An extraordinary concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain was held yesterday at the cathedral of La Laguna, the city currently holding the presidency of the Group. Queen Doña Sofía graced the event with her presence and was welcomed with a standing ovation by the eager crowd gathered at the cathedral. This concert marked the commencement of a series of cultural activities and performances planned over the coming months in the 15 Spanish cities recognised by UNESCO.
Mayor of La Laguna and president of the Group, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, welcomed Doña Sofía at the Plaza de los Remedios just before the concert. Accompanying him were the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez, the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, as well as various other civil and military dignitaries. Subsequently, the queen emeritus greeted the mayors of the 15 cities of the Group, and the bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez, at the entrance of the temple.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez expressed, “This is a momentous occasion for La Laguna and the Group of Heritage Cities of Spain. We are celebrating our 30 years of heritage preservation with a grand cultural event in a unique historical setting, both defining characteristics of our group. We are especially honoured to have the ongoing support of the Royal Family, represented today by Her Majesty Queen Sofia, whose unwavering support has been vital over these three decades, for which we are deeply grateful,” he added.
The concert showcased soprano Raquel Lojendio and tenor Airam Hernández, accompanied by a chamber group comprising Julia Nikoliszak on first violin, Eugenia Jaubert de Valcárcel on second violin, Alba Gorrea Muñoz on viola, Ciro Hernández on cello, and Satomi Moritomoto on piano. The programme featured compositions by Handel, Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven, Bizet, Mozart, Debussy, Barber, Fauré, Gounod, and Leonard Cohen, arranged for string quartet and piano by Ciro Hernández.
Following the performance, Queen Sofía greeted the performers and posed for photographs with the Group’s president, mayors, and councillors representing the 15 cities, as well as other civil, military, and religious dignitaries.
Representing the 15 World Heritage Cities were Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, the second vice president and mayor of Segovia (José Mazarias), as well as the mayors of Alcalá de Henares (Judith Piquet), Ávila (Jesús Manuel Sánchez Cabrera), Cáceres (Rafael Mateos), and Toledo (Carlos Velázquez). Councillors Iago Lestegas (Santiago de Compostela), Guillermo García de Castro (Tarragona), José Antonio Jiménez Molina (Baeza), Daniel García Ibarrola (Córdoba), Marta Tirado García (Cuenca), Jordi Grivé Cardona (Ibiza), Felipe González Martín (Mérida) and Elena Rodríguez García (Úbeda) were also in attendance.
To accommodate a larger audience due to the limited capacity inside the cathedral, the La Laguna City Council set up a giant screen outside for the public to enjoy the concert.
