Photos: Sergio Betancort
The 35th edition of the Canary Islands Music Festival kicked off with great success on Sunday night in the Church of San Roque in Tinajo, with a performance by the Quiroga String Quartet, made up of three violinists and a cellist who from the very first moment won the applause of the numerous audience that packed the two naves of the temple to enjoy a musical genre that increasingly attracts more supporters of different ages.
The Quiroga Quartet, quartet residing in the Royal Palace of Madrid and responsible for its Palatine Collection of decorated Stradivarius, is considered today as one of the most unique and active groups of the new European generation, internationally recognized by critics and the public for the strong personality of its character as a group and for its bold and innovative interpretations.
For the opening act of the 35th Edition of the Canary Islands Music Festival, the Quiroga Quartet offered a select musical selection that consisted of two parts, the first with works by the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn, one of the greatest representatives of the classical period as well as being known as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet", the work composed for Quartet No. 1 in C major, op. 74, Hob. III: 72.
They continued with the work of the Hungarian Béla Vicktor János Bartók known as Béla Bartók, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century whose music is largely based on his research on folklore, especially Hungarian, El Cuarteto Quiroja chose the work composed for Quartet No. 2, Sz, 67.
Musical premiere
The second part began with the work of the Tenerife composer Cecilia Díaz Pestano entitled 'The Eyes of the Mirrors', composed especially for this edition of the festival and which the audience was able to enjoy as a premiere. Cecilia began her musical studies at the Professional Conservatory of Music of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the specialty of piano and, after obtaining the titles of elementary and intermediate level with high grades, began her composition studies at the Higher Conservatory of Music of the Canary Islands.
The concert ended with the work of the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, a prominent disciple of Aaron Copland, considered one of the most important of the 20th century in America. Specifically, they performed the work composed for Quartet No. 1, op. 20.
At the end of the performance, the audience stood up and rewarded the magnificent performance of the members of the Quiroga String Quartet. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, Isaac Castellano, present at the concert, approached the dressing room to congratulate them on their performance.