Film Music Concert at the San Sebastian Festival 2025 – SUMMARY

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the 73rd edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival – Donostia Zinemaldia presented its traditional annual concert and screening event at the Anoeta Velodrome in San Sebastian.

 

The concert, organized by the Euskadiko Orkestra, the SGAE Foundation, and the San Sebastian International Film Festival – Donostia Zinemaldia, had the participation of Alba S. Torremocha, Vanessa Garde, Arturo Cardelús, Iván Martínez Lacámara, Luis Ivars, and Blanca Paloma (read more).

 

Our friend and colleague Asier G Senarriaga was present at the concert and leaves us here an detailed special article exclusively for SoundTrackFest.

 

San Sebastián International Film Festival Symphonic Concert 2025

On the starting of the 73rd edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival – Donostia Zinemaldia, on September 20, the festival held its traditional annual “Concert and Screening” event, which this year celebrated its 12th edition.

 

As every year, the SoundTrackFest team was there to cover this special event for all fans of (good) film music, but above all to experience the wonderful atmosphere filled with cinema, friendship, and camaraderie that is enjoyed every year in San Sebastian during the event.

 

We must even say that this year’s concert in particular has been perhaps the most complete, vibrant, and best performed, in my humble opinion, of those held to date. Both in the choice and arrangement of the pieces, in sync with the images, in some cases exceptional and captivating, and above all in the interpretation and use of the recreated scores. There are only two minor objections: that there was not a greater of the choir, which did not enter until approximately halfway through the concert, and that the perfect ending was not provided, with an encore, which the audience eagerly awaited and which did not happen despite the magnificent atmosphere, to round off an evening that was heading for summa cum laude and ended up being outstanding.

 

Under the acoustics of the Antonio Elorza Velodrome, the Euskadiko Orkestra – Basque National Orchestra and the Easo Abesbatza Choir took their seats, took their seats. Under the baton of Maestro Juan José Ocón, shortly after six in the evening, they were about to begin the annual tribute to film music that unofficially opens the wonderful Film Festival for music lovers.

 

The program was as follows (link to the PDF):

 

Chosen for this edition as a historical figure of our cinema, the protagonist at the beginning was Maestro Augusto Algueró, a beautiful, heartfelt, and sublimely chosen posthumous tribute to a legendary career. From the vigorous, almost fanfare-like touches of Fierecilla Domada, full of compliments and beautiful orchestral flourishes with the melody always in the foreground, which Erich Wolfgang Korngold would have been very proud of, we moved seamlessly to the emotional vibration and exquisite sensitivity of the main themes of El Ruiseñor de las Cumbres and Cabriola (also tributes to the unforgettable figures of Joselito and Marisol). Among them, the jazzy interlude from El Secreto de Monica, the very Henry Mancini-esque work by the indispensable composer from Malaga, culminating in the obligatory Las Chicas de la Cruz Roja, from which the most lyrical and lively aspect was chosen for the Suite, omitting its perhaps better-known, more kitsch side, and for which the choir did not yet enter, although it could have done so if the main theme of this last piece had been used.

 

We continued mesmerized by the beautiful Main Theme from the second installment of the blockbuster children’s saga Los Futbolisimos 2, which introduced us to a new musical talent who is set to become a major figure in Spanish cinema in the coming years, Alba S. Torremocha. Mickey Mousing comedy reflecting the adventures of the protagonists on screen, the brilliant central theme developed in different variations throughout the Suite, touches of adventure, and a sensational finale full of wonder, using all sections of the orchestra with natural elegance and musical quality, made us float with excitement and thoroughly enjoy the discovery.

 

This was followed by lyricism and sustained melodic development until its glorious finale, one of the most beautiful works of recent years in Spanish film music, La Boda de Rosa, by Vanessa Garde, joyful, tender, exciting, radiant, perfect, and happily rescued for this concert.

 

And what can be said about the score by a Spanish composer who was probably my favorite last year, the spectacular symphonic fresco full of breathtaking emotion called Dragonkeeper, Guardiana de Dragones in Spain. An overwhelming rendition of film music in a larger-than-life adventure, full of nuances, the evolution of an unforgettable main theme, whether played on solo violin or erhu, which is intoxicating. Sublime orchestration and powerful action passages that do not resort to walls of sound but to defined phrases that develop the score and give it structure, without stagnating it in sensationalism, giving it a joyful freshness that is much appreciated. And finally, you give the Easo Choir a job to do to further sublimate the sublime, resulting in a sensational final rendition that was the perfect culmination of an impeccable Suite. Bravo, Arturo Cardelús, wonderful composer of the soundtrack, for your great work and love of film music that oozes from every one of your notes.

 

The bar was already set quite high, but, there was still more. The multi-award-winning La Casa De Papel – Money Heist arrived in a new suite that Iván Martínez Lacámara prepared for the occasion with orchestrations by Tony Domenech. The Professor’s Theme, whose importance is clear to anyone familiar with the series, begins elegiacally, with a powerful piano contribution, giving way to suspense and frenetic, tension-filled action, which builds to one of the “moments” of the concert, the final theme of the series, full of pathos, rapturous lyricism, and the thunderous and beautiful entrance of the choirs to give the Suite an unbeatable ending… but no! What was perfect, and we don’t know who made the decision, continued with another action theme from a season and a half earlier, which did not conclude the composition on a high note but rather, excuse my vulgarity, in a “coitus interruptus,” which slightly marred the good taste left in the mouth, which nevertheless remained and provoked a strong round of applause, which was recurrent throughout the evening at the end of each piece.

Before the conclusion, there was a world premiere of Maestro Luis Ivars‘ new composition for the film Parecido a un Asesinato, which would be presented to the world a few days later at the Film Festival itself. The concert featured the song Caminar el Tiempo, performed by the intoxicating voice of singer Blanca Paloma, with the Maestro himself at the piano, who mesmerized us with his beautiful melody and lyrics in a very “old school” film noir style, which we all appreciated as a prelude to the final dessert.

 

And this came with a brand-new suite, created for the occasion by Luis Ivars from Antonio Hernández‘s swashbuckling adventure film El Capitán Trueno y el Santo Grial (Captain Thunder and the Holy Grail), with an impeccable emphasis on adventure music and classical fanfares. A suite full of symphonic grandeur and superlative orchestrations, delighting with its variations on the central theme, the love motif and the villains playing, mixing, thrilling the audience until the extraordinary finale with the full orchestra and sumptuous choirs bringing the concert to a close, an afternoon to remember, and a prelude to greeting everyone involved and chatting about their work and their music in a cordial and very pleasant manner.

 

Next year will be difficult to top, but we are sure that we will discover new musicians, hear new voices, and meet up once again with old and new friends to enjoy our passion, once again in the incomparable setting of the the San Sebastian International Film Festival – Donostia Zinemaldia.

 

See you next year!

 

Article by Asier G. Senarriaga

Pictures by Gorka Oteiza