On its third year, the Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Tenerife (Fimante) presents twelve concerts to take place in different municipalities across the island. Six of these events are part of the Nova Ars Organorum (NAO) series and will bring to life the historic organs in the churches of the island as well as the unique 21st century instrument housed at the Auditorio de Tenerife. There will be a total of four concerts: two organ and two chamber concerts at this cultural venue, which is under the Department of Culture, Education, Youth and Sport of the Cabildo de Tenerife, led by Councillor Concepción Rivero.

Rivero expects it to be as successful as in previous years, “when the churches and auditoriums were full of people enjoying early music, bringing culture to the whole island”. Different venues in Buenavista del Norte, Granadilla de Abona, Guía de Isora, La Orotava, La Victoria de Acentejo and Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be hosting the concerts, which feature organists, soloists and chamber music ensembles.

The first engagement for the 3rd Fimante will be at 8:15 pm on 14th March in San Juan Church in La Orotava.  Un concierto con dos caras [A Two-sided Concert], featuring Roberto Fresco, principal organist of the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena. The title of the concert is a reference to the fact that there are two 18th century German organs in this church, one from the first half (Otto Diederich Richborn, 1723) and the other one from the second half of the century (unknown, 1770).

The next venue will be Museo de Artesanía Iberoamericana de Tenerife, also in La Orotava. The concert is on 17 April at 8:30 pm and features soprano Estefanía Perdomo Nogales and Carlos Oramas with a Romantic guitar to perform Canciones de Cámara Española [Spanish Chamber Songs].

On 3 May at 12:00 noon the first organ concert of the year will take place at Auditorio de Tenerife’s Sala Sinfónica. Loreto Aramendi, who is the principal organist of the Cavaillé Coll organ (1863) at the Basílica de Santa María del Coro in San Sebastián, will play El esplendor de un órgano sinfónico. On 30 May at 7:30 pm tenor Nicholas Mulroy and John Reid at the fortepiano will perform Beethoven: Bagatelas und Lieder at Auditorio’s Sala de Cámara.

At 8:15 pm on 6 June, the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación in La Victoria de Acentejo will host La peculiar tímbrica de un órgano barroco germano, a concert led by Ángel Montero, principal organist of Segovia Cathedral.

Chaconnerie is the concert to be performed on 25 July at 9:00 pm by Silvia Márquez’s harpsichord at the Casa de la Cultura de Playa San Juan, in Guía de Isora.

The second organ concert at the Auditorio will be by Juan de la Rubia on 6 September at 12:00 noon with the repertoire La versión organística del Brahms sinfónico. De la Rubia is the principal organist of the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

The last Fimante concert at the Auditorio will be held on 17 October at 7:30 pm in the Sala de Cámara. It is entitled Imaginario de un libro de música de vihuela and features the voice of María Cristina Kiehr and Ariel Abramovich’s vihuela.

On 14 November at 8:15 pm La Concepción Church in La Orotava will welcome La recuperación de un concierto histórico featuring Basque organist Esteban Landart. El Pilar Church in Santa Cruz de Tenerife will host Obras románticas en un órgano litúrgico on 5 December at 8:15 pm with organist Marie Bernardette Dufourcet.

As usual, the last two concerts will be performed by the Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife [Baroque Orchestra], ensemble resident at the Auditorio de Tenerife. They will play their Christmas repertoire at 8:00 pm on 12 December at Nuestra Señora de la Merced Church in El Médano, Granadilla de Abona. On 13 December at 5:00 pm they will perform at Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Church in Buenavista del Norte.

Fostered by the Cabildo de Tenerife, through its Área Tenerife 2030, and coordinated by Auditorio de Tenerife, Fimante + Nova Ars Organorum join the cultural offer on the island to revive repertoires, both in traditional and new cultural venues. With the support of Canarian performers playing period instruments, restored historic organs, the latest multidisciplinary research and our historical-geographical situation, we are confident to be keeping and spreading a cultural heritage for future generations.

Tickets for the four concerts to be held at the Auditorio de Tenerife can be booked at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday, except holidays; via www.auditoriodetenerife.com  or by phone on 902 317 327. Information about the concerts is available on www.auditoriodetenerife.com.