Concert & Musica Hall "Auditorio Alfredo Kraus"
One of the cultural cornerstones of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Walking along Playa de Las Canters beach to its western end you find yourself standing right before one of the most outstanding buildings of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The „Alfredo Kraus Auditorium“ was built above a pedestal of volcanic stone according to the plans of Óscar Tusquets and was raised to life by the works of art of Juan Bordes.
Behind the walls of the auditorium are 11 halls, which are able to accommodate up to 2.500 people at an expanse of 13.200 m2. Four years after the construction of this auditorium, on December 5th, the auditorium was inaugurated. It is named after the great Canarian tenor Alfredo Kraus (1927 – 1999), who was the son of a Spanish mother and an Austrian father, a great exponent of lyric tenors and was actually present at the inauguration of the auditorium. Aside from the auditorium the building also harbours the house of congress. Furthermore, the Alfred Kraus auditorium accommodates the philharmonic orchestra and the ballet of Gran Canaria.
When Óscar Tusquets started planning the auditorium, he wanted to convey the impression of a mighty fortress or a lighthouse. This impression is not only achieved by the cladding of the external walls, but also by the structure of the building itself. The most prominent eye-catch is the huge hexagonal symphony hall with various geometrical forms on its sidewall. The enormously high tower elements are also quite remarkable.
Bordes, who was born in Las Palmas, wanted to convey the idea of a “theatre of the ocean”, by creating an imitation of the seascape of Playa de Las Canteras beach. Already at the main entrance the visitor is greeted by an impressively voluminous mermaid. When strolling through the building one finds an artificial world of seashells, fish and crabs and finally, the Medusa, which adorns the front above the Atlantic Ocean. Made of aluminium and bronze, the Medusa defies the sea from the great window of the symphony hall.
The most remarkable halls of the Alfredo Kraus auditorium are the two aforementioned symphony halls „Sala Sinfónica“, and the chamber hall, „Sala de Cámara“. The symphony hall can accommodate 1.656 people at an expanse of 1.650 m2. The hall’s acoustic is incredibly effective because of its hexagonal form and its admirable glass front, which offers a spectacular view of the ocean.
Because of the arrangement of the seats on various levels every visitor is offered an unobstructed view of the stage. The symphony hall was already the setting of performances of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw and other famous orchestras from the United States. Various cultural events like the jazz festival and the international film festival of Gran Canaria take place at this location.
The chamber hall is considerably smaller then the symphony hall and is only able to accommodate 326 visitors. Because of this and of its concave form the audience has the impression of being a participant of the events on stage. All facilities of the auditorium are equipped with the most modern audio-visual systems, internet connection and the newest system for simultaneous translations. If you are interested in the latest program of the auditorium it can be downloaded from the auditorium’s homepage by clicking on
Due to its exceptional location at the northern town-beach of Las Palmas, it is easy to reach from the harbour and the airport by modern clearways. The way from the most important tourism centres of town to the auditorium takes about 5 to 15 minutes. Close to the auditorium is a guarded parking area for about 2.000 vehicles, as well as stops for taxis and busses.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday
10:00 a.m. – 02:00 p.m.
04:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday
10:00 a.m. – 02:00 p.m.
Guided tours of the opera house:
Mondays to Fridays there is the option of taking a guided tour through the building at 12:00 p.m.
Tickets:
Tickets over the phone under 0034 902 405 504 or at www.generaltickets.com
