The festival, a bridge between the Canary Islands and Latin America, will take place in Tenerife, Lanzarote, and La Gomera during September and October
This morning, the Teatro Leal in La Laguna hosted the press conference for the 2025 edition of the Classical Laguna Experience Festival (CLE), which will take place between September and October in various venues across Tenerife, La Gomera, and Lanzarote.
Produced by Vector de Ideas, the festival has established itself as a unique event in Europe, conceived as a cultural bridge between the Canary Islands and Latin America. This year, Venezuela will be the guest of honour, highlighting a historic bond with the Canary Islands that is also expressed through music. CLE is supported by Promotur (Canary Islands), the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Tenerife, and the City Council of La Laguna.
Programme Highlights in La Laguna
The programming in La Laguna will clearly reflect this spirit. The Camerata Lacunensis, a renowned choral music ensemble not only in the Canary Islands but also globally, will open the festival. Their impeccable artistic trajectory, closeness to the repertoire of Canarian and Latin American composers, and ability to elevate choral music make them an emblem that CLE wishes to continue projecting.
In keeping with the theme of Venezuela, the festival will dedicate space to the popular classics of our collective memory. Singer Fabiola Socas will present a programme that connects genres such as bolero and cumbia with the cultural heritage of the Canary Islands, bringing forth songs that evoke the migratory past to Venezuela and their relevance in our present.
The Camerata Magec, a young ensemble from Gran Canaria, will bring a fresh perspective with a repertoire of Canarian and Latin American composers, championing a music that is gradually gaining recognition on the international stage.
World Premiere and Notable Performers
The concert by the Classical Laguna Experience Orchestra (CLEO), the heart of the festival each year, will be a significant milestone in 2025. The orchestra will perform a repertoire that includes both Canarian and Latin American works, notably the world premiere of “Phase” by composer Irene Fariña, commissioned by the festival. CLE continues its commitment to commissioning new pieces annually from creators in the Canary Islands and Latin America, contributing to the expansion and enrichment of the repertoire. Additionally, this premiere will be recorded along with “La leyenda del noble caballero” by Mexican composer José Elizondo.
Regarding the performance aspect, the festival will feature a top-tier cast. Venezuelan Glass Marcano will debut as a guest conductor, underscoring CLE’s commitment to highlighting women’s visibility in music, whether in composition, performance, or conducting. Her inspiring story has been noted by the BBC as, “the young Venezuelan who went from selling fruit in her village to conducting an orchestra in Paris in just three months.”
The orchestra will also feature Venezuelan violinist Aléxis Cárdenas as concertmaster, one of the most virtuosic and renowned performers in Latin America, currently the concertmaster of the Orchestre National Île-de-France in Paris. Joining him as soloists will be Venezuelan Jesús “Pingüino” González, an international reference for the cuatro, residing in the Canary Islands, and Canarian Cristian Suárez on the flute.
Presence in La Gomera and Lanzarote
Once again, CLE will extend its programming to various locations across the Archipelago. In Lanzarote, activities will take place on the 22nd and 24th of September, featuring Alexander Álvarez with “The Guitar: A Universe of Possibilities,” and Dúo Roma (violin and cello) with “Classical Roots.” Both performances will offer free admission starting at noon.
Furthermore, an event will reach Lanzarote on 4 October at the Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz, featuring the Trío Néstor performing their piece “Ecos de Atlántico Sonoro,” starting at 8 p.m. with free entry.
Glass Marcano as Principal Guest Conductor
Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano will debut as the principal guest conductor at the festival. Considered one of the most prominent emerging conductors on the international scene, Marcano transitioned from training in El Sistema in Venezuela to becoming a finalist in La Maestra in Paris in 2020, where she won the Orchestra Prize.
Since then, she has conducted the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Teatro alla Scala, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Bogotá Philharmonic, and the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal, among many others. At just 30 years old, she made history by becoming the first Black woman to conduct a symphony orchestra in France and the first Latin American to do so in Brussels.
Her presence in CLE 2025 aligns with Venezuela’s spotlight as the featured country of this edition, reinforcing the festival’s mission to unite continents through music.
