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El IX Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de Tenerife (FMUC) presenta en concierto al experto percusionista Leigh Howard Stevens, conocido por el desarrollo de su propia técnica de cuatro baquetas. El recital de marimba del estadounidense tendrá lugar el jueves [día 31] a las 19:30 horas en la Sala de Cámara del Auditorio de Tenerife. Una hora antes se ofrecerá una conferencia gratuita a cargo de la también intérprete Verónica Cagigao para profundizar en la figura y repertorio de este revolucionario artista.

Leigh Howard Stevens, tras impartir clases magistrales ayer [martes 29] y hoy [miércoles 30] en el Auditorio de Tenerife, ofrecerá un concierto de música contemporánea con un repertorio que abarca desde la música renacentista y los Preludios y Fugas de Johann Sebastian Bach hasta obras originales de marimba escritas por compositores contemporáneos expresamente para él.

Los percusionistas y marimbistas de todo el mundo han adoptado el enfoque revolucionario de Stevens, quien ha estado a la vanguardia del desarrollo de la marimba en los últimos 30 años. Su libro sobre la técnica de marimba de cuatro baquetas, Method of Movement, se ha publicado en cinco idiomas. Además, este nuevo enfoque de la producción musical de la marimba ha ampliado las posibilidades compositivas del instrumento.

Las entradas para este concierto se pueden adquirir en el Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, en taquilla de 10:00 a 19:30 horas de lunes a sábado, por internet a través de www.auditoriodetenerife.com o por teléfono llamando al 902 317 327.

La novena edición del FMUC comenzó el pasado viernes 25 de mayo y continuará hasta el 17 de junio. En total, seis conciertos, dos clases magistrales, cinco conferencias y un campus de percusión componen la oferta del proyecto. Las sedes del festival son el Auditorio de Tenerife, el Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias, el Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias y el Círculo de Bellas Artes de Tenerife.

Además de Stevens, completan el cartel Wing Marimba Duo y Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic con el Schlagwerk Wien Ensamble. La organización, además del Cabildo, cuenta con la colaboración del Gobierno de Canarias, la Fundación CajaCanarias y la Fundación Disa.

Dos de los proyectos del Auditorio de Tenerife participarán mañana [miércoles 30] en los actos programados al aire libre en Santa Cruz de Tenerife con motivo del Día de Canarias. El Coro Juvenil de Auditorio de Tenerife cantará a las 13:30 horas en la Plaza Isla de la Madera (junto al Teatro Guimerá), mientras que los alumnos de secundaria que participan este año en Musical.IES harán tres flashmobs con una coreografía del musical Versus a las 11:30 horas en la Plaza Isla de la Madera, a las 12:00 horas en la Plaza de la Candelaria y a las 12:30 horas en la Plaza del Príncipe.

Los 38 integrantes del Coro Juvenil de Auditorio de Tenerife, bajo la dirección de Roxana Schmunk, llevarán a capela su repertorio. En este concierto, más cercano e íntimo para el público, llevarán a cabo una revisión coral del Arrorró, con arreglos de J. Durán; el Hallelujah de Leonard Cohen, en la versión de Pentatonix; Cuando te beso, de Juan Luis Guerra, con arreglos de César Alejandro Carrillo; y, entre otras piezas, el Kanta, Kanta, Dezagun (canción tradicional vasco), con arreglos de Javier Busto.

Una treintena de alumnos de diferentes centros de secundaria de la isla que participan en el proyecto Musical.IES de este curso bailarán en espacios públicos el Día de Canarias. Para esta cita han preparado un flashmob, es decir, un baile multitunidario normalmente realizado en espacios públicos, en tres pases. La pieza elegida es What about us?, de la cantante estadounidense Pink, que formó parte del musical Versus, que estrenaron con las entradas agotadas en el pasado mes de abril en el Auditorio de Tenerife bajo la dirección de Melodie Pérez. Esta canción fue interpretada en el vestíbulo antes de la función.

La Traviata, una de las óperas más conocidas por el público y una de las mayores obras de Verdi, será la protagonista a partir del jueves 31 de mayo de una representación muy especial tanto para Ópera de Tenerife como para la Universidad de La Laguna. Para la primera institución, porque se trata de un montaje íntegramente concebido por la institución insular, que dirigirá su intendente, Alejandro Abrante. Y para el centro académico, porque será la primera ocasión en la que el Paraninfo acoja el montaje completo de una ópera, motivo por el cual hará uso, por primera vez desde su reapertura, del foso para la orquesta.

Este montaje forma parte de la iniciativa Ópera Pocket de Ópera de Tenerife, un modelo de difusión del teatro lírico diseñado para que pueda itinerar por varios escenarios de la isla sin renunciar a la escenografía y vestuario de calidad, que caracterizan a este género musical dramático. De este modo, entre el jueves 31 de mayo y el domingo 3 de junio, el Paraninfo será la primera sala de la isla que acoja este montaje. Posteriormente, los días 9 y 10 de junio la escena se trasladará a Garachico, en donde se asumirá el desafío que supone representar esta pieza en un escenario al aire libre, en la Glorieta de San Francisco de la villa de la Isla Baja.

Estas representaciones fueron presentadas hoy, lunes 28 de mayo, en una rueda de prensa celebrada en el escenario del Paraninfo a la que acudieron los integrantes de los dos elencos que interpretarán esta ópera en el recinto universitario. Intervinieron el vicerrector de Relaciones con la Sociedad, Francisco García; el director insular de Cultura y Educación del Cabildo de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero; el intendente de Ópera de Tenerife y director de este montaje, Alejandro Abrante; y el alcalde de Garachico, Heriberto González.

El vicerrector se congratuló por el hecho de que ya todas las localidades se hayan vendido, lo cual es un indicador del interés de la propuesta. Explicó que la actividad que se presentaba supone un paso más en el proceso de revalorización del Paraninfo que desde el gobierno universitario se está impulsando, pues se trata del “corazón emocional de la Universidad de La Laguna”, y un espacio que, parafraseando al rector Antonio Martinón, “ha sido muy importante en la historia de Canarias, donde se gritaba por la libertad cuando fuera no se podía”.

Por ello, García resaltó la importancia que estas representaciones de La Traviata van a tener para el recinto, pues es el primer montaje completo de teatro lírico que va a acoger y, además, supone volver a utilizar el foso para la orquesta. Sobre la obra en sí, destacó que se trata de un texto muy poderoso que puede servir como reflexión acerca del papel de la mujer en la sociedad, un debate muy actual, ya presente en la pieza de Verdi.

El director insular agradeció a la institución académica y al ayuntamiento de Garachico su disposición para formar parte de este reto que supone poner en marcha una producción operística de primera magnitud íntegramente canaria. Además de felicitar a todo el equipo técnico, artístico y de gestión, quiso destacar la participación del alumnado de “Imagen personal” del Centro de Formación Profesional Las Indias, que ha colaborado en el vestuario de la obra y se ha integrado perfectamente en el equipo. Rivero se refirió en términos más emotivos al equipo responsable del proyecto porque han logrado materializarlo pese a su gran dificultad intrínseca.

El intendente de Ópera de Tenerife explicó cómo afrontó la dirección de este montaje, en el cual ha querido resaltar todo el debate filosófico actual sobre la igualdad de la mujer. Por ello, se ha puesto esfuerzo por mostrar todos los mecanismos ideológicos que históricamente han puesto trabas a la lucha femenina: el discurso social, político, económico, religioso, la violencia, “pero de una manera sutil, como lo hubiera escrito Verdi”.

Resaltó la gran dificultad que suponen los personajes para sus intérpretes, en especial Violeta, la protagonista, que durante tres horas experimenta una tensión extrema. También señaló el reto que supone encarnar a Alfredo, “un rol no definido pero salvable porque quiere de verdad”. Abrante tuvo palabras emotivas para todos los participantes en este proyecto, y destacó la labor del director musical Alessandro Palumbo, por el desafío que supuso poner en marcha la joven agrupación orquestal que ocupará el foso.

Finalmente, el alcalde de Garachico recordó que el montaje al aire libre que se producirá en su municipio los días 8 y 9 de junio será “algo para no perderse”, dadas las dificultades que supondrán tanto para su montaje como su interpretación. Por ello, manifestó el orgullo que le producía el hecho de que su municipio fuera elegido para este proyecto.

Recordó que Garachico lleva tiempo apostando por la difusión cultural, dedicando un 7% de presupuesto a esta partida incluso en periodos de crisis, algo que suscitó en su momento alguna crítica pero que Hernández defiende porque “fomenta la cohesión social en el municipio y genera beneficios económicos directos e indirectos, puesto que los eventos culturales crean una fidelización entre loso visitantes”.

Las representaciones de La Traviata en el Paraninfo comenzarán a las 19:30 los días 31 de mayo y 1 y 2 de junio, mientras que la del domingo 3 de junio será a las 18:00. Este montaje de Ópera Pocket cuenta con Alessandro Palumbo como director musical, Alejandro Abrante como director de escena; Jorge Cabrera como escenógrafo, Javier Caballero como diseñador de vestuario y Miguel Ponce como diseñador de luces.

The new resident dance company at Auditorio de Tenerife, Lava, started its auditions today, Monday, 28 to choose six dancers to make up their dance group. Tests will go on tomorrow, Tuesday, 29 and will then be held in Madrid on 30 and 31. 144 candidates have applied.

Dancer Daniel Abreu, Premio Nacional de Danza 2013, is the artistic director of the new company, which will start working in September to take part in both Festival de las Artes del Movimiento FAM [Movement Arts Festival] and Festival de Tenerife, where they will put on their first piece.

Auditions started today with a classic dance warm-up, led by dancer Charo Febles. A contemporary dance class will be held tomorrow at 09:30 am. In Madrid, the headquarters of Compañía Nacional de Danza will welcome more candidates on Wednesday, 30, and Thursday, 31 at 09:30 am.

The tests consist of a technical class, an improvisation, composition, a dramatized reading and group work. The decision-making process also includes a personal interview with each dancer.

On Thursday, after finishing the tests, the selection committee will evaluate and discuss the candidates. The six artists chosen to become part of the new resident company at Auditorio de Tenerife will be announced in early June.

The evaluation committee includes Daniel Abreu, dancer and artistic director of Lava; Natalia Medina, director of Canaries Contemporary Dance International Festival (Masdanza); Natividad Buil, director of the Festival Trayectos Danza en Paisajes Urbanos, and Enrique Camacho, artistic production manager of Auditorio de Tenerife.

The 9th Tenerife Contemporary Music International Festival (FMUC) is offering two days of masterclasses by percussion expert Leigh Howard Stevens, a marimba visionary whose ground-breaking methods are used by musicians worldwide. The classes by the US musician are on 29 and 30 May from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Auditorio de Tenerife’s Chamber Hall.

The classes are addressed to Intermediate and Higher percussion students, although musicians and composers in general can also attend as listeners. If you wish to enjoy these classes, please register by writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Stevens, whose studies have widened the possibilities of the marimba, is giving a concert on 31 May at 7:30 pm at the Chamber Hall in the Auditorio. He is performing a full repertoire of two pieces he composed. Before the concert, there is a talk open to anyone wishing to learn more about this expert, who is known for having developed his own four-drumstick system, as explained in his book Method of Movement, translated into five languages. The talk takes place one hour before the show and is given by percussionist Verónica Cagigao.

Stevens’s repertoire spans Renaissance music, Preludes and Fugues by John Sebastian Bach and original marimba compositions written by contemporary composers specifically for him. A great part of this literature was deemed impossible to perform until Stevens developed his new four-drumstick system.

The 9th FMUC started last Friday, 25 May with the concert “Consecration” and will go on until 17 June. With the participation of leading contemporary percussionists and musicians, it offers a total of six concerts, two masterclasses, five talks and a percussion campus. The festival venues are Auditorio de Tenerife, Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias and Círculo de Bellas Artes de Tenerife.

Besides Leigh Howard Stevens, the bill is rounded off with Wing Marimba Duo and Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic with the Schlagwerk Wien Ensamble. In addition to Cabildo’s, the organisers have the collaboration of the Government of the Canary Islands, CajaCanarias Foundation and Disa Foundation.

Tickets for singer Luz Casal’s concert are sold out. The event is taking place at the Main Stage in Auditorio de Tenerife on Saturday, 26 May at 9:00 pm. The Galicia-born performer is landing on the island with her tour “Que corra el aire”, as part of the Mar Abierto Festival. The tour is named after her last record, released in March, which she is now taking to the main cities in Spain.

Luz Casal will be presenting the original songs of her new record, which were mixed in Barcelona. One of the best-established singers with a voice of her own in Spain, Casal chose Ricky Falkner (Love of Lesbian, Quique González, etc.) to produce this record. “Que corra el aire” offers new songs she has been working on in the past few years that portray her feelings, wishes, and ideas of this period.

Luz Casal started her Canarian tour with Mar Abierto Festival at Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and will also be at Palacio de Congresos de Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura on Sunday, 27. The Mar Abierto Festival is also bringing Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés to Auditorio de Tenerife on 2 June.

Philosopher Fernando Broncano will be talking about the story of the two lovers in Alexander Dumas’s novel Camille on Monday, 28 at 7:00 pm at Salón de Grados de Filosofía. With the aim of looking into the cultural keys of romantic love, the expert is giving the last talk included in “Purple Spring”, a scheme by the Cabildo and the University of La Laguna built around The Traviata, which encourages the development of equality values through culture.

Broncano’s talk is entitled “What men ignore. Camille and opacity in affective spaces”, thus disclosing the limits of our ideas on love and affective relationships. The works by Dumas and Verdi are valuable documents portraying the distortion of affection. They are both an insight on social blindness and how feelings are shaped by other forms of social existence. Admission is free.

Fernando Broncano (Salamanca, 1954) is Professor in Logic and Philosophy of Science at Carlos III University in Madrid. His work focuses on the notion of rationality in theoretical, epistemic and practical terms, offering conceptual and critical diagnosis on culture, science and contemporary society.

This is the last conference in the “Purple Spring” cultural series, a collaboration between Ópera de Tenerife, the University Institute of Women’s Studies (IUEM), and Pedro García Cabrera Cultural Chair. The scheme included a programme of multidisciplinary talks dealing with gender equality, which took as reference the opera The Traviata, an Auditorio de Tenerife production to be performed from 31 May to 3 June at Paraninfo in La Laguna University. On 9 and 10 June, it is on in Garachico.

The director of IUEM, Inmaculada Perdomo; the programme included the following speakers: the intendent of Ópera de Tenerife, Alejandro Abrante; stage manager Stefania Bonfadelli; Opera (e)Studio director, Giulio Zappa, and writer Laura Freixas.

Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST) and Tenerife Contemporary Music International Festival (FMUC) get together tomorrow, Friday, 25^th to offer the concert “Consecration” at 7:30 pm at Auditorio de Tenerife. This concert, which is part of the 2017/2018 OST season, opens the 9^th FMUC that goes on until 17 June.

Barcelona maestro Edmon Colomer, who was conductor of the OST from 1985 to 1986, is leading a session that features Béla Bartók’s Concerto for two pianos and percussion, to be performed on the island for the first time. The programme also includes Symphonies of Wind Instruments, by Igor Stravinsky, and The Rite of Spring. Pianists Gustavo Díaz-Jerez and Javier Negrín, and percussionists Francisco and Emilio Díaz will be accompanying Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.

Bela Bartók’s Concerto for two Pianos and Percussion has not often been played. Following his agent’s suggestion, the composer himself arranged his sonata for the same soloist configuration. Tenerife pianists Gustavo Díaz-Jerez, an expert in contemporary repertoire and founding member of Quantum Ensemble, and Javier Negrín, in addition to the wonderful percussion soloists of the OST, the brothers Francisco and Emilio Díaz, are taking up this challenge at Auditorio de Tenerife.

Symphonies of Wind Instruments was written by Stravinsky in memory of the death of his much-admired Debussy and we will enjoy the version the composer himself made in 1947. The concert closes with The Rite of Spring, the masterpiece from his rebellious youthful years, whose premiere was one of the major scandals in the History of Music.

Tickets can be purchased at the Auditorio de Tenerife box office, from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday; via the internet here or by calling 902 317 327. When buying the ticket for this concert, you have the chance to get 10% discount on the other two FMUC concerts being held at the Auditorio (Leigh Howard Stevens, on 31 May, and Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic and the Schlagwerk Wien Ensamble, on 14 June).

In addition to conducting Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Edmon Colomer has also led Simfònica de Balears, Simfònica del Vallès, and Filarmónica de Málaga in Spain; Orchestre de Picardie in France; Daejeon Philharmonic in South Korea. He has also been the main guest conductor at the Eastern Music Festival in the United States. Being a firm believer in the educational and social power of music, he has often linked his professional activities to training. In 1983 he set up the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España [Spanihs Young National Orchestra] (JONDE). In 2002 the French Ministry of Culture appointed him Chevalier dans l’ordre des palmes académiques.

The Cabildo hosted on Tuesday, 22 May the presentation of the 9^th Tenerife Contemporary Music International Festival (FMUC), to be held from 25 May to 17 June. Six concerts, two masterclasses, five talks and a percussion campus make up the project, which includes leading percussionists and contemporary musicians. The highlight this year is Leigh Howard Stevens, a visionary of the marimba whose ground-breaking method has been adopted by musicians worldwide.

The details of this year’s festival were disclosed by the Island Director for Culture and Education, José Luis Rivero; the vice-councillor for Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Aurelio González; the festival director, Francisco Díaz; the head of Culture for CajaCanarias Foundation, Alvaro Marcos Arvelo, and the Culture expert of Disa Foundation, Andrea León.

José Luis Rivero highlighted “the strength this event has gained throughout the years on the island of Tenerife. It offers both artistic and training activities, including talks before the concerts in order to make the audience aware of what they are about to listen to”. “This festival draws attention on contemporary repertoires and it does so amusingly, attracting a wide range of audiences, especially young people”, he reflected. 

Rivero also praised the new musicians the festival has brought about, “many of them started off as students and are now teaching and giving high-level concerts”, which is helped by “the great department of Percussion of the Higher Music Conservatoire of the Canary Islands, where Santa Cruz de Tenerife professionals get their grounding”.

For his part, Francisco Díaz explained the importance “of bringing international performers for local students to learn where they stand, know their level and become aware of what happens outside the island”. Díaz, who is a musician too, recalled the history of the festival in which “200 pieces have been performed, of which 8 have been world premieres, some being specifically commissioned by Auditorio de Tenerife”. In these years, FMUC has held 37 concerts, where more than 150 musicians from 12 different European, Asian, and Latin American countries have taken part.

Aurelio González pointed out the international character of FMUC and praised “the inherent didactic values of percussion, which can awaken new sensitivities and stimulate creativity. In the Canaries, we are very productive when it comes to creating art”.

Álvaro Marcos Arvelo said that music has “the power to arouse the most intense emotions” and referred to FMUC as an example of projects in which rather than gain, the major feature is the investment made on culture”. For the representative of Disa Foundation, Andrea León, “we are proud to participate in a music event which has become the temple of percussion in the Canaries”.

The festival venues are Auditorio de Tenerife, Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias, and Círculo de Bellas Artes de Tenerife. In addition to Leigh Howard Stevens, Wing Marimba Duo and Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic with the Schlagwerk Wien Ensamble round off the bill. Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and artists from COSIMTE-Asociación de Compositores Sinfónicos y Musicólogos de Tenerife [Tenerife Symphony Composers and Musicologists Association] will be performing too. Organisers have the collaboration of Tenerife Cabildo, the Government of the Canary Islands, CajaCanarias Foundation and Disa Foundation.

The first concert of the 9^th FMUC is taking place on Friday, 25 at 7:30 pm at Auditorio de Tenerife Concert Hall. “Consecration” is a season concert by Tenerife Symphony Orchestra that is playing pieces by Bartók and Stravinsky. Conductor Edmon Colomer is leading the session, which includes Francisco and Emilio Díaz as solo percussionists, and pianists Gustavo Díaz-Jerez and Javier Negrín. FMUC director explains that Bartok’s two pianos concerto in the orchestra version will be played in Tenerife for the first time, and with Canarian soloists”. As a foretaste, you can come for the general rehearsal and talk on the repertoire on the day of the concert at 10:00 am. Before coming, please register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On 29 and 30 May Leigh Howard Stevens masterclasses are taking place at the Chamber Hall from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm. They are addressed to musicians, composers and Medium and Higher percussion students. The US marimba expert is known for having developed his own four-drumstick system, which he explains in his book Method of Movement, translated into five languages.

Stevens, whose approach has widened the compositional possibilities of the marimba, is offering a concert on 31 May at 7:30 pm at the Chamber Hall in Auditorio de Tenerife. It is a contemporary repertoire which includes two compositions of his own. An hour earlier, percussionist Verónica Cagigao is giving a talk before meeting the avant-garde performer.

Wing Marimba Duo, made up of Takayoshi Yoshioka and Reiko Shiohama, will be playing at Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias on 6 June at 7:30 pm, admission free. Their programme includes both arrangements of symphonic music and original music written for this group. The international musicians are joined by Tuópali Dúo (Francisco Díaz and Carlos Llácer), Tak-Nara Percussion Group (Carlos Castañeda and Verónica Cagigao) and Andrea Domínguez. An hour earlier, Cagigao herself is offering a talk before listening to the Japanese duo. Wing Marimba Duo are also giving a masterclass on 7 June at 4:00 pm at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias. Please register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

DifrAcción Ensemble, made up of musicians from COSIMTE-Asociación de Compositores Sinfónicos y Musicólogos de Tenerife, are giving a concert on 12 June at 7:30 pm. Admission is free and the venue is Círculo de Bellas Artes de Tenerife. Leandro Martín, artistic director of this Tenerife ensemble, will be talking about the programme an hour before the event.

On Thursday, 14 June at 7:30 pm, FMUC has programmed another special concert at the Chamber Hall in Auditorio de Tenerife. Serbian musician Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, hailed by critics as one of the most expressive marimba and percussion interpreter, is playing live with the Percussion Group of Vienna Conservatoire, which he directs: the Schlagwerk Wien Ensamble. And hour earlier, musician Verónica Cagigao is offering a talk before this international performance.

The second Tenerife Percussion Camp (TPC), to take place on 16 and 17 June at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias, is a meeting place for professional percussionists, students, amateurs and families around percussion. The TPC wants participants to share and learn by doing what they enjoy most: making music through percussion. In addition to drums, Latin percussion and classic percussion lessons, there are also African and Brazilian percussion for amateurs plus percussion workshops for all the family. Please register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

At the end of the TPC, there will be a free-of-charge concert with teachers and students of percussion for amateurs as well as families taking part in this innovative workshop. It will be on 17 June at 6:30 pm at the Auditorio del Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias. This is the last concert of the 9th FMUC programme.

Tickets for the concerts held at Auditorio de Tenerife can be obtained at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday; via the internet on www.auditoriodetenerife.com or by telephone on 902 317 327. If you buy your tickets for “Consecration” at the box office, you can also buy tickets for the two other FMUC concerts at Auditorio (Stevens on 31 May and Zivkovic on June) at 10% discount.

On 17 May, Auditorio de Tenerife Chamber Hall was host to the premiere of the sixth project by 2018 Manos a la Ópera [Hands-on Opera]. Brundibar, the Bumblebee is performed by 130 children 3 to 5 years old from the schools CEIP El Chapatal, Las Retamas, Ernesto Castro Fariñas, and San Fernando.

The show was put on for a further 400 children from these four schools. On Friday, 18 at 11:00 am, they performed for 413 students from the following schools: CEIP Ofra Vistabella, Colegio Cervantes, La Salle de La Laguna, and CEIP Fernando III El Santo. Finally, the families of the 130 children performing this children’s opera came to the Chamber Hall on Saturday, 19^th.

The Island Director for Culture and Education of Cabildo de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero, attended the first performance of this well-established scheme, “which has been on for six years now; with Manos a la Ópera our aim is to foster creativity in the youngest”. This initiative meets the objectives set by Cabildo Insular for their Tenerife 2030 strategy. Rivero also stresses the involvement of the teachers in the activity.

The story of Brundibar, the Bumblebee is about two children who must find a way to get a bottle of milk for their sick mother. With the help of some animals, the kids overcome the problems to get the milk and they even manage to defeat organ grinder Brundibár, who wants to steal their money.

Manos a la Ópera is a project of the Learning Area of Auditorio de Tenerife and has the contribution of Fundación Cepsa and Obra Social “la Caixa” and is part of the Ópera de Tenerife season. The scheme is addressed to preschool children and it consists of creating a free version of an original opera in which the kids are the artists, producers and stage managers.

Parents and relatives also take part in creating the show as they come to the workshops at Auditorio de Tenerife where the costumes and stage designs are made. Melodie Pérez is in charge of directing and pedagogical co-ordination of Manos a la Ópera.

The first Choral Conducting course by Tenerife Choir Network is coming to an end on Sunday [20th] with a closing concert at 7:00 pm at Auditorio Capitol in Tacoronte. In the event, which is free of charge, University of La Laguna Polyphonic Choir and Auditorio de Tenerife Young Choir are also taking part. They are directed by Julio Chinea and Roxana Schmunk, respectively. The Choir Network is an initiative of the Performing Arts and Music Island Scheme fostered by the Cabildo as part of the Tenerife 2030 strategy.

Two pilot choirs, trained during the course and directed by Nuria Fernández Herranz, and two guest choirs are singing in the first part. The programme includes pieces they have worked on throughout the course; the teachers have chosen ten of the students as conductors. In the second part of the concert, the guest choirs will sing several songs from their repertoire, concluding with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah sung by the Auditorio de Tenerife Young Choir.

The Choral Conducting course of Tenerife Choir Network started last September. Its objective is to unify choir activity on the Island through training, learning and joint performances by Tenerife choirs. The last session is taking place tomorrow [Saturday, 19th] and will focus on finalizing the closing concert. 

Directed by Nuria Fernández Herranz, in the past seven months the course has offered future choirmasters the chance to widen their knowledge on vocal technique, performing and directing. This has been possible thanks to the work done by a group of teachers in addition to master sessions given by directors of national and international standing, like Javier Busto and Paulo Vassalo Lourenço.

Nuria Fernández Herranz trusts the scheme will continue in the coming years and has pointed out the vocal quality and the musical vocation found in Tenerife, where “in general, people sing very well thanks to tradition and folklore”. She has also stress the “experience” shown by the students, most of whom are directors or choir members.