The Venezuelan musician performs this Sunday with the Classical Laguna Experience Orchestra at the Teatro Leal
The Classical Laguna Experience Festival (CLE) reaches its pinnacle this Sunday, the 21st (8:30 pm), at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna, featuring a concert by the Classical Laguna Experience Orchestra (CLEO) with Venezuelan violinist Alexis Cárdenas. Renowned as one of the most virtuosic performers in Latin America, Cárdenas currently serves as concertmaster of the Île-de-France National Orchestra in Paris. He will join conductor Glass Marcano and several other distinguished guests.
Produced by Vector de Ideas, this festival has established itself as a unique cultural bridge between the Canary Islands and Latin America, with Venezuela as the honourary guest this year. CLE is supported by Promotur (Canary Islands), the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Tenerife, and the La Laguna City Council.
“What’s attractive about this festival is precisely its open programming, which includes a specific Venezuelan section. The historical dialogues between the Canary Islands and Venezuela are clearly apparent, and it will be a wonderful experience to share the stage with Glass Marcano, who is also Venezuelan,” said Cárdenas.
Highlighting the significance of musical ties between both sides of the Atlantic, he reflected on the enduring relationship between classical and popular music: “There has always been a dialogue between grand classical music and popular music. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, or Stravinsky drew inspiration from the dances and folk music of their time. That divide emerged in the 20th century, with both successes and losses. In Latin America, that connection remains strong, and I believe it continues to enrich our identity.”
In the central concert of CLE, the CLEO will present a programme that merges Canarian and Latin American repertoires, featuring the world premiere of Phase, a work by Canarian composer Irene Fariña, alongside The Legend of the Noble Knight by Mexican composer José Elizondo, both of which will be recorded for disc release.
Cárdenas also emphasised the importance of cultural unity in performance practice: “In Canarian and Venezuelan music, there are evident historical dialogues. The joropo, for instance, originated in eastern Venezuela and travelled to Colombia, always narrating the stories of its peoples. This fusion is alive and the festival clearly reflects it.”
The festival will also extend its offerings to La Gomera (22nd and 24th September) and Lanzarote (4th October), spreading its spirit of musical unity across the Archipelago.
