darkness, so I am thrilled to return to the role to express and sing with those full and rounded sounds that mix with darker melodies”. Therefore, this production consists of "reuniting with a commonplace that is very fulfilling on an artistic level for me”.

Rusalka, an opera in three acts that premiered in 1901, has a libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, freely based on the fairy tale Undine (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué and inspired by The Little Mermaid (1837), the work by Hans Christian Andersen, and other European tales. Rusalka is the most popular of the ten operas that Dvořák composed and the one that earned him an international reputation. The opera is in Czech and will have subtitles in Spanish and English.

Rusalka is a water nymph who asks a witch to be turned into a human to be with the prince whom she has fallen in love with, even though this means losing her voice. The tragic ending to the opera differs from other versions of the same story which have been sugar-coated for children.

Heller-Lopes' team is completed by the set designer Renato Theobaldo, Marcelo Marques' costumes and the lighting designer Gonzalo Córdova. The Brazilian assistant director undertook choreographer duties with the dancers from Ballet de Tenerife who are participating. The videographer Pedrós created the images that will be screened, and they have a great local component.

The British conductor Paul Daniel is the musical conductor of this show and will conduct the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and the Ópera de Tenerife-Intermezzo Choir, directed by Pablo Moras.

Ángeles Blancas will play Rusalka, making this role her debut at Ópera de Tenerife. Bass Vazgen Gazaryan is Vodník, Rusalka's father. The tenor Rodrigo Porras will play the prince with whom Rusalka falls in love. The soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann plays the role of the foreign princess with whom the prince is infatuated. The witch Jezibaba, who grants Rusalka's wish but not without imposing some very nasty conditions, will be played by mezzo-soprano Adriana Bignagni Lesca.

The cast is completed by three wood spirits, played by soprano Julietta Aleksanyan and mezzo-sopranos Carmen Artaza and Maria Schellenberg. Baritone Jiří Brückler will take on the roles of a hunter and a forester, while mezzo-soprano Nicole Chirka will be the perceptive kitchen maid.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. There are discounts for students, unemployed and large families, and for those under 30, the price is 5 euros.

This will be the last presentation given by the music disseminator on the season of Ópera de Tenerife.

Ramón Gener returns to the Chamber Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife next Wednesday (21st) at 7:30 p.m. to tackle about Antonín Dvořák's opera Rusalka. This will be the sixth and last lecture given by the musical educator about the 2023-2024 season of Ópera de Tenerife. On this occasion, he reveals the details of the opera that takes place on 5, 7 and 9 March, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1837) and other European legends. Tickets for this show with Ramón Gener are available for eight euros.

Gener explains the plot, the emotions, the characters, the music, and the themes in an entertaining and accessible way, using contemporary similes and interpreting some fragments on the piano to reinforce his explanations. It is an opportunity for all those who want to learn more about this show before the performances and even for those who have never been to an opera and want to know the details before attending the performance.

Rusalka, premièred in 1901, will be staged in an in-house production by the Auditorio de Tenerife. This opera in three acts is led by the artistic team of Brazilian André Heller-Lopes, who makes his debut in Spain as a stage director with Ópera de Tenerife.

The soprano Ángeles Blancas, recent winner of the award for Best Opera Singer XXI, will play Rusalka, a water nymph who asks a witch to be turned into a human in order to be with the prince who she has fallen in love with, despite the fact that this means losing her voice. The tragic ending to the opera differs from other versions of the same story which have been sugar-coated for children.

Ramón Gener has just won the XLIV Ramon Llull Prize for his novel Història d'un piano, which will be published by Columna (in Spanish, by Destino) and will be in bookshops on 6 March, the day after the award ceremony.

Born in Barcelona, Ramón Gener holds a degree in Humanities and Business Studies. He began his studies as a musician at the age of 6 at the Higher Conservatoire of Music of the Liceu, specialising in piano. He later studied singing and, after a career lasting several years as a baritone, he began a new phase as a musical educator, offering conferences about opera, classical music and art.

The tickets for this conference by Gener 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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Check the special discounts for the audience under 30 years of age, students, unemployed, and large families.

Auditorio de Tenerife recibe del 12 al 24 de febrero de 2024 la residencia artística SED, de Raquel Ponce.

Desde un concepto expandido de las prácticas escénicas, SED busca ahondar en la palabra escrita, en su dibujo, en su trazo, así como también en las estrategias de narración, en los modos de hacer y en los dispositivos y procedimientos para comunicarla; SED utiliza el texto como una red de ideas, de imágenes y pasajes escritos para hacerlos mover en un espacio multidimensional. Este proyecto ha recibido la ayuda para la investigación de proyectos de Creación del Gobierno de Canarias del 2022.

Raquel Ponce. Licenciada en Historia, en la especialidad de Historia del Arte. Se forma y trabaja como bailarina, actriz , directora escénica y performer en Canarias y Madrid. Artista residente de los Estudios de Producción del Centro de Arte La Regenta. Cofundadora de la compañía de nuevas tendencias escénicas Perro Verde.  Imparte clases de Teoría de la comunicación y el Espectáculo en el Grado de Arte Dramático en la sede de Gran Canaria.

Intérprete de numerosas performance entre los que destacan los realizados con Tino Seghal, Dora García (Narrativas instantáneas) Gary Stevens (And), Xavier Le Roy (Extensions, Proyect), y presentados en diferentes ciudades europeas (Amsterdam, Lisboa, París, Bruselas, Berlín, Estocolmo, Ginebra...).

Como creadora ha realizado e interpretado las piezas La última vez de siempre, Otra estúpida película norteamericana, Artematón, Cervezas gratis, Narcisa, Backstage y Taller de público para público, entre otras.

Ha llevado a cabo proyectos de carácter expositivo entre los que destacan: BACK, presentado en el CAAM/ (L.P.G.C), y en la Bienal de La Imagen en Movimiento Buenos Aires- Argentina; Corpografías, presentado en el espacio Área 60 en el TEA y Sala de Arte Contemporáneo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife , y Drawing, presentado en la Bienal de Arte de Dakar (Senegal).

Sus trabajos performáticos han sido presentados en diferentes festivales, entre los que destacan: Display, en el Instituto Cervantes de Berlín;  Cuerpo a Cuerpo, en el Centro de Arte La Regenta; Cinemadamare, en Italia, en el Festival de performance BONE en Suiza y ALtofest en Italia.

This resource for educational establishments is part of the digital strategy of the Auditorio de Tenerife

The Educational and Social Department of the Auditorio de Tenerife is presenting Caja de Música (Music Box), 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. The details were announced today (Tuesday 6) by the vice-president and minister for Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife, José Carlos Acha, the island minister for Education, Efraín Medina, and the artistic director of the Auditorio de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero.

José Carlos Acha emphasised the pioneering nature of this initiative "which is part of the process of digital transformation of the Auditorio de Tenerife and included in the strategic plan of the public company”. “Caja de Música encompasses all levels of education and has a flexible and scalable approach to offer effective and quality musical education" added the island minister, who presented his perspective as a teacher: “I truly value these types of resources which don't create more work but rather make the work of teachers easier”.

Efraín Medina emphasised the "cross-cutting and coordinated work of the Culture and Education departments of the Island Council. Together they carry out enriching projects like this one”. “We feel proud, and at the Department for Education, we will not only maintain but will rather increase the budget allowances for the projects carried out with the Educational and Social Department of the Auditorium. They are greatly needed" stated the minister, referring to Caja de Música as "a musical tool that will undoubtedly create a lot of happiness”.

José Luis Rivero explained that the "Educational and Social Department of the Auditorium was very strong and had been working with the departments of Education and Culture for 20 years, bringing together these two ways of understanding the world which are essential to us”. “Our working universe begins with creation because we believe that music is an effective tool for all these stages" added the artistic director, who summarised Caja de Música as a "great musical container that we are putting at the service of the teaching community and open to everyone who speaks Spanish”.

The artistic director of the Auditorio highlighted some of the main assets of Caja de Música, like the quality of the resources offered based on excellence, which have been agreed beforehand with teachers; the great scientific value that the project is based on to make resources useful and fun (music pedagogy, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience…). He also highlighted its usefulness and flexibility, "as we are all interested in improving the quality of teaching in classrooms and integrating all children, taking into account the different processes of maturing”. For Rivero, these resources are not restricted to music as a subject, but they can "be used as a means of support to explain other types of content”. On the other hand, he outlined the commitment to develop the regional talent, from the website developers to the composers, and the young musicians who perform in the resources.

This project follows the criteria of the Department of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands and generally adheres to the basic strategic guidelines defined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for effective and quality education.

Caja de Música provides schools and teachers with access to artistic, cultural and training materials that facilitate and enrich their work, harnessing the digital tools available to them. This content will be produced specifically for Caja de Música and performed by the Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Tenerife Miguel Jaubert (Tenerife Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Miguel Jaubert). They will come in audio and video formats and will be available on the project's website: www.cajademusica.edu.es

These resources tackle matters such as types of instruments, musical families and other groups, and also relate to analysis and periods of music history. In addition, they can be used in other areas of knowledge where music resources act to enhance their content. They also provide access to some recordings of the production of the Auditorio de Tenerife.

This audio-visual material serves as support to create educational proposals that focus on the emotional connection of children to musical stimulation, with themselves, their classmates and teachers through music, prioritising the active experience of the child individually and collectively, through their own body and the use of classroom materials.

The main purpose of the Auditorio de Tenerife with Caja de Música is to have a cross-cutting pedagogical musical project specially designed for the school audience. Likewise, to disseminate and bring musical resources to the maximum number of schools possible.

The first phase is focused on pupils under the age of six, that is to say, the two cycles of Pre-School Education. Tatatachán is launching 51 activities along with a theoretical training section where teachers will find the essential points regarding the theoretical foundations of the initiative. Thus, the aim is to support teachers with educational resources linked to the criteria established by the Department of Education of the Government of the Canaries which are of great artistic and cultural value. Their implementation turns preschool education classrooms into environments that are sensitive to sound, silence, and music.

Some examples of these resources are fun presentations of orchestra instruments with the dynamic and familiar language of the members of the Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Tenerife Miguel Jaubert; recordings of the symphony, chamber and solo repertoire of great artistic and cultural value, with works by authors such as Orlando di Lasso, Saint Saëns, Mozart, Cesar Frank, Bárbara Kolb and Handel. Likewise, popular pieces, small pieces created for educational purposes and sound resources in video and audio format will be used.

Tatatachán takes inspiration from the studies carried out over the last three decades in education and pedagogy, developmental psychology in the field of music and neuroscience linked to music, sound and movement in infancy, making the child an active agent in its learning experiences at each stage of maturation.

The Tatatachán project got underway with a gathering for listening and analysis among those in charge of Caja de Música and a selection of preschool education teachers from Tenerife. This initial phase serves as a starting point to listen to the responses of teachers about the content and accessibility of the platform. It also aims to understand how to suit the needs of the classroom and the curriculum and adapt and expand the content for the 2024-2025 school year. This working line will be continued in the future at the following educational levels.

The symphonic theatre show is signed by the trio of maestros, José Manuel Zapata, Juan Francisco Padilla and Paco Mir

The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra is condensing almost 300,000 years of history of the Homo musicalis into a show by the trio of maestros José Manuel Zapata, Juan Francisco Padilla and Paco Mir. La loca historia de la música (The Crazy History of Music) is a show devised in a humorous style which, with a breakneck pace, weaves together renowned melodies by different creators and in different styles, encompassing musical production since its beginnings. This staged musical show is premiering this Thursday (8) at 7:30 p.m., in the Symphonic Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife.

The programme prepared by Zapata, Mir, and Padilla offers the audience an interesting journey through the history of music, from the Cro-Magnon humans who used their bodies to communicate with one another and did so with a hybrid language mixing speaking and singing, and almost immediately afterwards discovered bodily percussion.

José Manuel Zapata, directed by Paco Mir and Juan Francisco Padilla, will become the excited Cro-Magnon man, the discoverer of that first "bone-flute", the monk of Silos with a great voice, a novice minstrel and a magnificent castrato. The three directors of this show, accompanied by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra will provide a live blend of music, an exciting narrative and visual entertainment that aims to transport the audience through eras, genres, and emotions.

The Granada conductor and tenor José Manuel Zapata, who is returning to the season of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, began his singing studies in Madrid with Toñi Rosado Casas, and honed them at the Higher Conservatoire of Music of Valencia. In 2001 he made his debut in the role of Albazar in the opera Il turco in Italia by Rossini at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo.

Following that point, he worked on the main international stages, such as the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the Semper Oper in Dresden, the Reggio Di Parma, the Massimo in Palermo, the Rossini Opera Festival, the Teâtre Chatelet, the Champs Elysees in Paris and the Theater An der Wien.

In addition to recording the projects Tango Mano a Mano and Operazza, he has produced other projects, such as Concierto para Zapata y Orquesta, From Bach to Radiohead, lectures and symphonic podcasts, aimed at spreading the passion for music to different audiences.

Juan Francisco Padilla was born in Almería in 1975, and he is considered one of the most important guitarists and performers of early instruments of his generation. He is a regular guest in venues such as the Teatro Real, the Teatro Maestranza, the Palau de la Música and the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía in Spain, the Barbican, in the United Kingdom, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in France, the Carlos Chávez Hall in Mexico City, as well as the Meistersingerhalle in Nuremberg and the Hall of Classical Music at the Stadtmuseum Fürth in Germany.

In 2011 he launched Arvum, his first solo guitar album, which sent him to the top of different classical music platforms. He has also recorded and toured alongside Cecilia Bartoli and Il Giardino Armonico on the albums Sospiri and Sacrificium, the latter was a winner at the 2011 Grammy Awards.

Paco Mir accidentally stumbled into the theatre world when undertaking his studies in Fine Arts. Since then, he has never left the stage and has developed his professional career as a member of the Catalan comedy group Tricicle over almost four decades. During that time, Mir has combined his work on stage with the production of different TV series and advertising campaigns, as well as adapting over sixty theatre, zarzuela, and opera titles.

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 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.