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“Spanish Rhapsody” is Sinfónica de Tenerife’s sonorous invitation to the sixteenth subscription concert this season, featuring conductor François Leleux and María Canals 2009 award-winner Vestard Shimkus as guest soloist. The concert is taking place on Friday, 31^st May at 7:30 pm in Auditorio de Tenerife and the programme includes Petite Suite and Fantaisie for piano and orchestra by Claude Debussy plus Maurice Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin and Spanish Rhapsody.

François Leleux, who is making his debut with the Tenerife orchestra, is a renowned, widely experienced oboe player who has worked both as soloist and conductor with the main international orchestras, and festivals and concert series. Highlights in his exceptional career include conducting hr-Sinfonieorchester, Camerata Salzburg, Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich and the symphony orchestras of Sydney, Swedish Radio or WDR.

It is also the first time with Tenerife’s Symphony for Latvian pianist Vestard Shimkus. His technique, which the German publication Main Post described as “naturally brilliant”, has led him to take many prestigious international awards like Maria Canals 2009, Estonia’s Order of the White Star or the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. He has played with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra or France National Orchestra, among others.

Petite Suite is a piece to learn about Claude Debussy’s early music writing although this is a 1907 version orchestrated by Henri Büsser, as the 1889 original was conceived to be interpreted with a piano four hands. The interest the composer had in bringing together different arts and styles under the language of music is evident in the near-pictorial impression one gets of the texture of water, or the joyful customs reflected in the echoes of cheerful popular dances.

Fantaisie for piano and orchestra is one more step in the personal language Debussy pursued throughout his life. In this piece, composed in 1890, the French author is not seeking the usual concert in which the orchestra glosses the soloist instrument, but he is thinking of the constructive interaction between the piano and the orchestra.

In the same year the First World War breaks out, 1914, Maurice Ravel started to write Le Tombeau de Couperin with the mark of a generation who had believed the promises of the 19^th century would become true with the supposed technological progress. The piece was concluded in 1917 and was initially conceived as a tribute to the Golden age of French music, led by François Couperin-, but turned into a dedication to his dead friends. Therefore, it does not emulate army spirit but memory and so it has a serene character, with nostalgic touches that appeal to the frailty of happiness.

Ten year earlier, in 1907 he had produced Spanish Rhapsody, a work that shows the increasing fascination of composers -especially French- for Spain, largely due to the visit of Pedrell or Falla in Paris. Spain was a symbol of freedom and expression in the crisscrossing of languages as reflected in a composition written at the peak of atonal explorations. The nostalgic rhythm of the habanera contrasts with the sighing rhythms, betraying the Mediterranean cheerfulness of this southern European country.

This concert is sponsored by the Fundación Jesús Serra and tickets can be bought at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday; by telephone on 902 317 327; or on the websites www.sinfonicadetenerife.es and www.auditoriodetenerife.com.

Festival de Música Contemporánea de Tenerife (FMUC) presents a concert by DifrAcción Ensemble. The group specialises in 21^st century music and takes this chance to present the world premiere of La Fortaleza, composed by Francis Hernández. Sala de Cámara at Auditorio de Tenerife is hosting the show on Monday, the 27^th at 7:30 pm. There will be a talk starting an hour before to put the concert in context. Admission to the talk is free.

The group emerges in response to the need for that music which is not usually included in the regular programmes of auditoriums, groups and festivals: 21^st century contemporary academic music.

Specifically, it is focused on current and glocal composition, performing premieres and playing a major role in the circulation of the sound art of the archipelago and Latin America.

It has a flexible membership and is open to performance and to using electronics, in addition to training musicians to approach new techniques, aesthetics and score writing. Made up of a core of performers of national and international scope, it regularly invites outstanding young musicians who are starting in the world of music to help them, thanks to performing teachers and composers who are experienced in the field.

Their programme today exclusively consists of the works of living Canarian composers who are members of COSIMTE (Tenerife association of symphonic composers and musicologists). These pieces were composed in this century and most of them are being played for the first time. 

Tickets can be bought at Auditorio de Tenerife box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday except holidays, on website www.auditoriodetenerife.com  or by calling 902 317 327.

Pianist and composer Francis Hernández is regarded to be an eclectic musician who has alternated teaching with composition and musical direction. He was born in La Orotava, where he started to study piano and trumpet to then go on to further his education at  Conservatorio Superior de Música de Tenerife. In 1996 he attended an intensive course at Berklee College of Music and in 2014 he studied composition at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias. He has been part of different jazz and popular music bands since the mid-1990s.

From 2004-2008 he worked as musical director for RTVE and Televisión Canaria. Since 2010 he has been part of different projects by producer Pablo Cebrián and has written music for animation series and short films and has also arranged and orchestrated different national productions. Between 2014-2018 he was the musical director at Auditorio de Tenerife of the musicales Jesucristo Superstar, Evita and Sunset Boulevard. In this last phase, he also conducted Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife in two concerts for Fiestas del Cristo de La Laguna (2016 and 2018).

The tenth day of the Primavera Musical series is bringing together 48 musicians from four island bands next Sunday, the 26^th at 11:30 am. The event, which is organised by Tenerife Band Federation with the collaboration of Cabildo de Tenerife, features the following music associations: San Pedro, La Victoria, José Reyes Martín and Puerto de la Cruz. Admission is free.

The paso doble Pedro y Juan Bautista, by Pedro Joaquín Francés Sanjuán opens the repertoire of Asociación Musical San Pedro from El Sauzal. Its 30 musicians will go on to play Mountains of Fire (Feuerberge), by Markus Gotz, Gloria (Christian march) by Pedro Joaquín Francés Sanjuán. The group is conducted by Francisco Guijarro Gutiérrez, and Will end their performance with Ernesto Lecuona’s Malagueña, arranged by Michael Sweeney.

Asociación Musical La Victoria has 35 interpreters who Will first play paso doble Música y vinos, by Manuel Morales. Then, Auditorio de Tenerife’s Sala de Cámara will be filled with the sound of Pascual Piqueras’s De Cai, de. Under the baton of Juan Antonio Domenech Flores, the group ends their live performance Aralk' (Christian march), by Francisco Valor Llorens.

Granadilla de Abona’s Asociación Musical José Reyes Martín will come on stage to interpret Jacob de Hayan’s Concierto D’Amore. Conducted by Pedro González Flores, the 40 musicians Will then deliver Slavonic Dances, by Antonin Dvorak. Os Passaron do Brasil, by Kees Vlak, is the theme they chose to close their repertoire.

The tenth session of Primavera Musical will be closed by Asociación Musical Puerto de la Cruz, who has 43 musicians. They will start with Juani Cantero’s Pan y Vino, and go on with Katiusk, by Sorozabal. The band, which is led by Francisco Jairo Cabrera Estévez, will put an end to the concert with Man in the ice by Otto Schwarz.

La Sinfónica de Tenerife ofrece mañana [viernes 24], a las 19:30 horas, en el Auditorio de Tenerife, una nueva cita de temporada en la que destaca el Concierto para marimba y orquesta, de Robert Kurka, una obra que interpreta la formación por primera vez y que contará como solista con la presencia del marimbista norteamericano Leigh Howard Stevens. El programa, que será dirigido por el maestro andaluz Lucas Macías, incluye también obras de Debussy y Bártok.

El concierto arranca con Preludio a la siesta de un fauno, de Claude Debussy, que invita a adentrarse en el mundo onírico de la mitología, continúa con el Concierto para marimba y orquesta, op. 34 de Robert Kurka que reivindica el potencial de la marimba; y concluye con un pasaporte para una fugaz visita a Hungría a través del Concierto para orquesta, Sz 116 de Béla Bártok.

Lucas Macías Navarro, que debuta en la dirección de la formación del Cabildo de Tenerife, es el director asistente de la Orchestre de París. Tras una excepcional carrera como oboísta, incluyendo en su haber Oboe Principal de la Royal Concertgebouw y Lucerne Festival Ochestra, realiza su primera aparición como director en el Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires en 2014. Ha realizado conciertos con la Orquesta Sinfónica de la Radio Sueca, la Orchestre de Paris, la Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, la Real Filharmonía de Galicia y la Camerata de la Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

También inédito en la temporada de la Sinfónica de Tenerife es el marimbista Leigh Howard Stevens, pero en cambio regresa a la Isla después de su presencia el año pasado en el programa del Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de Tenerife (FMUC). Stevens creó un enfoque revolucionario en el agarre de las cuatro baquetas que ha sido adoptado por maestros de todo el mundo. Su repertorio abarca desde la música renacentista, preludios y fugas de Bach hasta obras originales de marimba escritas por compositores contemporáneos expresamente para él.

Preludio a la siesta de un fauno de Claude Debussy está inspirado en el poema homónimo de Mallarmé, y más que una fiel transliteración al lenguaje musical, se trata de la evocación de dos situaciones que enmarcan la égloga: el instante entre la vigilia y el sueño; y los desafortunados intentos del fauno intentando seducir a las ninfas del bosque. Este mundo onírico es presentado por la flauta, instrumento de los faunos, y se entrelazará con el clarinete, flauta y oboe, acompañados por pizzicati de la cuerda que inspira el flirteo. Las melodías se irán oscureciendo delatando la frustración del fauno, sucumbiendo en el sueño evocado por la melodía inicial.

Concierto para marimba y orquesta, op. 34 de Robert Kurka, nace a instancias de la intérprete norteamericana Vida Chenoweth, que quería situar en un lugar relevante a la marimba como instrumento de concierto. El inicio tiene una fuerte inspiración jazzística, y en algunos instantes la formación sinfónica recordará a una big band, ya que se recurre a giros melódicos y rítmicos propios de ese estilo popular.

El programa de mañana concluye con Concierto para orquesta, Sz 116/BB 123 de Béla Bártok, que es una interpretación del maestro húngaro del conjunto como una suma de solistas; algo así como una lectura moderna del “concierto grosso” barroco que consistía en el tratamiento de la orquesta por grupos diferenciados. El oscuro periodo histórico en el que se gestó la obra (1943) se traduce en pasajes musicales intimistas y trágicos, que el autor entremezcla con aires populares centroeuropeos. Pese a todo, concluye con una afirmación a la vida, retomando la energía inicial del movimiento.

Este recorrido sonoro que ofrece la Sinfónica de Tenerife está enmarcado en la décima edición del FMUC, cuyo programa se centra en la difusión del repertorio musical contemporáneo y de percusión, celebrándose en esta ocasión del 22 de mayo al 16 de junio.

Las entradas, se pueden adquirir en la taquilla, de 10:00 a 19:30 horas de forma ininterrumpida de lunes a sábado; por teléfono en el 902 317 327; o por internet en las páginas web www.sinfonicadetenerife.es y www.auditoriodetenerife.com.

Sinfónica de Tenerife is offering a new season show featuring Robert Kurka’s  Concerto for marimba and orchestra at 7:30 pm on Friday, 24th May. This is the first time they are performing this piece and are joined by North American marimba player Leigh Howard Stevens as soloist. The programme, which will be conducted by Andalusian maestro Lucas Macías, also included works by Debussy and Bártok.

The concert starts with Prelude to the afternoon of a faun, by Claude Debussy, which is an invitation to walk into the oneiric world of myths; they then go on to play Concerto for marimba and orchestra, op. 34 by Robert Kurka, championing the potential of the marimba; and concludes with a passport for a short visit to Hungary through Concerto for orchestra, Sz 116 by Béla Bártok.

Lucas Macías Navarro, who is making his debut with Cabildo de Tenerife’s orchestra, is assistant conductor of Orchestre de Paris. After an exceptional career as an oboe player, including being Principal Oboe of Royal Concertgebouw and Lucerne Festival Ochestra, he first appeared as a conductor at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in 2014. He has led concerts with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Real Filharmonía de Galicia and the Camerata of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Also new to the Sinfónica de Tenerife season is marimba player Leigh Howard Stevens, although he is not new to the island as he was here last year at the Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de Tenerife (FMUC). Stevens created a ground-breaking approach to the four-mallet grip which has been adopted by musicians worldwide. His repertoire encompasses Renaissance music, preludes and fugues by Bach to original marimba works written by contemporary composers for him.

Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the afternoon of a faun is inspired by the homonymous poem by Mallarmé and rather than being a transliteration to music language, it is an evocation of the two situations that frame the eclogue: the instant from being awake to falling asleep; and the two unsuccessful attempts of the faun to seduce the forest nymphs. This oneiric world is presented by the pan flute -the instrument of fauns- intertwined with the clarinet, flute and oboe, accompanied by pizzicati of the string that inspire flirting. Melodies gradually grow darker to reveal the faun being frustrated and succumbing to the dream evoked by the initial melody.

Concerto for marimba and orchestra, op. 34 by Robert Kurka, was created on the request of North American interpreter Vida Chenoweth, who wanted to give a relevant place to the marimba as a concert instrument. At first it is strongly inspired by jazz, and at some points the symphony orchestra will resemble a big band, as it resorts to melodies and rhythms characteristic of popular styles.

The programme ends with Concerto for orchestra, Sz 116/BB 123 by Béla Bártok, which is an interpretation of the Hungarian maestro as the whole as a sum of soloists; something like a modern version of the Baroque “concerto grosso” which consisted of dealing with the orchestra in different groups. The dark historical period it was composed in (1943) translates into intimate, tragic musicscapes, which the author mixes with popular Central European sounds. But he concludes by reasserting life and goes back to the initial energy of the movement.

This sound journey offered by Sinfónica de Tenerife is part of the tenth FMUC, whose programme focuses on contemporary music and percussion. This year FMUC runs from 22 May to 16 June.

Tickets are available at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday; by telephone on 902 317 327; or on websites www.sinfonicadetenerife.es and www.auditoriodetenerife.com.

La segunda edición del Curso de Dirección de Coro que organiza el Cabildo culminará este sábado [día 25] en la Sala de Cámara del Auditorio de Tenerife con un concierto final, en el que los alumnos demostrarán los conocimientos adquiridos entre los meses de octubre y mayo en las instalaciones del espacio cultural insular. El concierto tendrá lugar a partir de las 19:30 horas, con acceso libre hasta completar aforo.

Un gran coro formado por el Coro Juvenil de Auditorio de Tenerife y los propios alumnos del Curso interpretarán las 12 obras que garantizan más de una hora de música coral de calidad, con un repertorio ecléctico dirigido por una selección de alumnos participantes y por Roxana Schmunk, directora del Coro Juvenil y coordinadora de la Red de Coros de Tenerife. En la puesta en escena se combinará la técnica vocal con la interpretación, el ritmo y la percusión corporal.

El Curso se ha desarrollado bajo la dirección pedagógica de Nuria Fernández Herranz, directora de la Asociación Cantemus de Madrid, que se muestra satisfecha por la participación de más de veinte alumnos, que después de esta puesta de largo pasarán a nutrir las filas de la dirección coral de las islas. Fernández se encuentra agradecida “por la confianza depositada en el equipo Cantemus un año más y por la oportunidad de compartir nuestra experiencia y apoyar la excelente labor coral que se está realizando en Tenerife”.

El Curso de Dirección de Coro ha celebrado su segunda edición con el objetivo de que coralistas, directores y profesores de música disfrutaran de un itinerario formativo que ha puesto el foco en el aprendizaje práctico, la metodología activa y todos los componentes que influyen en la buena ejecución de la dirección coral. Un proyecto de la Red de Coros de Tenerife, que a través de iniciativas formativas, organización de eventos y puestas en común busca reforzar el futuro del rico ecosistema coral de Canarias.

El Festival de las Artes del Movimiento (FAM) se transforma en su novena edición en una plataforma para la danza, que ofrece del 5 al 9 de junio actividades para profesionales y una veintena de espectáculos de entrada libre hasta completar aforo. Los detalles del nuevo formato de FAM fueron dados hoy [miércoles 22] en rueda de prensa por el director insular de Cultura, José Luis Rivero; el presidente de la Asociación Artistas del Movimiento PiedeBase, Roberto Torres; y la bailarina tinerfeña que estrena un espectáculo en FAM, Paula Quintana.

José Luis Rivero explicó que “el concepto cambia porque lo hacemos de una manera más intensiva y generando un espacio de encuentro entre compañías, público y programadores internacionales, que llegarán desde países como Estados Unidos, Italia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Alemania o Colombia”. Para el director insular se mantiene el espíritu original de FAM de “acercar la danza contemporánea”.

El Auditorio de Tenerife, el Teatro Guimerá, el Teatro Leal, el Paraninfo de la ULL y las calles de La Laguna serán los escenarios de este renovado FAM, al que acudirá una treintena de programadores locales, nacionales e internacionales. “Todas las funciones tendrán entrada libre hasta completar aforo, una medida que adoptamos para facilitar el acercamiento a la danza y que el precio no sea una barrera para nadie”, afirmó Rivero.

FAM se concentrarán en cinco únicos días: el miércoles 5 y jueves 6 de junio la actividad se concentrará en La Laguna (Teatro Leal, calles peatonales y Paraninfo de la ULL), mientras que el viernes pasará al Teatro Guimerá de la capital. En estos tres primeros días las funciones se complementarán con las actividades para el sector: mesas de trabajo, ponencias, debates y encuentros entre programadores y creadores.

En cambio, el sábado y el domingo el Auditorio de Tenerife acogerá la mayor parte de la programación con once espectáculos, comenzando uno al finalizar el otro en cinco de sus espacios: salas Sinfónica, Cámara, Castillo, hall y exterior. Técnicamente, esta producción supone el montaje de luces más grande en los 15 años de actividad del Auditorio de Tenerife.

Esta programación de FAM “es representativa de la danza que está ocurriendo en nuestro país”, afirmó el director insular. FAM acogerá varios estrenos, sobre todo los vinculados a los proyectos beneficiados por las ayudas a la producción de las artes escénicas del Cabildo, en las que, apuntó Rivero “las propuestas de danza ocuparon los primeros puestos”.

Roberto Torres destacó al Cabildo de Tenerife como “incentivador de la creación de la propia asociación, desde cuya constitución hemos notado un cambio: ahora artistas e institución insular trabajamos juntos”. Para el también coreógrafo “las ayudas a la producción han dignificado a toda la cadena de profesionales que participa en un espectáculo de danza, no solo al bailarín”.

Compañías canarias

Uno de estos estrenos será Las alegrías de Paula Quintana, que inaugura FAM el miércoles 5 de junio a las 19:30 horas en el Teatro Leal, único acto de la primera jornada. “Para mí ha sido muy importante sentirnos arropados, ahora los canarios podemos competir en las mismas condiciones con compañías de dentro y fuera de España y eso nos hace tener más ilusión y ganas de seguir trabajando”, aseguró la bailarina tinerfeña, que cuenta con un nutrido grupo de artistas de diferentes disciplinas para su nueva pieza, como el escritor Roy Galán.

El viernes 7 de junio a las 19:00 horas  Paloma Hurtado llevará al exterior del Teatro Guimerá su Ephimera, que dará paso al estreno de Daniel Morales como compañía con La muerte de Venus a las 20:00 horas. También Carlota Mantecón, bailarina y coreógrafa, estrenará Esto no es una prueba de sonido el sábado 8 de junio a las 11:30 horas en la Sala Castillo del Auditorio.

El proyecto Danza en Comunidad, la vertiente social de Tenerife Danza del Auditorio de Tenerife, coordinada por Laura Marrero, presenta para FAM 2019 tres piezas realizadas con tres comunidades distintas. Se estrenarán dos, Piedras y Viento, realizadas por el Proyecto de Mujeres de Añaza Emprendedoras-Fundación el Buen Samaritano y Asociación de Padres Orobal, respectivamente. Mientras que Adosados, creada a partir de los talleres Martes Danzando en Comunidad, fue estrenada en el pasado Mueca 2019. Las tres podrán disfrutarse el sábado 8 de junio a las 16:30 horas en la Sala Castillo del Auditorio de Tenerife.

Además, la compañía de danza de Auditorio de Tenerife, Lava, dirigida por el Premio Nacional de Danza Daniel Abreu, también presentará en FAM dos piezas de su repertorio, una de ellas de estreno. La primera, Bending the walls, de Fernando Hernando Magadan, tendrá lugar el sábado 8 de junio a las 20:00 horas en la Sala Sinfónica del Auditorio de Tenerife y 15º al oeste, de Paloma Hurtado, se programasa el domingo 9 de junio en el exterior del Auditorio a las 19:45 horas.

También la compañía del director artístico de Lava, Daniel Abreu, aparecerá en la programación de FAM precisamente para cerrarla como broche de oro el domingo 9 de junio a las 20:30 horas con La desnudez. Esta pieza, que interpreta el bailarín tinerfeño junto a Dácil González y el músico Hugo Portas, fue galardonada en 2018 con tres premios Max de las Artes Escénicas de España al Mejor Espectáculo de Danza, Mejor Intérprete Masculino de Danza y Mejor Coreografía.

Programación nacional

Además de la representación canaria, FAM contará en su programación con tres funciones pertenecientes al circuito nacional A Cielo Abierto: iU an Mi de la Compañía Lali Ayguadé el jueves 6 de junio a las 18:30 horas en el Teatro Leal; Habrá que ponerse cachas, del Proyecto Colectivo de Maylis Arrabit, Xabier Madina y Ebi Soria a las 18:30 horas en el exterior del Leal; Anónimas Raíces de Premoh’s Cru a las 19:00 horas en la Calle Viana; Canvas of bodies. Opus nº1 de Taiat Dansa a las 19:30 en la plaza de la Parroquia de Santo Domingo Guzmán. Cierra el jueves en el Paraninfo de la Universidad de La Laguna a las 20:30 horas el bailaor y coreógrafo Manuel Liñán con Baile de autor.

El viernes 7 de junio comenzará con actividades profesionales que darán paso a Set of Sets, de Guy Nader y Maria Campos, que subirá al escenario del Teatro Guimerá a las 12:30 horas. Para esta función no solo habrá público general, sino que también se ha invitado a escolares de la isla. La tarde será para dos de las piezas canarias del festival: Ephimera y La muerte de Venus.

Tras el estreno de Mantecón, el sábado 8 de junio continuará a las 12:30 horas en la Sala Sinfónica con Presente, de Antonio Ruz. Después de Danza en Comunidad, Ehiza, de Héctor Plaza y Agnes Sales se realizará a las 17:30 horas en el hall. A las 18:30 horas Janet Novás realizará su Mercedes y yo en la Sala de Cámara. A las 20:00 horas la Sala Sinfónica cierra el sábado con Lava.

Liov, de Diego Sinniger, abre el domingo 9 de junio a las 11:30 horas en el exterior del Auditorio de Tenerife. A las 12:30 horas tendrá lugar The Lamb, de Kor’sia en la Sala Sinfónica. La gramática de los mamíferos, de María del Mar Suárez, se hará con la Sala de Cámara a las 18:30 horas. Lava y la Compañía Daniel Abreu hacen de cierre especial de la novena edición del festival.

FAM es un proyecto del Cabildo de Tenerife enmarcado dentro de la estrategia Tenerife 2030 que cuenta con la colaboración de la Red Nacional de Teatros, a través del programa Danza a Escena apoyado por el INAEM del Ministerio de Cultura, de la red Acieloabierto y de los ayuntamientos de Santa Cruz y La Laguna. El Festival de las Artes del Movimiento ha revalidado con el paso de los años el sello EFFE (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe), una distinción de calidad que se concede a los festivales con misión artística, compromiso con las comunidades locales y con visión estratégica a nivel europeo.

In its ninth year, the Festival de las Artes del Movimiento (FAM) becomes a platform for dance offering activities for professionals and some twenty shows from 5 to 9 June, all of which are free. The details of the new FAM concept were revealed at a press conference on Wednesday, 22 May, by the Island Director for Culture, José Luis Rivero; the president of the Asociación Artistas del Movimiento PiedeBase, Roberto Torres; and Tenerife dancer Paula Quintana, who is premiering a show at FAM.

José Luis Rivero explained that “the concept changes because it is more intense now and we generate a meeting space for companies, audience and international programmers who are coming from the US, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany or Colombia”. In Rivero’s opinion, the original spirit of FAM is kept, that is, “bringing contemporary dance close to audiences”.

Auditorio de Tenerife, Teatro Guimerá, Teatro Leal, Paraninfo of La Laguna University and the streets of La Laguna are the venues for this renewed FAM, which includes the attendance of some thirty local, national and international programmers. “All the performances are free of charge; we do this in order to bring dance close to people without the price being a barrier”, Rivero stated.

FAM takes place in just five days: on Wednesday, 5th and Thursday, 6th June the different shows will be on at Teatro Leal, pedestrian streets and ULL’s Paraninfo, while on Friday the venue is Teatro Guimerá in Santa Cruz. These three first days will also concentrate the activities for professionals: work meetings, talks, debates and meetings between programmers and creators.

In contrast, on Saturday and Sunday Auditorio de Tenerife will be host to eleven shows which take place in a row in five different zones of the building: Sala Sinfónica, Sala de Cámara, Sala Castillo, hall and exterior. Technically, this production involves the largest lighting set up in the 15 years of activity of Auditorio de Tenerife.

The FAM programme “showcases the dance taking place in our country”, the island director said. Several shows will be premiering at FAM, especially those related to projects which have benefited from the Cabildo’s aid to performing arts productions with, Rivero pointed out, “the dance proposals getting the first places”.

Roberto Torres said the Cabildo de Tenerife “encouraged the setting up of the association; and we’ve actually noticed a change since: we, the artists and the island institution are working together now”. The choreographer also said that “the aid for production have dignified the whole professional chain that takes part in a dance show, not only the dancer”.

Canarian companies

One of the premieres is Las alegrías by Paula Quintana, who will open FAM on Wednesday, 5 June at 7:30 pm in Teatro Leal. This will be the only event on the first day. “To me it’s very important to feel we’re backed, Canarian artists can now compete under the same conditions as companies from Spain or from abroad. This makes us feel more hopeful and gives us strength to go on working”, the Tenerife dancer said. She counts on a considerable number of artists from different disciplines, as for example writer Roy Galán.

On Friday, 7 June Paloma Hurtado is bringing her Ephimera outside Teatro Guimerá at 7:00 pm. She will be followed by the debut of Daniel Morales as a company with La muerte de Venus at 8:00 pm. Carlota Mantecón, dancer and choreographer is also performing for the first time her Esto no es una prueba de sonido at 11:30 am on Saturday, 8 June at Auditorio’s Sala Castillo.

The project Danza en Comunidad, the outreach area of Auditorio’s Tenerife Danza, (coordinated by Laura Marrero), is presenting three pieces which have been made with three different communities. Two of them will be performed for the first time: Piedras and Viento, made with the Proyecto de Mujeres de Añaza Emprendedoras-Fundación el Buen Samaritano and Asociación de Padres Orobal, respectively. While Adosados, created from the Martes Danzando en Comunidad workshops, was premiered at Mueca 2019. All three can be seen on Saturday, 8 June at 4:30 pm at Sala Castillo in Auditorio de Tenerife.

Also, Auditorio de Tenerife dance company, Lava, directed by the winner of the Premio Nacional de Danza Daniel Abreu, is also presenting two of their repertoire pieces at FAM, one of which is a premiere. The first one, Bending the walls, by Fernando Hernando Magadan, is on at 8:00 pm on Saturday, 8 June at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife; Paloma Hurtado’s 15º al oeste, will be performed on 9 June outside the Auditorio at 7:45 pm.

The company of Lava artistic director, Daniel Abreu, is also in the FAM programme: La desnudez will be the closing performance on Sunday 9 June 8:30 pm. The piece, which is interpreted by the Tenerife dancer with Dácil González and musician Hugo Portas, received three Max awards for Best Dance Show, Best Male Dancer and Best Choreography in 2018.

National Programme

In addition to Canarian artists, FAM also features three performances from the national circuit A Cielo Abierto: iU an Mi by Lali Ayguadé company on Thursday, 6 June at  6:30 pm in Teatro Leal; Habrá que ponerse cachas, by Proyecto Colectivo of Maylis Arrabit, Xabier Madina and Ebi Soria at 6:30 pm outside Leal; Anónimas Raíces by Premoh’s Cru at 7:00 pm in Calle Viana; Canvas of bodies. Opus nº1 by Taiat Dansa at 7:30 pm in the square outside Parroquia de Santo Domingo Guzmán. It ends at 8:30 pm on Thursday at Paraninfo of La Laguna University with dancer and choreographer Manuel Liñán’s Baile de autor.

Friday, 7 June start with professional activities to then go on with Set of Sets, by Guy Nader and Maria Campos, at Teatro Guimerá at 12:30 pm. Apart from the general public, school children from the island have also been invited. In the afternoon, we can see the two Canarian pieces in the festival: Ephimera and La muerte de Venus.

After Mantecón’s premiere, on Saturday 8 June, Antonio Ruz’s Presente will be on at 12:30 pm in Sala Sinfónica. Once Danza en Comunidad is finished, Ehiza by Héctor Plaza and Agnes Sales will be performed at 5:30 pm in the hall. At 6:30 pm Janet Novás is putting on her Mercedes y yo at Sala de Cámara. The last performance on Saturday is by Lava and takes place at 8:00 pm in Sala Sinfónica.

Diego Sinniger’s Liov is the first show on Sunday, 9 June, starting at 11:30 am outside Auditorio de Tenerife. At 12:30 pm it is time for The Lamb, by Kor’sia in Sala Sinfónica. La gramática de los mamíferos, by María del Mar Suárez, is taking over Sala de Cámara at 6:30 pm. Lava and Compañía Daniel Abreu will provide the special ending of this 9th festival.

FAM is a Cabildo de Tenerife project under the Tenerife 2030 strategy. It has the collaboration of Red Nacional de Teatros [Theatre National Netwrok], through the Danza a Escena scheme and the support of Ministry of Culture’s INAEM, the Acieloabierto network and the city councils of Santa Cruz and La Laguna. With the passing of years, the Festival de las Artes del Movimiento has renewed its EFFE stamp (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe), a quality distinction that is granted to festivals that have an artistic mission, are committed to the local community and have a strategic vision at European level.

The Festival de Música Contemporánea de Tenerife (FMUC) [Tenerife Contemporary Music Festival] is celebrating its tenth anniversary from 22 May to 16 June with concerts by artists from Africa, the United States, Taiwan and the Canaries, pre-concert talks, master classes and the third Tenerife Percussion Camp. The details were revealed today, Tuesday, the 21st by the Island Director for Culture and Education, José Luis Rivero; FMUC director, Francisco Díaz; Ascanio y Química assistant director, José Ramón Revuelta; and the expert in Culture of Fundación Disa, Andrea León.

José Luis Rivero stressed that the festival was special, not just because of its scope but also because this is its tenth year. “I’m one of the lucky people who’ve been here from the beginning, when it first started during the economic crisis; but time, the audience and the public institutions which support the festival have proved us right”, the culture director explained.

Rivero talked about FMUC’s loyal audience and about newcomers: “People who come for the first time, discover a soundscape they couldn’t ever imagine, not just because of the aesthetics and the stage display but also because of the new sonorities”. Finally, he highlighted that “the impulse this festival gives to local musicians’ careers”.

FMUC director admitted that “we’ve shared many experiences in these past ten years, like 42 concerts festuring more than 160 musicians from 14 different countries who have premiered 16 works on the island, five of which were commissioned by Auditorio de Tenerife”. Francisco Díaz explained that “we’ll have a world premiere this year, La Fortaleza, by Francis Hernández, in the concert of DifrAcción Ensemble, plus two other premieres in Spain by Sinfónica de Tenerife and Twincussion”.

José Ramón Revuelta mentioned that his company collaborates with the festival “because we believe in the collaboration between culture and industry”. “We’d like the festival to go even further and be a support for new musicians who’re just starting”, added the assistant director of sponsoring company Ascanio y Química. In Andrea León’s view, “it’s exciting to see the festival grow every year and at Fundación Disa we’re proud to be part of this project by sponsoring it, as it makes the island a national focus for two weeks”.

The programme this year pursues the same objectives and values that inspired the setting up of the festival: filling a gap in contemporary programmes, giving visibility to percussion as a creative discipline, promoting the talent of interpreters and building ties between the international and the local scene.

Auditorio de Tenerife, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias and Paraninfo of the University of La Laguna (ULL) are the festival venues this year. The first show will be a season concert by Sinfónica de Tenerife, Concierto para marimba y orquesta, with the collaboration of FMUC and the participation of US renowned marimba player Leigh Howard Stevens. This will be on Friday, the 24th at 7:30 pm at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife. The programme includes pieces by Debussy, Kurka and Bartok.

Making the most of the visit of this marimba expert, whose techniques have been spread worldwide, on the day of the concert there will be a talk with Stevens on the piece Concerto Orchestra and Marimba, by Robert Kurka, at 10:00 am in Sala Sinfónica addressed to students of Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias.

Also, at 4:00 pm on Wednesday the 22nd there will be a work session at the Conservatoire for students at Elementary, Intermediate, and Upper levels, musicians in general and composers.

Leigh Howard Stevens’s repertoire ranges from Renaissance music, preludes and fugues by Bach to original marimba works written by contemporary composers for him. Percussionists from all over the globe have adopted his ground-breaking method of four-mallet grip. It is hard to find one single aspect regarding marimba technique, repertoire or design that has not been deeply modified by Stevens, who also founded Malletech, world leader in the design and production of percussion instruments.

The programme continues at 7:30 pm on Monday, the 27th with a concert by DifrAcción Ensemble at Auditorio de Tenerife’s Sala de Cámara. The group was set up to cover the need for that music which is not usually included in the regular programmes of auditoriums, groups and festivals: 21^st century academic contemporary music.

Next, the duo Twincussion will be performing on Wednesday the 29^th at 7:30 pm at Sala de Cámara in Auditorio de Tenerife. This duo is made up by Taiwanese twins Jen-Ting and Jen-Yu Chien, who are both representative of the brands Mike Balter Mallets and Yamaha. This special duo was set up more than 20 years ago and today they are presenting their new percussion phase. Their varied repertoire ranges from Romantic transcriptions to contemporary pieces, including arrangements of popular Taiwanese pieces, and electronic music, like the piece they are premiering in Spain at this concert.

On Tuesday, the 28the at 6:00 pm Twincussion will be giving a master class at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias addressed to students at Elementary, Intermediate, and Upper levels, musicians in general and composers.

At 8:00 pm on Wednesday, 5th June, the Paraninfo of La Laguna University (ULL) is hosting the concert Afrikanbach. In this singular project, its director, Jesús Salvador Chapi, presents a show devoted to an unprecedented figure in the history of universal culture: Johann Sebastian Bach. The programme features the Coro Polifónico Universitario de La Laguna, La Luna de África, Agwal Percussion Group and a jazz trio made up by Francisco Hernández (piano), Juan Carlos Baeza (double bass) and Natanael Ramos (trumpet). They are playing auteur pieces arranged on the percussion orchestral base and some African traditional music.

Agwal Ensemble, directed by pianist and composer Francis Hernández, will be playing on 13 June at 7:30 pm at Sala de Cámara in Auditorio de Tenerife. This percussion group was set up at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias in Tenerife, and their main goal is to show the specific percussion repertoire in Spain. They have won international awards and have given concerts in different parts of the globe.

These four last performances all have a pre-concert talk an hour before the show in the same venue. Admission to the talks is free and tickets for the concerts in Auditorio de Tenerife can be bought at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday except holidays, on www.auditoriodetenerife.com  or calling 902 317 327.

The third Tenerife Percussion Camp is being held on 15 and 16 June at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias. It ends with a concert that is open to the general public on Sunday, the 16th at 6:30 pm. Admission is free.

In the camp, professional, students and amateur percussionists get together. It includes drum, Latin and classic percussion classes for professionals and students with prior music knowledge. On the other hand, a series of workshops in African and Brazilian percussion is also taking place for amateurs plus other workshops for the family. To enrol and take part in Tenerife Percussion Camp please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The camp’s pedagogic team includes Roberto Amor, one of the most sought-after drummers in the Canaries; Fede Beuster, a top drummer on the islands who focuses on a teaching programme to make his instrument better known; José Carlos Cubas will be giving the Latin percussion classes; Charli Llácer, Carlos Castañeda and Verónica Cagigao are dealing with classic percussion; Nuria Herrero will give the Brazilian music workshop; and Andrea Domínguez and Ignacio Jiménez will give the workshop Rhythm and Music for the Family, learning music through games and artistic creation.

La Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife, formación residente de Auditorio de Tenerife, despide su segunda temporada con Be water, my friend, un programa compuesto por suites acuáticas de George Friedrich Handel y Georg Philipp Telemann. La última interpretación de la Barroca, que contará por tercera vez con la dirección del también clavecinista valenciano Juan de la Rubia, tendrá lugar en la Sala de Cámara el jueves [día 23] a las 19:30 horas.

Las colecciones de danzas barrocas compuestas en Fa, Sol y Do mayor, las dos primeras por Handel, para legitimar con música y propaganda el poder de Jorge I de Gran Bretaña, en 1717, y la tercera por Telemann, para celebrar el centenario del Almirantazgo de Hamburgo, en 1723, anudan para siempre a estos dos grandes compositores, de cuya asociación saldría ganando la ópera, pues fue Telemann quien introdujo a Handel, en Halle, en el género que le daría mayor fama internacional desde Londres.

Además de Juan de la Rubia como clave y director, completan el plantel de músicos Adrián Linares, violín barroco y concertino; Lorena Padrón y Laura Díaz, violines barrocos I; Judith Verona, Sergio Suarez y Giovanni Déniz, violines barrocos II; Leticia Moros y Melchor García, violas barrocas; Pablo Sosa, flauta travesera barroca; Pepa Megina, oboe I; Noelia Melián, oboe II; Alberto Domínguez y Francisco Padrón, flauta de pico; Isaure Lavergne, fagot barroco; Fernando Santiago y Diego Pérez, violonchelos barrocos; Juan Carlos Baeza, violón; y Carlos Oramas, tiorba y guitarra barroca.

El mismo día del concierto pero a las 11:00 horas tendrá lugar la segunda sesión para escolares de la Orquesta para 340 alumnos de Primaria de seis centros de la isla, que se desarrolla en el marco del Área Educativa y Social del Auditorio de Tenerife, que cuenta como colaboradores con la Fundación Cepsa y la Obra Social “la Caixa”. En estos encuentros los jóvenes músicos de la formación acercan el género y los instrumentos históricos a los más pequeños de una forma amena y divertida.

Las entradas pueden adquirirse en los canales habituales de Auditorio de Tenerife, en taquilla de 10:00 a 19:30 horas, de lunes a sábado excepto festivos, a través de www.auditoriodetenerife.com  o por teléfono en el 902 317 327.

En el fluir del Támesis y del Elba, hacia el mar del Norte, la fantasía y la metáfora permiten lucubrar, con música, programas basados en la mitología, los emblemas y las alegorías. Si cierto es que Handel toma de Tafelmusik motivos para construir nuevos universos sonoros y ampliar su catálogo, no es difícil asociar la idea de que el laboratorio londinense del Water Music estimulara a Telemann, pues son evidentes los motivos melódicos representados en Wassermusik, que beben del primero, sin olvidar la música programática vivaldiana presente en ambos.

El director artístico de la formación, Conrado Álvarez, explica que “basta recordar algunos de los pasajes de il Cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione abordados por la Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife en estos dos años, en diferentes ocasiones, y que esta última noche, casi de manera especular, resonarán en sus memorias auditivas”.

La escucha de La Fantasía para flauta travesera sin bajo continuo será la conexión con Euterpe, como el ancestral aulos, que dormirá a Thetis hasta después del descanso, para iniciar con la Sarabanda Die schlafende Thetis.

“El prodigio acuático musical, ut musica poesis, culmina con el elegante y danzarín Canario Die lustigen Boots, colofón de la terrenal diversión tras el zambullido de los dioses en el letargo del tiempo, como reiterada demostración, genitrix del título del concierto modulado por Bruce Lee, del taoísta sentimiento del fluir de la vida, como el agua,  sin la intervención humana”, adelanta Álvarez.

The Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife, Auditorio de Tenerife resident ensemble, bids its second season farewell with Be water, my friend, a programme consisting of water suites by George Friedrich Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann. This is the last performance of the OBDT, who are joined for the third time by Valencia conductor and harpsichord player Juan de la Rubia. It will be held at 7:30 pm on Thursday, the 23 at Sala de Cámara.

The collections of Baroque dance composed in F, G and C major, the first two by Handel to legitimise, through music and propaganda, the power of King George I of Great Britain in 1717, and the third by Telemann, to celebrate the centenary of Hamburg Admiralty, in 1723. Both works tie together these two great composers forever, and this association would ultimately benefit opera as it was Telemann who, while in Halle, introduced Handel to the genre that was to give him international fame from London.

In addition to Juan de la Rubia as conductor and harpsichord player, the group is made up by musicians Adrián Linares, Baroque violin and leader of the orchestra; Lorena Padrón and Laura Díaz, Baroque violin I; Judith Verona, Sergio Suarez and Giovanni Déniz, Baroque violins II; Leticia Moros and Melchor García, Baroque violas; Pablo Sosa, Baroque traverse flute; Pepa Megina, oboe I; Noelia Melián, oboe II; Alberto Domínguez and Francisco Padrón, recorder; Isaure Lavergne, Baroque bassoon; Fernando Santiago and Diego Pérez, Baroque cellos; Juan Carlos Baeza, double bass; and Carlos Oramas, theorbo and Baroque guitar.

On the same day of the concert at 11:00 am the Orchestra’s second session for school children Will take place. 340 primary school students from six different schools are coming to take part in a Project under Auditorio de Tenerife’s Education and Social area, with the collaboration of Fundación Cepsa y la Obra Social “la Caixa”. In these get-togethers with kids, the ensemble’s young musicians tell them about historical genres and instruments in an entertaining way.

Tickets can be bought at Auditorio de Tenerife box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday except holidays; on www.auditoriodetenerife.com  or calling 902 317 327.

In the flowing of the Thames and the Elbe towards the North Sea, fantasy and metaphor allow to lucubrate music programmes based on myths, emblems and allegory. Handel takes motifs from Tafelmusik to build new sound universes and widen his catalogue; it is not difficult to imagine that the London lab of Water Music stimulated Telemann, as it is evident that the melodic motifs in Wassermusik, are inspired by the former, though Vivaldi’s programmatic music should not be overlooked as it is present in both.

The ensemble’s artistic director, Conrado Álvarez, explains that “Just remember some of the passages of il Cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione played by OBDT in these past two years on different occasions, which tonight will resound in your auditive memory specularly.

Listening to the Fantasia for Traverse Flute without Bass will connect with Euterpe, like ancestral aulos, who sends Thetis to sleep until after the break, to start with the Sarabande Die schlafende Thetis.

“The prodigious water music, ut musica poesis, concludes with the elegant Canarie Die lustigen Boots, the culmination of this earthly amusement, after the gods dive into the lethargy of time as a repeated demonstration, genitrix of the concert title modulated by Bruce Lee, of the Tao feeling of life flowing, like water, with no human intervention”, Álvarez reveals.

El ciclo Primavera Musical, organizado por la Federación de Bandas de Tenerife con la colaboración del Cabildo Insular, vive este domingo [día 19] su noveno concierto en el Auditorio de Tenerife. La Sala de Cámara acogerá a partir de las 11:30 horas y con entrada libre hasta completar aforo a las siguientes asociaciones musicales: Alcaraván (San Juan de la Rambla), Santísimo Cristo del Calvario (El Tanque) y Santiago del Teide.

La primera interpretación del acto correrá a cargo de la Asociación Musical Alcaraván, de San Juan de la Rambla. Los 30 músicos de esta formación comenzarán su programa con la Antología de la Zarzuela, de Julio Hernández Gómez, para continuar con Las Playas de Rio, de Kees Vlak. Por último, la banda dirigida por  Miguel Ángel Arrocha Rodríguez cerrará con la ejecución de How to Train Your Dragon, con arreglos de Sean O'Loughlin.

A continuación la Asociación del Santísimo Cristo del Calvario, de El Tanque, interpretará el pasodoble Monforte del Cid, de Juan Molina. El bolero Contigo en la distancia de César Portillo será el siguiente tema que aborde la plantilla de 30 músicos del norte de la isla. Bajo la batuta de José Eduardo Morales Meneses finalizarán su intervención con The Blues Factory, de Jacob de Haan.

Los 30 intérpretes de la Asociación Musical Santiago del Teide, bajo la dirección de Jorge Pujol Fumero, asumen la tercera parte del concierto, que comenzará con Odilia (Pop Overture for Band), de Jacob de Haan. A continuación, harán sonar The  Blues Brothers Revue, de Jay Bocook. Esta sesión de Primavera Musical terminará con Danzas Cubanas, de Robert Sheldon.

La próxima cita con este ciclo de bandas federadas tinerfeñas  que acoge el Auditorio de Tenerife tendrá lugar el domingo 26 de mayo a la misma hora y en el mismo lugar con entrada libre hasta completar aforo. Los siguientes conciertos serán el 2 y 16 de junio.