- The closing gala and its guests of honour, Oscar-winning composers John Corigliano and Stephen Warbeck, received seven standing ovations from the audience.
- Diego Navarro, director and founder of the Tenerife International Film Music Festival, highlights the strength of a project which, twenty years after its inception, has established Tenerife as an international hub for film music.

The Tenerife International Film Music Festival (FIMUCITÉ), has concluded its 20th anniversary. This historic edition has once again confirmed the immense interest in film music and the live performances offered by FIMUCITÉ here in the islands. The festival attracted around 10,000 people to its various concerts and parallel activities, responding to great demand since tickets went on sale last December for the concerts at the Auditorio de Tenerife concert hall.

Despite Santa Cruz de Tenerife having a jam packed cultural programme at the weekend thanks to the World Cup final and other social events, FIMUCITÉ fully sold out two major events, the Red Carpet Gala and the Spanish premiere of the concert John Williams Reimagined. There were also full houses for the live-to-picture event Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert and the concert performed by virtuoso pianist Aleksander Dębicz at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna, which opened the festival’s concert programme.

Another of the programme’s major highlights was a second performance of the concert John Williams Reimagined held at the Teatro Guiniguada in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This recital dedicated to the legendary composer’s unforgettable melodies extended the festival’s geographic reach beyond Tenerife and into Gran Canaria. The production was curated and directed by Robert Townson, who is regarded as the greatest producer of film music of all time. As such, it offered a unique and privileged journey through the musical world of the composer behind the iconic scores for Star Wars, Schindler’s List and Harry Potter.

Diego Navarro, director and founder of FIMUCITÉ, stated, “The 20th edition of FIMUCITÉ, the result of a whole year’s work, has lived up to our expectations. The response from our audiences has been overwhelming, both at the concerts and the supporting events. Once again, we’ve been blessed with a warm, passionate and devoted audience, who’ve wanted to celebrate our anniversary in style. Our venues were packed to capacity, and we felt the immense affection, enthusiasm and loyalty of an audience that, year after year, demonstrates its commitment to the festival. Despite the adverse circumstances we faced this year – arising from the Cook Music Festival being scheduled the same week and the World Cup final being held on the very day of our grand closing ceremony – we managed to pull it off with tremendous success. The auditorium was packed to the rafters during the Red Carpet Gala!”. Navarro also emphasised that this year’s festival “...was made possible thanks to the magnificent team behind the festival, whose professionalism, commitment and ability to pull together have been crucial in achieving the success that this historic edition of FIMUCITÉ deserved. And so it was. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Phenomenal public response
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, FIMUCITÉ organised a series of free, open-air activities designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences. These events attracted a significant number of attendees: around 3,000 people to the opening concert in the Plaza de la Candelaria performed by the Pop Culture Band, around 600 to the Summer Cinema screenings in the Plaza de Residencial Anaga, and a further 600 to the concert held in the Plaza del Príncipe performed by the Municipal Band. The appeal and draw of these different events reinforced the festival’s presence in the city and its ability to reach all demographics.

Added to these figures is the remarkable reception given to the educational activities of the FIMUCITÉ Film Scoring Academy at the CajaCanarias Cultural Centre, which saw more than 120 people attend the masterclasses led by the renowned composers John Corigliano, Stephen Warbeck and Craig Stuart Garfinkle. The combination of symphonic concerts, free events in public spaces and educational programmes has once again established FIMUCITÉ as a comprehensive and participatory cultural experience.

International special guests
This twentieth edition also featured a notable line-up of international guests who have reinforced the festival’s global reach. Among them were the aforementioned Oscar-winning composers John Corigliano (The Red Violin) and Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love), conductor Eímear Noone, composer Craig Stuart Garfinkle, producer Robert Townson, pianists Aleksander Dębicz and Simone Pedroni, violinist Javier Comesaña, flautist Sara Andon and cellist Irene Alvar Rozas, amongst others.

This line-up of guests has helped to enrich a programme that has combined premieres, special concerts and meet-and-greet events with the general public, consolidating FIMUCITÉ—the world’s oldest festival dedicated to film music—as an international benchmark and hub for film music events.

Seven standing ovations
FIMUCITÉ 20 left the audience of its closing gala awestruck by a concert programme designed to celebrate some of the most iconic and Oscar-winning scores in the history of cinema. During the Red Carpet Gala, the public stood to give standing ovations on seven separate occasions, with the longest ovation following a moving performance of Chaconne for Violin & Orchestra. This piece is the most celebrated piece from the soundtrack of The Red Violin, performed by violinist Javier Comesaña. Its composer, John Corigliano – one of the leading figures in contemporary music and one of the great symphonists of our time – was also awarded the FIMUCITÉ Antón García Abril Award in recognition of his career. The performance of Chaconne for Violin & Orchestra marked the Spanish premiere of this complex work in concert, and the prolonged applause from the audience following its performance made for a truly moving and memorable moment, and a highlight of the entire festival.

Institutional support
FIMUCITÉ brings to a close this year's events that celebrate two decades as a leading international festival. This year’s edition has once again fused together artistic excellence, international outreach, educational initiatives and public participation. The success of the concerts and parallel events, shown by high audience numbers, confirms the enduring appeal of a formula that has successfully connected with the city, audiences, and the general public.

FIMUCITÉ 20 is supported by its main sponsor Turismo de Tenerife under the destination’s tourism campaign ‘Tenerife Awakens Emotions’, with additional support from the island’s Department of Culture. The festival is also sponsored by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council and the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development of the Government of the Canary Islands, and the City Council of La Laguna. FIMUCITÉ extends its gratitude to the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST), the Auditorio de Tenerife, and its many public and private partners for their continued support.