Tampere Guitar Festival: Francisco Bernier (ESP), Pirkkala Old Church

Francisco Bernier (ESP): Manuel de Falla - A Universal Voice

In 2026, the music world celebrates the 150th anniversary of Manuel de Falla's birth. De Falla is one of the central figures of Spanish music in the 20th century, and this concert explores the influences and encounters that shaped his world.

Spanish guitarist Francisco Bernier approaches Falla not only as a national icon but also as a composer whose voice continues to speak across borders. Bernier has performed in over 40 countries and won more than 20 international awards, including first prize in the Michele Pittaluga Guitar Competition. Beyond his concert career, he teaches in Seville and serves as artistic director of the Seville Guitar Festival.

The programme spans a broad arc: Francisco Tárrega created a new virtuosic language for the modern guitar, Albéniz, Turina and Falla elevated Spanish folk traditions to international art music, and Falla's Hommage à Claude Debussy reflects his relationship with French musical culture. Maurice Ohana combines Iberian roots with modernist expression, while Heitor Villa-Lobos and Agustín Barrios Mangoré bring Latin American rhythms and melodies into the concert repertoire.

PROGRAMME
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959): Preludio número 1
Maurice Ohana (1913-1992): Tiento
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946): Homenaje a Claude Debussy, Romance del pescador
Joaquín Turina (1882-1949): Sonata op. 61
Agustin Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944): Último trémolo
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909): Mallorca (Barcarola), op. 202
Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909): Capricho Árabe, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Gran Jota de Concierto