Redaccion
The International Film Music Festival of Tenerife (FIMUCITÉ) continues with the programming of its nineteenth edition, dedicated to Italy, its historical and cultural heritage. One of the most anticipated concerts, "Cinema e Paradiso" (Cinema and Paradise), will take place on Thursday, July 3rd at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna. With tickets sold out weeks in advance, this concert will offer an unforgettable journey through the great successes of Italian cinema, its most prominent soundtracks, and the master composers.
The concert was presented at a press conference at the Sala de Cámara del Teatro Leal, with the presence of the mayor of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez; FIMUCITÉ director Diego Navarro; Roma Film Music Festival director Marco Patrignani; concert director Stefano Nanni; bandoneon player Héctor Ulises Passarella; and Italian Vice Consul in Tenerife, Gianluca Cappelli Bigazzi. The mayor stated that "for La Laguna, FIMUCITÉ is not just a festival, it is a shared commitment to artistic creation and the international projection of Tenerife as a cultural reference."
Diego Navarro expressed, "It has been a year of hard work to get here, La Laguna is crucial for FIMUCITÉ, and we wanted the main thematic concert of this edition, related to Italy, its cinema, and its music, to take place here, at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna." Navarro highlighted the presence of maestro Stefano Nanni, concert director and piano soloist, as well as the "absolutely wonderful opportunity to have Héctor Ulises Pasarella, one of the best bandoneon players in the world, original soloist of the ‘Il Postino’ soundtrack, and the presence of Pino Donaggio, who will receive the FIMUCITÉ – Antón García Abril Award in recognition of his career."
Héctor Ulises Pasarella mentioned that Thursday’s concert "will be a very special night because I will once again play the music of ‘Il Postino,’ which has been with me for over 30 years."
In "Cinema e Paradiso," pieces by Nicola Piovani, winner of an Oscar for "Life is Beautiful"; Luis Bacalov, composer of the Oscar-winning "The Postman (Il Postino)"; and a tribute to the film "Last Tango in Paris" by Bernardo Bertolucci, with music by legendary composer and saxophonist Gato Barbieri, will also be featured.
This concert is an original production of FIMUCITÉ, in collaboration with the Roma Film Music Festival, supported by the City Council of La Laguna, the Autonomous Musical Activities Agency of La Laguna, and Mutua Tinerfeña. Directed by Stefano Nanni, who will also be the piano soloist, the program will feature soloists from the Orchestra Italiana del Cinema, a group led by Ennio Morricone, along with the Tenerife Philharmonic Orchestra and the stellar performance of Héctor Ulises Passarella, one of the world’s best bandoneon players and original soloist of the ‘The Postman (Il Postino)’ soundtrack. The concert will also include Jairo Cabrera (trumpet/soprano saxophone and clarinet) and soprano Estefanía Rodríguez.
FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy
On Tuesday, July 1st, the FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy (FFSA) will kick off its program, running parallel to the International Film Music Festival of Tenerife concerts, focusing on specialized training in creating music for audiovisual works. Under the academic direction of Professor Débora Madrid Brito from the Department of Fine Arts at the University of La Laguna (ULL), this university extension course combines master classes, interactive roundtables, and participatory workshops. In addition to analyzing the phenomenon of music for audiovisual works centered on the film ‘Gladiator,’ this edition will contextualize the historical period in which the film is set. Italian film music will also be a key focus of the FFSA.
This free activity will be held at the Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña in La Laguna on July 1st and 4th, and at the Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on July 8th, 9th, 10th, and 12th, featuring prominent speakers such as singer and composer Lisa Gerrard, who will take the stage at the Auditorio de Tenerife on July 11th and 12th for the ‘Gladiator in Concert’ live-to-picture performances.
The University of La Laguna, through the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Culture and University Extension, will issue a certificate of attendance to those who attend at least 80% of the class hours. Those who successfully complete the independent work required will receive a certificate of attendance and achievement, recognized with ECTS credits.
Exhibition ‘Once Upon a Time: Italian Film Music’
From Tuesday until July 10th, the Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias in Santa Cruz de Tenerife will host the exhibition ‘Once Upon a Time: Italian Film Music’ in the lobby of its Auditorium. This exhibition, showcasing posters from essential classics of Italian cinema, is free and open to the public, available for viewing Monday to Friday from 10 am to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 8 pm, and on Saturdays in the morning. The exhibition, a delight for film enthusiasts and music lovers, is in collaboration with the Italian Vice Consulate in Tenerife.
Support
The International Film Music Festival of Tenerife (FIMUCITÉ), a global reference in its genre, created and directed by composer and orchestra conductor Diego Navarro, is celebrating its nineteenth edition from June 7th to July 12th, with the support of the Tenerife Island Council and Tenerife Tourism as main sponsors, the Government of the Canary Islands through the Canarian Institute of Cultural Development, the City Councils of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, and the Autonomous Musical Activities Agency of La Laguna. FIMUCITÉ also acknowledges the involvement of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and the Tenerife Auditorium, as well as other public and private collaborators, including Mutua Tinerfeña, District Centro-Ifara of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, DISA Foundation, Emmasa, Domingo Alonso, and AUDI as the festival’s official car, SGAE Foundation, and CajaCanarias Foundation. Grupo Plató del Atlántico, Diario de Avisos Foundation, RTVE, Radio Televisión Canaria, and SoundTrackFest are the main media partners.
FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy 2025 Program
• Living and Dying in the Empire of the Caesars
July 1, 2025 – 6:00 PM. Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña La Laguna.
Led by José Delgado Delgado – University of La Laguna.
• Gladiator: Celebrating 25 Years of an Epic-Historical Cinematic Masterpiece through its Soundtrack
July 1, 2025 – 7:30 PM. Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña La Laguna.
Led by Diego Navarro – FIMUCITÉ.
• Special Morricone: Screening of Ennio, the Maestro
July 4, 2025 – 6:00 PM. Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña La Laguna.
Presented by Diego Navarro and Marco Patrignani – FIMUCITÉ.
• Italian Neorealism. A New Sun Shines on the Beautiful Land
July 8, 2025 – 6:30 PM. Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Led by Gonzalo Pavés Borges – University of La Laguna.
• Melodies of Italian Cinema
July 9, 2025 – 5:00 PM. Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Led by Massimo Privitera, moderated by Manuel Díaz Noda – FIMUCITÉ.
• Copyright in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
July 9, 2025 – 6:30 PM. Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Led by Luis Ivars – FIMUCITÉ.
• Q&A with Lisa Gerrard
July 10, 2025 – 5:00 PM. Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Led by Lisa Gerrard and Robert Townson (moderator) – FIMUCITÉ.
• Those Who Are Not Going to Die, Salute You!
July 12, 2025 – 12:00 PM. Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Led by Néstor F. Marqués – FIMUCITÉ.
