Christian Vásquez leads the orchestra this Friday in an event with the composer Leo Rondón as cuatrista soloist.

 

This week's programme of the Sinfónica de Tenerife pays tribute to Latin American music with its premiere performances of works by Gabriela Ortiz and Leo Rondón, the latter interpreting his composition Concierto del mar para cuatro venezolano y orquesta. (Concert of the Sea for Venezuelan cuatro and orchestra). In addition, the orchestra will interpret compositions of Evencio Castellanos and Alberto Ginastera under the direction of conductor Christian Vásquez. The event is to take place on Friday (17th), starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorio de Tenerife.

The evening's activities are to start with the orchestra's premiere performance of Antrópolis. The short piece, written by the Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz in 2019, pays homage to the nightclubs of her hometown Mexico City and includes sounds from these popular establishments known as antros. After an invigorating timbales solo, the music continues with a cascade of the rhythms that give life to the night-time entertainment scene of the Mexican capital.

The next performance will be the orchestra's first interpretation of Concierto del mar. This work was composed in 2022 by Leo Rondón, who will join the orchestra as a soloist playing the Venezuelan Cuatro, an instrument that is deeply rooted in the Caribbean nation's folklore. During their interpretation, the musicians will make use of different performance techniques in their exploration of rhythms such as merengue, parranda, waltz and joropo.

During the second half of the concert, the orchestra will interpret Santa Cruz de Pacairigua, written by the Venezuelan composer Evencio Castellanos, who premiered the work 70 years ago at the Caracas Cathedral in a dedicatory act celebrating the construction of a new church in Guatire. The work is infused with passionate lyricism and popular rhythms and also bears the influence of other, more academic types of music and even medieval villancicos.

The programme concludes with Estancia: Cuatro danzas, op. 8a by Alberto Ginastera. Composed in 1941, the work reflects a highly personal approach that combines elements of nationalism and modernism. The composer's works are largely based on different types of folklore from his native Argentina and feature a variety of vibrant rhythms.

Christian Vásquez is currently the conductor of the Juan Jose Landaeta Orchestra, one of several of Venezuela's orchestras for children and youth. Prior to this position, he was the musical director of the Symphonic Orchestra Teresa Carreño of Venezuela; chief guest conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra; main conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and chief guest conductor of the Het Gelders Orkest.

Leo Rondón is a Cuatro player, guitarist, double bassist, composer, arranger and the producer of Ávila Quartet, whose members interpret Venezuelan music. He also performs as a Cuatro player with Ensemble L’Arpeggiata, Alexis Cárdenas and Recoveco, Venezuelan Roots and Joropo Jam, in addition to his solo performances in which he is billed as the Leo Rondón Project.

Rondón has performed in many concert halls and international music festivals in Venezuela, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Kazakhstan and Morocco.

In Spain, he has worked with the Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, or Sinfónica de Castilla y León, and has also performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Arctic Philharmonic, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, New World Symphony or the Orchestre National du Pays de la Loire.

The Tenerife Association for Friends of Music offers a new lecture as part of its series of pre-concert conferences. Sergio Rodríguez González will develop the musical intricacies of the four pieces included in the programme in the Sala Avenida of the Auditorio de Tenerife, starting at 6:30 pm.

The tickets for this concert can be purchased until the day of the event on the website www.sinfonicadetenerife.es, at the auditorium's box office and by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.