The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra Begins Its Tour this Week on the Peninsula
The orchestra will perform at the International Festival of Santander and the Pollença Festival with pianist Paul Lewis and honorary conductor, Víctor Pablo Pérez
The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra begins its tour this week with two high-profile performances: on Thursday, 28th August at the 74th International Festival of Santander and on Friday, 29th August at the 64th Pollença Festival. The orchestra will take to the stage at both events under the baton of its honorary conductor, Víctor Pablo Pérez, featuring Paul Lewis as soloist.
The programme opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Emperor, Op. 73, and continues with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70. Additionally, in Pollença, the Funeral March from The Great Citizen, Op. 55, will be featured in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Russian composer’s passing.
“In this phase, we are repositioning the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra as one of the reference orchestras in Spain, performing once again in leading venues and festivals,” remarks José Carlos Acha, president of the Insular Music Board. The tour is part of the orchestra’s strategy to enhance its visibility and connection with diverse audiences, having resumed presence in key locations since 2025.
The return to the International Festival of Santander is particularly significant for the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra: the ensemble is returning to the Sala Argenta of the Palacio de Festivales 26 years after its last appearance in 1999, again led by Víctor Pablo Pérez. This presence in Santander reinforces the orchestra’s historical relationship with major national stages and emphasises an artistic direction that blends core repertoire with contemporary interpretations. A day later, the debut at the Pollença Festival will take the same programme to the iconic Claustro de Santo Domingo, one of the most recognisable cultural venues of the Balearic summer, showcasing the orchestra’s sound in a premier heritage environment.
Short Biographies
Paul Lewis, piano. Acclaimed internationally for his cycles of Beethoven and Schubert, he has performed with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, and Royal Concertgebouw, among others. He has received awards from the Royal Philharmonic Society, Gramophone, and Edison, holds honorary doctorates, and is a CBE in the UK.
Víctor Pablo Pérez, conductor. A key figure in Spanish orchestral conducting, he has been principal conductor of the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (1986–2005), and Galicia Symphony Orchestra, in addition to conducting at the Teatro Real and Gran Teatre del Liceu. He is a recipient of the National Music Prize and the Gold Medal for Fine Arts, and is the honorary conductor of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Galicia Symphony Orchestra.
Start of the 2025-26 Season: 12th September
The 2025–2026 season, themed Visionari@s, will kick off on Friday, 12th September at the Auditorio de Tenerife with the programme All About My Mozart, featuring violinist Renaud Capuçon. Subscription sales have already surpassed those of the previous season, which concluded with a 20% increase in attendance, signalling the audience’s confidence in the project. With Pablo González as the principal guest conductor, this new season promises a high-voltage artistic programme, blending ambitious repertoire, new works, and internationally renowned performers.
Tour Dates, Venues, and Tickets
- Santander — Thursday, 28th August, 20:00 · Sala Argenta, Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria · International Festival of Santander. Information and tickets available on the festival’s website.
- Pollença (Mallorca) — Friday, 29th August, 22:00 · Claustro de Santo Domingo · Pollença Festival. Information and tickets available on the festival’s website.
