31st Tenerife Ports Christmas Concert Features Symphony, Renowned Artists
The 31st Tenerife Ports Christmas Concert, featuring the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and international soloists performing a diverse program of classical and world music, will take place on December 25th at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with all five-euro ticket proceeds benefiting three charities.
On December 25th, at 7:30 PM, the Los Llanos Dock at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will once again host the Tenerife Ports Christmas Concert. Now in its 31st year, this concert will showcase world dances, featuring a diverse range of rhythms, styles, and music from across the globe.
The concert was announced yesterday at a presentation held at the Port Authority building. Key figures attending included Pedro Suárez, President of the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Rosa Dávila, President of the Cabildo; and José Manuel Bermúdez, Mayor of Tenerife's capital. Also present were Auxiliadora Pérez, Deputy Minister of Coordination and Institutional Relations for the Vice-Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands; José Carlos Acha, Island Councillor for Culture; Raquel Falcón, program director for TVE; Karla Socas, Tenerife delegate for Boluda Lines; and Amayra Peñate, representing Fundación DISA.
The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its principal guest conductor Pablo González, will perform works by composers such as Bernstein, Brahms, Bizet, and Sarasate. The program will feature opera, zarzuela, and symphonic pieces, promising a truly festive evening. This year, three internationally renowned artists will also perform: mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera, tenor Juan Antonio Sanabria, and violinist Javier Comesaña.
The concert will open with Mikhail Glinka's 'Ruslan and Lyudmila' overture, a virtuosic orchestral piece. This will be followed by vocal highlights like the 'Habanera' from Georges Bizet's 'Carmen' and 'Maria and the Mambo' from Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story'. The violin will then take center stage with two brilliant pieces: the second movement (scherzando) of Édouard Lalo's 'Symphonie espagnole' and Pablo de Sarasate's 'Zigeunerweisen' (Gypsy Airs), both showcasing incredible skill and romantic beauty.
Johannes Brahms' 'Hungarian Dance No. 5' and Zoltán Kodály's 'Dances of Galánta' will add to the festive mood with music inspired by Central European folklore. A special zarzuela section will celebrate the Spanish lyrical genre, featuring excerpts from José Serrano's 'El trust de los tenorios', Ruperto Chapí's 'Las hijas del Zebedeo', and the intermezzo from Gerónimo Giménez's 'Las bodas de Luis Alonso'.
The Christmas spirit will come alive in the final section with carols arranged by Emilio Coello and timple player and composer Benito Cabrera, including 'Una sobre el mismo mar' (orchestrated by Peter Hope). The evening will conclude with Johann Strauss Sr.'s 'Radetzky March', in a style reminiscent of the famous Viennese New Year's concert.
Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10:00 AM via tomaticket.es. They cost a modest five euros, and as in previous years, all proceeds will benefit three charities: Pequeño Valiente, Down Tenerife, and Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados de La Laguna. Fundación DISA is also donating 20,000 euros to the concert, which has a capacity for 8,500 people. For those who can't attend, the concert will be broadcast on La 2 and TVE's International Channel.
Entry points, including the walkway opposite the Cabildo de Tenerife and additional temporary crossings, will open at 5:30 PM. Attendees should be in their seats by 7:20 PM.