fimucite 20th anniversary tenerife film music festival

Fimucité marks 20th anniversary with star-studded line-up

Two decades of film music in the Canary Islands

The International Film Music Festival of Tenerife (Fimucité) is celebrating its 20th anniversary, cementing its status as the world’s longest-running event dedicated to film scores. This milestone edition features a decisive series of concerts at the Auditorio de Tenerife and, for the first time, at the Teatro Guiniguada in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Under the direction of composer and conductor Diego Navarro, who hails from Tenerife, the festival reaches its peak days with a programme that includes Spanish premieres, large-scale symphonic productions, and the presence of major figures in international film music, including Oscar-winning composers John Corigliano and Stephen Warbeck.

Oscar winners headline the festivities

Presenting the main programme, Diego Navarro said that the highlights of this 20th edition include “the honour of welcoming composers who have won the biggest awards around the world.” He also recalled some of the milestones that have marked the festival’s history. “Over all these years, we have performed scores that had never been heard live before. The very best have passed through here, with absolute premieres such as the soundtracks for The Hobbit and Iron Man,” he added.

John Williams reimagined: a Spanish premiere

The core programme kicks off this Thursday, 16 July, at the Auditorio de Tenerife with the Spanish premiere of John Williams Reimagined, a chamber-format proposal offering an intimate take on the work of the legendary American composer. This marks the first time that John Williams has officially authorised arrangements of his scores for this type of ensemble. The concert will be repeated at the Teatro Guiniguada in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Saturday the 18th, thereby extending the festival’s reach beyond Tenerife. The programme offers a journey not only through Williams most recognised soundtracks but also those hidden gems that deserve to be rescued after decades without a live performance. In a trio format, interspersed with narration by Robert Townson, the proposal travels through films such as Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Far and Away, Harry Potter, and Hook, among others.

Star Wars: a new hope in concert

Adding to this event is Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert, which will be performed on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July in the Symphony Hall of the Auditorio de Tenerife. The show, officially licensed by Disney, combines a screening of the original 1977 film with a live performance of its soundtrack by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. It will be conducted by Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone, who expressed her enthusiasm for taking part in this edition: “I am delighted to be here. I come from a small island in Ireland, much like Tenerife, and I know how difficult it can be to put a festival like this together, so I can only congratulate them and enjoy this experience.”

Red Carpet Gala: a grand finale

The grand finale of this 20th edition will be the Red Carpet Gala, conducted by Diego Navarro himself. It will take audiences on a journey through some of the most iconic scores in cinema history, including Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, E.T., Chariots of Fire, Dances with Wolves, Titanic, The Last Emperor, Dune, and The Lord of the Rings, among many others. The concert will also feature the Tenerife Film Choir alongside Camerata Lacunensis. Navarro stated: “This year we will probably have the best choir in the festival’s history.”

Honoured guests and universal melodies

The celebration of this 20th anniversary also features the presence of honoured guests, including Oscar-winning composers Stephen Warbeck and John Corigliano. Warbeck, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for Shakespeare in Love, highlighted the universal value of music: “I am very happy to be celebrating this universal language. Even if we cannot fully understand the technical aspects of this form of expression, melodies speak to our emotions and we can all share them.” Corigliano, winner of the Oscar for The Red Violin, the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and five Grammy Awards, underscored the festival’s international relevance: “I have been hearing about Fimucité for many years, so it is a great pleasure to discover the Canary Islands through this festival. For me, it is a joy to hear one of my pieces adapted for a solo violin.”

Beyond the islands: international ambitions

But Fimucité is not solely Canarian heritage. Diego Navarro revealed that, following this 20th anniversary, the festival’s goal is to cross the borders of the archipelago. “Within the Fimucité universe, we have initiatives such as Fimucité Presents, which allow us to take our productions outside the islands,” the musical director recalled. He announced that the next step will be to premiere the concert of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in Madrid, after having already toured with this music to various points around the globe.

Cultural and economic impact recognised

Beyond the artistic programme, institutions have highlighted the festival’s cultural, social, and economic impact. Lope Afonso, Vice-President and Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo of Tenerife, stated: “Fimucité perfectly represents the model of tourism that Tenerife is betting on: unique cultural experiences capable of moving people, generating value, and projecting our identity to the world.” Along the same lines, the Island Councillor for Culture, José Carlos Acha, emphasised: “We have very few initiatives of this calibre on the island. It brings classical music through film scores and has improved in quality year after year.”

The Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, recalled the city’s involvement with the festival from its beginnings: “We have already had many activities this year, such as outdoor cinema and concerts in the streets. The weekend of the main events is still ahead, and I am excited because I have been a fan of film music since I was a child.” Bermúdez also evoked his personal connection with Star Wars: “For someone who went to the cinema holding their father’s hand in 1977, I cannot wait to see that film again accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra.”

Finally, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Cristóbal de la Rosa, highlighted the festival’s connection with the public: “There are more and more activities that the public embraces exceptionally. The festival plays a relevant role because it brings film and musical creation to a very wide audience.”

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