The Center for Contemporary Culture of the Diputación de Málaga, La Térmica, is organizing the classical concert series ‘Música a la fresca’ this summer. In collaboration with the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, the concerts will be held outdoors at the center with a program focused on jazz on June 29 and 30, and on film music on July 6 and 7, starting at 9:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased through the portal mientrada.net.

“This music series continues the tradition of La Térmica’s previous summer programs where the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra presents its most contemporary side,” explained Francisco Salado, acting president of the Diputación de Málaga, alongside pianist Daniel Amat and artistic director Salvador Vázquez.

Jazz and Cuban Genres
On June 29 and 30, the concerts will focus on jazz and Cuban genres such as bolero, ballad, contradanza, son, danzón, and Afro, performed by the trio composed of pianist Daniel Amat, bassist Francis Posé, and percussionist Carlos Cortés, accompanied by artistic director Víctor Eloy López Cerezo, who will conduct the philharmonic.

Amat has been categorized by the prestigious ‘Downbeat Magazine’ as one of the best Latin jazz pianists and has been nominated for the Grammy Awards twice with two of his albums. He has shared stages with artists such as Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, among others.

Meanwhile, artistic director Víctor Eloy López has established himself as one of the young talents of the new generation of Spanish conductors. Known for his interpretative and research versatility, he has conducted over 300 performances, is the principal conductor of the Málaga Brass Band, and ranked 4th at the European Brass Bands Championship held in Montreux (Switzerland) in 2019. He has also conducted orchestras like the Barna Philharmonic (Bulgaria) and soloists such as Estrella Morente and Tomatito.

Tribute to Henry Mancini and Film Music
The concerts on July 6 and 7 will be dedicated to film classics, with the first part paying tribute to composer Henry Mancini on the occasion of his centenary next year. Mancini was a film and jazz orchestra composer with significant Latin influence, known for classics like The Pink Panther and Charade, among others. The second part of the concert will feature songs from films such as ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Hook,’ ‘Superman,’ and ‘Star Wars.’

Conductor Salvador Vázquez will lead the OFM during these two days. This young conductor is recognized as one of the most vibrant and charismatic artists of the new generation of orchestra conductors in Spain and has been awarded distinctions such as the ‘Ciudad de Málaga’ prize for best musical work. In 2016, he won the First Prize at the International Orchestra Conducting Competition in Córdoba. Recently, he was a finalist at the 56th edition of the Besançon International Conducting Competition, chosen from 270 candidates worldwide.

He has conducted orchestras such as the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Extremadura Orchestra, Córdoba Orchestra, Granada City Orchestra, and the Murcia Regional Symphony Orchestra. In the 2021/2022 season, he made his debut in Brazil with the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra.