Fuerteventura to Host New Year's Concert This Friday
The Young Orchestra of the Canary Islands (JOCAN) is finalising the details of its traditional New Year’s concerts, under the baton of Víctor Pablo Pérez.
On Tuesday, the ensemble opened its rehearsal doors to the press and welcomed Cristóbal de la Rosa, Director General of Cultural Innovation and Creative Industries of the Canary Islands Government, who observed the preparations and the effort behind the project. Also present was Amayra Peñate, representative of the DISA Foundation, who met the musicians benefiting from the foundation’s scholarships for training and instruments.
Concert Dates and Tickets
- January 1 – Auditorio de Tenerife
- January 2 – Palacio de Congresos de Fuerteventura
- January 3 – Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
All three performances will start at 19:30. Tickets are €10 and can be purchased through the usual sales platforms of the three venues, with special discounts for students, retirees and unemployed persons.
Program Highlights
Opening: “Tamat” by Benito Cabrera
A new orchestral version, arranged by Juan Durán, will premiere at the concert. “Tamat” (a term that in the indigenous Canarian languages denotes the number eight in its feminine form, symbolising the eight islands) is a suite that dedicates one movement to each island. For this concert four movements will be performed: Esero, Erbania, Titerroygatra and Canaria, whose titles reference the original Guanche names of the islands.
The piece blends traditional Canarian popular music with contemporary academic language, moving from subtle hints of each island’s heritage to direct evocations—such as the 18th‑century “Canarios” in the movement dedicated to Gran Canaria—while maintaining a modern orchestral palette and the composer’s personal stamp.
Second Part: Grieg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A minor, Op. 16
Spanish virtuoso Martín García García, one of the most prominent pianists of his generation, will be the soloist. The concerto, a cornerstone of the Romantic repertoire, showcases Edvard Grieg’s skill in merging German Romantic influences with Norwegian folk elements. Its famous opening—an orchestral thrust followed by a cascading piano line—leads to a work rich in lyricism, virtuosity and emotional depth, concluding with a finale inspired by the lively Norwegian halling dance.
Finale: Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
Considered a national hero in Finland, Jean Sibelius builds this symphony around a recurring three‑note motif that unifies its four movements. From the pastoral character of the opening Allegretto to the grand, triumphant conclusion, the work offers a broad emotional spectrum, infused with folk‑like elements and Sibelius’s unmistakable orchestral colour.
Pre‑Concert Talks
One hour before the curtain rises, a lecture titled “Soundscapes Between Canarian and Nordic Musical Identity: Decoding the Concert” will be delivered by musicology students María Sánchez and Victoria Hernández from the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias.
These sessions aim to help the audience discover the aesthetic and cultural keys that shape the programme, from the Atlantic sonorities of “Tamat” to the compositional foundations that underpin the Scandinavian works.