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El profesor de canto coral y director de formaciones grupales, Basilio Astulez, finalizó ayer [domingo 27] sus sesiones de trabajo en el Auditorio de Tenerife con las formaciones corales del Cabildo e impartió el taller Crecer cantando. Esta actividad formativa estaba destinada a mejorar los ensayos, repertorios y formas de enseñanza de coros infantiles y juveniles. A través de ejercicios físicos, vocales y reflexiones personales, Astulez ofreció a más de cincuenta directores, coralistas y docentes de las islas herramientas para poner en marcha sus proyectos corales. “En los coros de produce el milagro de relacionar personas que, de otra manera, nunca compartirían nada, cantando en la misma cuerda con años de diferencia”, asegura el docente vasco.

Astulez habla de la calidez humana que emana de proyectos como la Escuela Coral de Tenerife, con la que trabajó durante los dos primeros días y resalta que “la importancia de los proyectos corales que está sacando adelante Tenerife es total y ahora más que nunca”. “Las redes sociales le están ganando terreno a las redes humanas; es muy importante asociarse, estar en contacto, enriquecerse y compartir con otras personas”, explica el profesor, quien añade que “todos tenemos que ganar cuando salimos de nuestro lugar aislado y nos encontramos con amigos y compañeros con los que compartimos este amor”.

En sus ensayos, Astulez da especial importancia a la expresión corporal, como demostró en sus sesiones con el Coro Juvenil de Auditorio de Tenerife, al que pone el título de “gran embajador del trabajo coral que se está haciendo no solo en la Isla sino en toda Canarias”. Su formación, según el director, es “otro pequeño milagro”, ya que “deben confluir muchos factores para que un grupo como este pueda emerger, y hacerlo con la calidad que ha demostrado”. “Se trata de un grupo muy receptivo, con muchas posibilidades, muy joven y en constante evolución al que se le augura un gran futuro”, determinó.

Basilio Astulez volverá pronto a la isla, ya que formará parte del equipo docente del II Campamento Coral, que se celebrará entre el 1 y el 5 de julio en el IES La Laboral de La Laguna. Para esta cita, promete seguir innovando en las formas de trabajar, “con una serie de piezas enlazadas que al final compondrán una sola pieza de entre quince y veinte minutos”. Durante el verano ofrecerá, además, la gira por Tenerife de Kantika Korala, la formación coral que fundó y dirige, compuesta por 50 jóvenes entre 10 y 18 años. “Es un proyecto que me hace muchísima ilusión y estamos preparando un repertorio que va desde lo clásico hasta la música vasca, pasando por piezas de países como Singapur, Marruecos, Gran Bretaña, Escandinavia o los países bálticos; con un fuerte componente físico, que hace del lenguaje corporal la principal seña de identidad del Coro”.

La próxima actividad formativa de la Red de Coros, promovida por el área Tenerife 2030 de Cabildo, traerá en el mes de marzo a las aulas de Auditorio a Pedro Teixeira, en un taller de Interpretación totalmente gratuito que culminará con un concierto en el Casino de Tenerife.

On Tuesday, the 29th, Auditorio de Tenerife welcomes 2,950 schoolchildren who are coming to watch two learning performances by Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Tenerife Miguel Jaubert [Miguel Jaubert Tenerife Young Philharmonic Orchestra]. El bosque encantado-re-mi-fa-sol [The enchanted Forest-D-E-F-G] is the show the group is offering young islanders this year.

Different schools from twelve municipalities across the island are taking part: Adeje, Arico, Arona, Candelaria, Granadilla, La Laguna, La Orotava, Los Realejos, San Miguel, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Úrsula and Tacoronte. The 88 young musicians are joined by 11 actors and four singers to turn Auditorio de Tenerife’s Sala Sinfónica into a great enchanted forest.

Their programme includes both classic pieces (L’Arlésienne-Suite nº2 by Georges Bizet, Tritsch Tratsch Polka by Johann Strauss and Hungarian Dance nº 5 by Johannes Brahms), and current great hits (Pharrell Williams’s Happy  arranged by José Cubas and What a wonderful world by Louis Amstrong), film soundtracks (themes from The Lord of the Rings by Howard L. Shore arranged by J. Whitney and Recuérdame, from the film Coco, by K. Anderson López and R. López) and even local songs (Vivo en un archipiélago by Manuel Negrín).

El bosque encanta-do-re-mi-fa-sol is inspired by classic tales that take place in groves, the perfect setting for the imagination, fantasy, and mystery. The hero in this story dreams of becoming a musician but to achieve it, he must overcome some obstacles that stop him from finding the way back home. He is not alone as he has a wide range of characters from classic tales who, like him, will discover music’s saving powers.

The music director is José Antonio Cubas Delgado, who teaches trombone at Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias and Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Stage direction is by art historians Gerardo Fuentes Pérez and Tania Marrero, while María Jesús Cuéllar Moreno is in charge of pedagogic direction.  She is principal lecturer at the Specific Didactics Department of La Laguna University.

Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Tenerife Miguel Jaubert was set up in September 2012 with Fundación DISA as their main sponsor. This group is part of the social project of Asociación Canaria para la Difusión de la Música (Acadim) [Canarian Association for the spreading of music] and it is a children’s orchestra that makes music for children, thus following the original idea of the founder of the project, Miguel Jaubert Gómez.

MAPAS 2019, Mercado de las Artes Performativas del Atlántico Sur [South Atlantic Performing Arts Market], is holding from Monday, 28 January to Wednesday, the 30^th, the second free workshop to help the performing arts and music professionals consolidate and boost their projects in international markets. Cultural consultant for artistic mobility and internationalization Tony González, is giving this workshop targeted at professionals exclusively. It is held at Auditorio de Tenerife and it is fully booked.

The aim of this workshop, called Escena internacional [International Scene], is to provide methodological tools and resources so that organizations, groups and artists of live arts can take care by themselves of their own mobility and internationalization campaign. It is a hands-on workshop and it applies the methodology Rutas de Movilidad e Internacionalización a los proyectos artísticos y empresariales de los participantes. [Mobility and Internationalization Routes for Participants’ Artistic and Business projects].

Participants will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses regarding mobility in order to learn whether they are ready to internationalize their projects. In addition to giving a diagnosis of their situation, Tony González e will show them resources and information on the live arts international circuit as well as on understanding the mechanisms of international artistic relationships. Members will also learn to design a mobility and internationalization strategy and plan an artistic or business project so that they can start their own journey across other countries.

Toni González has over 25 years of professional experience in the cultural sector. He is a consultant for artistic mobility and internationalization; he gives advice, follows-up and trains live arts organizations throughout the development of their mobility and internationalization process. He designs and directs projects on information exchange and good practice at international level and he also researches in cultural politics in the areas of internationalization, culture and the performing arts and music management.

MAPAS will be held from 10th to 14th July 2019, organized by Cabildo de Tenerife, unahoramenos Producciones and Circulart. The call for artists, companies, musicians booking, management and distribution agencies from Africa, America and Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal) is open until 15th February. You can also register to take part in the speed business meetings and parallel activities for programmers, cultural managers and other professionals related to programming performing arts worldwide. 

Ópera de Tenerife has started working on the production of L’elisir d’amore, the title of the 6^th Opera (e)Studio to be premiered in October at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife. Work started with the presentation of the drafts for the stage design and will be followed by the auditions in February to take place in Bologna, Tbilisi, Madrid and Tenerife to choose the participants in this year’s production.

The Cabildo’s island director for Culture, José Luis Rivero, welcomed stage director Pablo Maritano, who explained the details of the stage design proposed for L’elisir d’amore. Their meeting was also attended by set designer Serena Rocco, costume designer, Lorena Marin, Ópera de Tenerife’s intendant, Alejandro Abrante, and Auditorio de Tenerife’s technical director, Jorge Cabrera, among others.

Maritano (Buenos Aires, 1976) is one of the most renowned Argentinian stage managers of his generation. He has carried out his career in America and his presence in Tenerife next October is his debut in Europe.

The singers to take part in this production will be chosen in auditions to be held in February. The tests start in Bologna from 4 to 6 February, to then go on to Tbilisi on 8 and 9, Madrid on 11, 13 and 14, and finally Tenerife on 16 February.

Opera (e)Studio 2019 is supported by the European Union through Creative Europe. The project, led by Ópera de Tenerife in partnership with Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, was awarded the maximum funding available. This initiative includes the production to travel to Bologna and Tbilisi next year after its premier in Tenerife next October. Further information about this international production is available on www.operaestudio.eu.

2019 MAPAS workshops starting this week at Auditorio de Tenerife are fully booked. Their aim is to boost internationalization and consolidate stage and music projects. The first module targeted at musicians, groups and bands, started on Monday, 21 January and finishes on Wednesday, 23, totalling 12 hours of training.

MAPAS’s organizers Cabildo de Tenerife, unahoramenos Producciones and Circulart, maintain their commitment to training with the aim of providing artists with the information and knowledge on the cultural industry to allow them build solid projects that guarantee their development and feasibility.

Musician, composer, producer, cultural manager and promoter Gerry Rosado (Gerardo Rosado Colmenares, City of México, 1970) is giving the workshop called “Toco, luego existo o diplomado en administración de expectativas” [I play therefore I am or graduated in Expectations Administration]. In it he seeks to give participants the necessary tools to identify their own situation within the changing music industry and set realistic, feasible expectations for their musical project.

The course contents deal with the most common practices and goes over the processes that weaken the artist’s capacity to act on their surroundings. The aim is to come to a diagnosis of the current situation, taking into account the inner structure of the group or the musical project, its artistic features and their work capital.

Gerry Rosado will guide participants into widening the resources to achieve their aim in production, sound engineering, booking, collaborative structures, project design, etc. He will also provide them with tools to deal with managing negotiation strategies, establishing the scope and characteristics of the market, technology, public relations or reaching strategic alliances.  

The next workshop is for performing arts professionals and is being held next week, from 28 to 30 January, totalling 12 hours of training. The workshop is called “Escena internacional” [International Scene], and will be given by Toni González (Tortosa, 1956). Its main goal is to provide methodologic tools and resources so that organizers, groups and artists of live arts can carry out their own mobility and internationalization campaign.  It is a hands-on workshop and the methodology to be applied is “Rutas de Movilidad e Internacionalización a los proyectos artísticos y empresariales de los participantes” [Mobility and Internationalization Routes for Participants’ Artistic and Business projects].

MAPAS third year is being held from 10 to 14 July 2019. The call for artists, companies, musicians booking, management and distribution agencies from Africa, America and Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal) is open until 15 February. You can also register to take part in the speed business meetings and parallel activities for programmers, cultural managers and other professionals related to programming performing arts worldwide who are interested in attending the Mercado de las Artes Performativas del Atlántico Sur [South Atlantic Market of the Performing Arts]. 

El Auditorio de Tenerife recibe mañana [domingo 20] y el lunes [día 21] a las 20:00 horas el espectáculo Grandes éxitos, protagonizado por el presentador de televisión Jorge Javier Vázquez. Se trata de una comedia escrita y dirigida por Juan Carlos Rubio, con dirección musical de Julio Awad y coreografía de Federico Barrios. Cuatro músicos tocarán en directo durante la puesta en escena, en la que también actúan los artistas Inés León, Alejandro Vera y Bea Ros.

El espectáculo hace un repaso por algunas de las más famosas canciones de la historia: grandes musicales, boleros, baladas y temas bailables. Con este repertorio, la propuesta quiere lograr que el público comprenda que, por muchas deudas que cuelguen del pasado, la verdadera amistad siempre consigue abrirse camino.

La obra parte de la premisa de que el popular presentador ha aceptado grabar un disco con tres condiciones: que se llame Grandes éxitos, que se grabe en un teatro con música en vivo y que ella le acompañe en un dúo. ¿Y quién es ella? La famosísima cantante Blanca del Bosque (interpretada por Inés León) que ha visto cómo su carrera languidecía en los últimos años a causa de sus múltiples adicciones.

Ambos fueron muy amigos pero, a día de hoy, ni se dirigen la palabra. Ella visitó el plató de Sálvame para ganar un dinero que necesitaba y no entendió que Jorge Javier no la protegiera de las terribles, y ciertas, acusaciones de los colaboradores. Se juraron odio eterno y su amistad quedó truncada. Ahora tendrán que compartir escenario en una noche única.

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

Sinfónica de Tenerife is giving a family concert at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín on Saturday, 19^th at 12:00 noon. Pulcinella , a piece where the characters of commedia dell’arte lead a story told by Ana Hernández-Sanchiz, based on the ballet and directed by Ignacio García-Vidal.

Tickets cost 5 euros and can be purchased at the box office from 10am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday, by telephone on 902 317 327 or on the websites www.sinfonicadetenerife.es y www.auditoriodetenerife.com. This outreach event by Sinfónica de Tenerife is part of the Tenerife 2030 Strategy carried out by the Island Cabildo.

During the week more than 4,000 primary school children from 48 schools and 14 different municipalities on the island came to Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín and had the chance to enjoy, in a playful simple way, listening to an orchestra playing live. “The story begins when Pulcinella takes her old violin and starts to play and dance, in a way only he can do…” Based on the homonymous musical tale by Fernando Palacios, this show brings children the performance of well-known scores in a unique, magic experience that includes learning about oneself. The repertoire includes Pulcinella Suite by Igor Stravinsky and Holberg Suite, op. 40, by Edvard Grieg.  

With these new performances, Sinfónica de Tenerife continues the didactic work it has been offering to the youngest and the education community. Through their outreach programme, this Cabildo’s orchestra aims at making quality culture available to all audiences -especially the youngest- through innovative, interdisciplinary proposals. At the same time, they reinforce their commitment to bring music to the community, putting an emphasis on disadvantaged groups or people who have specific needs.

A pulley and rope system tied at eight and half metres from the ground will make the main characters of Tristan and Isolde fly above the stage. You can enjoy this show on 2 and 3 February at 7:30 pm at Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín. The Ballet of Grand Théâtre De Genève is bringing a 33-strong team, 24 of which are dancers, to perform this Arthurian legend with music by Richard Wagner.

In addition to the aerial piece, where the ropes stand for the love that joins both lovers together, this production offers an array of stage elements that give it great visual attraction, as for instance an impressive spiral stair on wheels, big pieces of fabric used by the dancers, boards and wooden rods plus light bars. The floor at Sala Sinfónica del Auditorio will be covered in a specific kind of vinyl for dance shows measuring twelve square metres and brought in by the company.

The set travels to the island in a 12-metre long container. These elements convey the dream-like and metaphoric vision of the show’s choreographer, Joëlle Bouvier, who bases herself on this language to deal with the main topics of the story: love, disturbed love, betrayal, resentment and forgiveness.

Bouvier, founder of the L'Esquisse company in 1980, with this version of Tristan and Isolde, once again explores an iconic piece in Wagner’s music. After presenting her Romeo and Juliet, she now displays on stage moments of rupture as hatred rubs shoulders with the flames of extreme passion. Suffering and antagonism seem to be best resolved at night, at death.

The leading characters in Tristan and Isolde are two lovers: a princess, played by Madeline Wong, and a young man performed by Geoffrey Van Dyck. She is engaged to King Mark, interpreted by Armando Gonzalez Besa, and has a confidant, the Witness, danced by Sara Shigenari. Other dancers include Yumi Aizawa, Céline Allain, Ornella Capece, Angèle Cartier, Diana Duarte, Léa Mercurol, Tiffany Pacheco, Mohana Rapin, Lysandra van Heesewijk, Valentino Bertolini, Adelson Carlos, Andrei Cozlac, Xavier Juyon, Juan Perez, Zachary Clark, Simone Repele, Sasha Riva and Nahuel Vega.

Tickets for both performances can be purchased at Auditorio de Tenerife box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday, on www.auditoriodetenerife.com here or calling 902 317 327.

Sinfónica de Tenerife is offering a new concert for families entitled Pulcinella on Saturday, 19^th at 12:00 noon at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife. The show, inspired by characters of commedia dell’arte, will encourage the youngest in the family to listen to live music. Conducted by Ignacio García-Vidal, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, derived from the ballet, and Grieg’s music will join the musical tale narrated and performed by Ana Hernández-Sanchiz.

This proposal, which is part of the orchestra’s outreach programme through Cabildo’s Tenerife 2030 strategy, is one of four didactic concerts to take place on Thursday, 17^th and Friday, 18^th with two performances, at 10:00 and 11:30 am. More than 4,500 primary school children will have the chance to enjoy it. Tickets for the family performance are available at 5 Euros at Auditorio de Tenerife’s 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.

“The story begins when Pulcinella takes her old violin and starts to play and dance, in a way only he can do…” Based on the homonymous musical tale by Fernando Palacios, this show brings children the performance of well-known scores in a unique, magic experience that includes learning about oneself. The repertoire includes Pulcinella Suite by Igor Stravinsky and Holberg Suite, op. 40, by Edvard Grieg.  

With these new performances, Sinfónica de Tenerife continues the didactic work it has been offering to the youngest and the education community. Through their outreach programme, this Cabildo’s orchestra aims at making quality culture available to all audiences -especially the youngest- through innovative, interdisciplinary proposals. At the same time, they reinforce their commitment to bring music to the community, putting an emphasis on disadvantaged groups or people who have specific needs.

The 35 Festival Internacional de Música de Canarias (FIMC) [35^th International Music Festival of the Canary Islands] opens with a concert opera on Thursday, 10 January at 8:00 pm in Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín. The concert will be performed again on Saturday, 12 January at the same time in Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.  The piece chosen is none other than Richard Strauss’s "Ariadne auf Naxos", to be performed by  Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife under the baton of its conductor Antonio Méndez, and a cast of voices featuring sopranos Ricarda Merbeth and Brenda Rae, tenors Roberto Saccá plus the Canarian singers Juan Antonio Sanabria, Anelio Gibrán, Elisandra Melián and Manuel Gómez Ruiz, among others.

The opening concert was presented today in an informative event that included the participation of the local minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Government of the Canary Islands, Isaac Castellano; the island director for Culture of Tenerife Cabildo, José Luis Rivero; the event’s director, Jorge Perdigón; the conductor of Sinfónica, Antonio Méndez; and Belén Machado, head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canarias, which contributes to the concert and the introductory talks programmed in the festival.

Regarded as one of the most beautiful operas of the German repertoire, the concert is an opportunity to look into the world created by Strauss – a satire of high society, an insight into Renaissance’s patronage and opera itself, breaking of social hierarchies which are radically opposed as the outlandish characters of commedia dell’arte mingle with the famous and dazzling opera stars.  Because "Ariadne auf Naxos" is an opera within an opera, a unique case with impressive music.

It is produced by the festival, organized by the Government of the Canary Islands with  the collaboration of Fundación Cepsa, which also contributes to the introductory talks scheduled which are by musician and speaker Ricardo Ducantenzeiler. Those who wish to learn more about this production can come to the talk that is taking place an hour before the concert (7:00 pm) at the Auditorios.

Sinfónica de Tenerife, committed to the Festival as ever, is in charge of opening the event. For the first time, Antonio Méndez will be conducting his orchestra and a spectacular cast of ten singers. Ariadne and Zerbinetta will be performed by Ricarda Merbeth and Brenda Rae; Bacchus is played by Roberto Saccá; tenor Juan Antonio Sanabria has the role of Brighella; baritone Anelio Gibrán plays Harlekin; tenor Manuel Gómez Ruiz is Scaramuccio; bass José Coca plays Truffaldino; and the three nymphs, Dryad, Naiade and Echo are played by Mª Luisa Corbacho (mezzo), Elisandra Melián (soprano) and Svetla Krasteva (soprano).

Tickets are available at www.festivaldecanarias.comand the usual platforms of both Auditorios.

About 'Ariadne auf Naxos'

"Ariadne auf  Naxos", with score by Strauss and libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, was initially written in one single act, which came after the performance of Molière’s play "Le Bourgeois gentilhomme" ("The Bourgeois Gentleman"), for which Strauss wrote the incidental music, a divertimento. This is how it was premiered in the German city of Stuttgart in 1912, as well as in other cities.

Ariadne feels abandoned by Theseus in Naxos, after she helped him out of the labyrinth when he killed the Minotaur in Crete. Some nymphs watch her sleep and feel sorry for her fate. When Ariadne realises Theseus has deserted her, she evokes him and wishes he was dead. In the meantime, the comedians unsuccessfully try to entertain her to help her stop thinking about such disturbing issues, but she gets angry and leaves. Suddenly, the nymphs announce the arrival of a ship that brings the god Bacchus, who has managed to flee from Circe. Ariadne mistakes him for death and is ready to let herself be taken by her fatal fate. Then, she thinks it is Theseus who has come back for her until Bacchus shows his divine nature and carries her to heaven.

The fact is audiences were confused by this game that mixed commedia dell’arte and the classic myth of Ariadne, banished by Theseus to the isle of Naxos, where she curses her unhappy fate. This reaction finally convinced the writer who decided to prepare a prologue to explain the game that followed. Strauss did it reluctantly and also had long arguments with Hofmannsthal, but eventually they both agreed to add the prologue and Molière’s play was definitely ruled out. This new version of Ariadne was premiered in Vienna in 1916 and was hugely successful. This is how it has been performed ever since.

The two Viennese creators explore the definition of loneliness in female characters as well as fate, something already dealt with by Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte, another legendary key pair in the history of music as musician and librettist with titles like "Le nozze di Figaro" and "Così fan tutte".

Stage manager Christof Loy, who also took care of it at London’s Covent Garden, points out the relationship with the prologue as it “has to do with a philosophical art manifesto, about how it should be done and under which circumstances, which different influences artists use. However, the single act after the prologue has to be something else, it is about how we grow, how our feelings and outlook on the world change, and they don’t talk about it using the sarcastic resources of the prologue ".

Secrets of the success of this opera

The secrets of the success of this opera may be related to the treatment of music, so subtle, so modern and at the same time, so classic. "The structure is completely classic but this is an opera for virtuosos, for musicians to enjoy themselves in the pit”, the late Spanish conductor Jesús López Cobos said. In his opinion, Strauss did away with that Wagnerian obsession for a huge orchestra, which he shared in other works like "Elektra" and other titles. "He made the best of chamber music. It is a wonderful demonstration of balance between 37 musicians and 17 singers", the conductor stated.

One more good decision was to give the role of composer -a male role- to a woman, an idea of the musician which he included in the prologue. "Strauss believed that the genuine sensitive dimension of the creative effort was given by women rather than men, and among women, by mezzo sopranos, who could express mockery, power and tragedy much better than tenors, for instance", Loy says.

The experiment by this fascinating fruitful pair made up by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal puts forward a fascinating review of classicism through this opera.  What is most outstanding in "Ariadne auf Naxos" is its surprising freshness, detached from its period. It is a game the creative pair suggested to make classicism even more everlasting and reconfirm Haydn and Mozart as the fathers of modernity.

Thus, half-way between comedy and simplicity, they manage to go deep into what interests them most: defining humankind through music and poetry, in a world that was coming out of the 19^th century full of high and utopic expectations: women’s liberation, freedom for humanity, workers, in a plentiful progressive society that eventually succumbed to the Great War.

Other concerts

This is the first event in an ambitious programme that includes 44 concerts to be performed in some twenty different venues across all eight Canary Islands between 10 January and 10 February.  The programme includes great symphony orchestras and camera music groups that will interpret repertoires raging from the 15^th century to the present day, including two works commissioned by the Festival.

This year, FIMC includes the participation of pianist María Joao Pires, Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, with the festival production of Verdi’s 'Requiem'; Hamburg Philharmonic conducted by  Kent Nagano and violinist Veronika Eberle;  St. Petersburg  Philharmonic conducted by  Temirkanov, with pianist George Li;  Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, conducted by David Afkham , Orchestra of Cadaqués, with conductor Anu Tali and pianist Joaquín Achúcarro; Cuarteto Quiroga, the prestigious pianist Martha Argerich;  London Conchord Ensemble;  Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife;  Minsk Chamber Philharmonic, Quantum Ensemble and Jordi Savall with Orquesta Hespérion XXI with the closing concert “The Routes of Slavery, 1444-1888”.

The call is open to take part in Ópera de Tenerife’s audition for the children’s choir that will take part in Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot  this season. The opera will be performed on 19, 21 and 23 March at Sala Sinfónica in Auditorio de Tenerife.

Children aged 6 to 13 can do the audition, which is taking place at Sala Puerto in Auditorio de Tenerife on 12 January at 11:00 am. Access to this room is through reception in the car park level. Candidates do not need to prepare any musical piece.

Parents or legal guardians of children wishing to participate need to send an e-mail before Friday, 11 January at 12:00 noon to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. stating in the subject “Coro Turandot”. You must also specify the child’s full name, his/her date of birth, his/her telephone number (if they have one) and the telephone number of his/her father, mother or legal guardian.

El Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Tenerife (Fimante) se despide de 2018 con el concierto ‘Cantatas italianas’, que será interpretado mañana [día 22] a las 19:00 horas en la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Luz de Los Silos. La entrada para disfrutar de este tipo de composiciones de Claudio Monteverdi, Georg Friedrich Händel y Johann Christian Bach de la mano de Morimoto Barroque Ensemble es libre hasta completar aforo.

La cantata tiene su origen a principios del siglo XVII, de forma simultánea a la ópera y al oratorio. El tipo más antiguo de cantata, conocido como cantata da camera, fue compuesto para voz solista sobre un texto secular. Contenía varias secciones en formas vocales contrapuestas, como son los recitativos y las arias. Entre los compositores italianos que escribieron estas obras se incluyen Giulio Caccini, Claudio Monteverdi y Jacopo Peri.

Hacia finales del siglo XVII, la cantata da camera se convirtió en una composición para dos o tres voces. El director artístico de Fimante, Conrado Álvarez, explica que “Händel compuso cantatas que eran como pequeñas óperas, eran cantatas líricas de alto contenido dramático, algunas concebidas para voz y bajo continuo, otras para voz, bajo continuo y orquesta; entre ellas, cabe destacar Acis, Galatea y Polifemo y Apolo y Dafne”.

Esta formación trabaja desde la interpretación historicista de la música antigua. El ensemble está compuesto por tres músicos residentes en Canarias: Satomi Morimoto, Raquel García Cabrera y Tomás López-Perea Cruz, y en esta ocasión cuenta con la participación de Emiko Morimoto. Cada uno de los componentes tiene una dilatada experiencia musical y en concreto un bagaje amplio en la música antigua. La pasión común por la música de estos siglos es la razón por la cual estos tres músicos decidieron juntarse para conformar este ensamble.

El hecho de encontrar un ensamble de esta naturaleza en Canarias tiene un valor que va relacionado a la dificultad que conlleva la formación académica del género en las islas y la complicación de encontrar músicos que hayan tenido la oportunidad de formarse correctamente siendo capaces de defender un programa de estas características. Morimoto Baroque Ensamble es una formación con una motivación y un objetivo común: el estudio y la búsqueda de la satisfacción al realizar un trabajo tan especializado como maravilloso.