Zarzuela is back, along with ‘Ópera en familia’ (Family Opera), ‘Ópera de Cámara’ (Chamber Opera), and ‘Ópera en minúscula’ (Small-format Opera)
Ópera de Tenerife presents its 2025-26 season, which is set to be the most extensive and most ambitious in its history. The programme was presented on 22 April by José Carlos Acha, Minister for Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife; Horacio Umpiérrez, Deputy Councillor for Culture of the Regional Government; and José Luis Rivero, Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife.
Minister Acha described opera as ‘an unparalleled event that has always held great significance for the Auditorio de Tenerife’, adding that ‘the programme for the 2025-26 season consists of 15 works, six of which are included in the subscription’. He specifically mentioned the programmes ‘Ópera en Familia‘ (Family Opera), ‘Ópera de Cámara’ (Chamber Opera), ‘Ópera en minúscula’ (Small-format Opera), the Baroque Opera, as well as the return of Zarzuela with three performances. José Carlos Acha said that Ópera de Tenerife ‘had registered an upturn in subscription holders, standing now at 1,212, over 200 of which are under 30 years of age’. He also mentioned the return of Ramón Gener and his talks for a third consecutive year.
Artistic Director José Luis Rivero said that ‘the increase in works and performances will result in opera being available to the public every month between September 2025 and June 2026’. He also highlighted the variety of formats, performances in exhibition halls, two domestic premieres, a focus on Spanish composers and contemporary creators. He pointed out that ‘this new season is the most affordable for the public in all of Spain’. He also confirmed the Auditorio’s artistic commitment, insisting that its opera programme ‘is unlike any other due to its unique characteristics, focus and dedication, which put it in a category of its own both in Spain and abroad’.
Deputy Councillor Umpiérrez stated that ‘the Auditorio de Tenerife can be proud that this season’s opera programme could be likened to a festival, as the public will attend with great expectation, confiding in the quality of the Auditorio’s selection’. He added that ‘the Auditorio de Tenerife has made a name for itself with wisdom and intelligence, but also with its bold proposals and admirable undertakings’. He concluded by acknowledging that ‘the regional government is very pleased to be able to contribute to the venue’s magnificent business model’.
The programme is intended to broaden operatic horizons as a means of cultural enrichment of the audience. Most of the works are to be performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and the opera choir Coro Titular Ópera de Tenerife Intermezzo.
The Ópera de Tenerife is an initiative organised by the Island Council through the Auditorio de Tenerife with the collaboration of the ICDC (Regional Institute of Cultural Development) and the INAEM (National Institute of Performing Arts and Music).
The first evening of this season’s programme will be 27 June, when the musical communicator Ramón Gener will return to the Chamber Hall to detail the performances scheduled from September onwards. Gener, also a writer and singer, will make eight appearances in 2025 and 2026 to review the programmes with his characteristic talks and audiovisual presentations, performances of piano and voice and profound and entertaining explanations.
This second season of Ópera en minúscula (Small-format Opera) will kick off the September programme, taking its performances to several venues on the island: Espacio La Granja, Teatro Leal and Auditorio de Tenerife. The first is to take place on Sunday, 7 September: Klara, an opera in four haikus, by Pedro Halffter, and Domitila by João Guilherme Ripper, in a coproduction of Juan March Foundation and Zarzuela Theatre. On 17 September, the experimental project of La Plaza will return with the company Teatro Xtremo.
The next works to be performed will be The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigori Frid, on the 19 September, directed by Bruno Berger-Gorski, in collaboration with Europäisches Musiktheater Wien (Austria) and Kultusgemeinde Köln (Germany), followed by María de Buenos Aires, by Astor Piazzolla, on 21 September, with Galemúsica and the participation of the Centro Dramático Galego; Il Giocatore by Niccolò Jommelli on 26 September, in a Universo Zapico production with the participation of Forma Antiqva and Instituto Complutense de Ciencias Musicales (ACCMU); and Tristana by Miguel Huertas on 27 September, a production of the Auditorio de Tenerife and the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
Yerma by Heitor Villa-Lobos will be the season’s first performance accessible for subscription holders. This opera, based on the work of Federico García Lorca, is a production of Auditorio de Tenerife, Zarzuela Theatre and Festival Amazonas de Ópera (Manaos, Brazil). The evening’s performance will be a premiere in Spain with a newly revised score.
The work is to be staged by Paco Azorín and interpreted in four performances, with conductors Luiz Fernando Malheiro (14, 16 and 18 October) and Pablo Urbina (17 October). The role of Yerma is to be interpreted by the sopranos Berna Perles (14, 16 and 18 October) and María Miró (17 October). Completing the cast are tenor Alejandro Roy as Juan, baritone Javier Castañeda as Víctor and mezzo-soprano Anna Gomà as María.
The Auditorio de Tenerife has scheduled three performances of Richard Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) in November. This production of Teatro Municipal de Santiago (Chile) will be performed on Sunday the 16th, Wednesday the 19th and Saturday the 22nd. With conductor Guillermo García Calvo and staging by Marcelo Lombardero, the cast is to be comprised of baritone Luis Cansino as The Dutchman, bass Vazgen Gazaryan as Daland, soprano Ángeles Blancas as Senta and tenor Airam Hernández as Erik.
Adiós a la bohemia, composed by Pablo Sorozábal and libretto by Pío Baroja, will be performed on 5 and 6 December. This production of Donostia Musika is to feature conductor Víctor Pablo Pérez and staging by Ignacio García. The cast will feature soprano Jaquelina Liviari as Trini, baritone Juan Jesús Rodríguez as Ramón, and bass Javier Castañeda in the role of El Vagabundo.
Christoph W. Gluck’s Baroque opera Orfeo ed Euridice is to be performed at the Symphony Hall on 16 and 17 January 2026 in a production of the Auditorio de Tenerife. The performances will be conducted by Jordi Francés and staged and choreographed by the company Mal Pelo, comprised of Pep Ramis and María Muñoz. Mezzo-soprano Teresa Iervolino will interpret the role of Orpheus, soprano Ana Vieira Leite will interpret that of Eurydice, and Amour will be played by soprano Mira Alkhovik.
Four performances of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (Romeo and Juliet) are to take place on 15, 17, 19 and 21 March. This new production of the Auditorio de Tenerife is to feature Brazi-born André Heller-Lopes as stage director. The Sinfónica de Tenerife will perform on this occasion under the leadership of José Luis Gómez and will feature tenor Airam Hernández as Roméo Montaigu and soprano Sofía Esparza as Juliette Capulet.
April will begin with three recitals by tenor José Bros on the 17th, 18th, and 19th at three different venues on the island. The performances will continue with this season’s Ópera en familia (Family Opera) initiative: A kékszakállú herceg vára (Bluebeard’s Castle) by Béla Bartók will be interpreted in Spanish on the 25th and the 26th under the direction of Pedro Chamizo, a long-time collaborator of Ópera de Tenerife who is credited with video-creations of Fuenteovejuna, María Moliner and Giulio Cesare in Egitto.
Los celos hacen estrellas y el amor hace prodigios, a Baroque zarzuela with music composed by Juan Hidalgo and libretto by Juan Vélez de Guevara, is this season’s Ópera de cámara (Chamber opera) offering. Performances are scheduled for 15, 16 and 17 May at Leal Theatre, with conductor Aaron Zapico and stage director Ricardo Campelo, who is a member of Teatro Xtremo.
Tomás Bretón’s La verbena de la paloma marks the return of zarzuela to Ópera de Tenerife in three performances of a production of Zarzuela Theatre: Thursday 25, Friday 26 and Saturday 27. The musical direction will be by Víctor Pablo Pérez, while the stage direction and choreography will be by Nuria Castejón. The cast will include tenor Antonio Comas as Don Hilarión, soprano Carmen Romeu as Susana, and soprano Ana San Martín as Casta.
Other programmes offered this season are related to the involvement and awareness of new audiences. Ópera en ruta (Opera en Route), a series of talks taking place in several municipalities, has more to do with raising awareness of opera than the attendance of performances at the Auditorio. The programme ‘Prevenidos’ is an initiative in collaboration with Fundación DISA that seeks access to the Auditorio’s programming for those who are unaccustomed to attending such events.
Six works are accessible through the Club Ópera and Club Ópera Joven subscription (Yerma, The Flying Dutchman, Adiós a la bohemia, Orfeo ed Euridice, Roméo et Juliette and La verbena de la paloma), which are priced at €125 and €175, depending on the chosen days of the performances. For members of the public under 30 years of age, the subscriptions are priced at €30. The renewal of subscriptions began on 23 April, and new subscriptions may be purchased from 17 June onwards.