The International Music Festival of the Canary Islands will return in January and February to the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa to offer six of the concerts programmed in its 36th edition.
On this occasion, its protagonists will be the Russian Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg, one of the most requested chamber ensembles in Europe; Camerata Royal Concertgebouw, formed by members of the famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam; the Cassadó Duo, which captivates with its originality and charisma; the Ainur Choir, which will perform Fauré's Requiem together with musicians from the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra, and the Ornati Quartet, with a program entirely dedicated to Beethoven.
The concerts will take place in the Church of San Roque de Tinajo, Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua, Convent of Santo Domingo de Teguise, and in the Víctor Fernández Gopar Theater "El Salinero", from January 10 to February 8, 2020. Two of the six concerts will be free. Tickets for the other three are now available on the Cultura Lanzarote website and at www.entrees.es.
"Top-level" artists
The presentation took place on Tuesday morning at the Víctor Fernández Gopar Theater "El Salinero" and was attended by the Culture Councilor of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Alberto Aguiar, and the director of the Festival, Jorge Perdigón.
Perdigón stated at the press conference that one of the peculiarities of the Festival in Lanzarote this year is "having all the concerts scheduled from Friday to Saturday." "Each week there will be at least one concert on the island. This is a very important program for Lanzarote and La Graciosa because the artists who come are top-level," said the director of the Festival, who thanked the Cabildo for its collaboration in organizing the event.
For his part, Alberto Aguiar, Culture Councilor of Lanzarote, thanked the Government of the Canary Islands for bringing the Festival back to the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa. "The public of both islands will be able to enjoy again some of the best orchestras and classical music groups on the European and world scene. In this sense, I would also like to thank the collaboration of all the municipalities, as in this case are the City Councils of Teguise and Tinajo, and other entities such as the Bishopric of the Canary Islands or the Tourist Centers," said the Culture Councilor. "Finally," Aguiar continued, "I want to encourage the citizens of both islands to attend the concerts and enjoy the performances. Not every day you have the luck to be able to listen live to orchestras such as the Camerata of the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam or the Russian Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg," concluded the councilor.
Ornati String Quartet in La Graciosa and Tinajo
Organized by the Culture area of the Government of the Canary Islands, with the collaboration of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Festival will begin in La Graciosa on January 10 and in Lanzarote on January 11. The churches of Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Caleta de Sebo) and San Roque (Tinajo), will respectively host a concert by the Ornati String Quartet, composed of musicians from the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra, who will play in the eight islands with a program dedicated to Beethoven. With this, the FIMC pays tribute to the German genius on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Sergio Marrero (violin), Adrián Marrero (violin), Adriana Ilieva (viola) and Carlos Rivero (cello) make up the Ornati and define themselves as "lovers of chamber music". In this sense, their belonging to the quartet makes them find themselves "in the best space to express and share, in addition to delving into the works of the great masters of history". Among them, Ludwig Van Beethoven, whose anniversary makes the Canary Islands begin the year with this tour of concerts focused on the string quartets that the master composed.
Cassadó Duo
It will be followed by the concert of the Cassadó Duo, on Saturday, January 18 in the Cueva de los Verdes, at 8:30 p.m. This prestigious formation is composed of Marta Moll de Alba (piano) and Damián Martínez (cello), who will soon celebrate twenty years on stage. They will do so within the framework of the Festival with a program called 'Ibero-American Echoes', with works by Cassadó himself and by E. Halffter, Falla and Piazzolla.
It is a formation acclaimed internationally for its exquisite musicality and sensitivity, and for captivating both the public and specialized critics thanks to its originality and charisma. They have performed in prestigious auditoriums around the world and have two extraordinary record recordings: 'Rapsodia del Sur' and 'Rojo'. Dúo Cassadó was recommended by the great Alicia de Larrocha as the most brilliant duo representing Spanish chamber music.
Ainur Chamber Choir
A few days later, on Friday, January 24, at 8:30 p.m., in the Convent of Santo Domingo (Teguise), the Ainur Chamber Choir and a group of musicians from the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra will perform together the sublime Requiem by Gabriel Fauré, in its 1893 version.
With José Brito and Mariola Rodríguez as musical and choir directors, respectively, they assume one of the culminating works of the religious repertoire. An "different" oratory, as Fauré himself described it. Indeed, it is an innovative work because, among other things, the French musician modified the traditional liturgical order, omitting the Sequence and adding a celestial ending.
Thus, it is a splendid opportunity to be able to listen to it in the framework for which these types of works were conceived: the churches. They will do so in several temples of the Archipelago, in seven concerts whose first part will be in charge of the choir, with sacred pieces from the 16th century to the present.
Camerata Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam
On Friday, January 31, at 8:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Jameos del Agua, it will be the turn of the Camerata Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, one of the best chamber ensembles in the world, which will arrive to the Islands under the direction of the Spanish oboist Lucas Macías Navarro. It presents a program formed by 'Bagatelles' by Dvorak, the 'Seven Early Songs' by Alban Berg -together with the soprano Judith van Wanroj- and the chamber adaptation of Mahler's Symphony No. 4.
The Camerata of the famous Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, composed of members of this prestigious orchestra, has become a chamber ensemble of great world prestige, praised by the New York Times for its "warm and brilliant performance". Each season they perform about 50 concerts and, in 2020, one of their first stops will be the Canary Islands.
Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg
The 36th Festival on the island will close on Saturday, February 8, at 8:30 p.m., at the Víctor Fernández Gopar Theater "El Salinero", the Russian Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg. With thirty years of experience and founded by musicians from the prestigious Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, they become ambassadors of the great talent and high musical level of the Russian city.
An extraordinary and wide repertoire, which ranges from Baroque to contemporary music, has made it one of the most requested chamber ensembles in Europe. Thanks to its virtuosity and extraordinary sound, the orchestra regularly collaborates with world-renowned soloists in the most important concert halls and international festivals.
Under the direction of Juri Gilbo, they will be responsible for premiering the commissioned work of the Festival, by the Canarian composer Manuel Bonino, in a program that also includes works by Stravinsky and Schubert.
All the information on the website of the Music Festival of the Canary Islands and on the website of Cultura Lanzarote and the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
