The UCAM Symphony Orchestra sparkled once again in Madrid (and that's 14 performances) at the XXIV Gran Gala Solidaria de Zarzuela de Año Nuevo (24th New Year's Zarzuela Solidarity Gala), organised by the Fundación Sinfolírica, with which the Universidad Católica de Murcia is involved every year. Held in aid of the Cris Cancer Foundation, the Auditorio Nacional was sold out.

At the beginning of the Gala, its presenter and organiser, Sito Tejeiro, recalled the figure of José Luis Mendoza, founder of the Universidad Católica de Murcia and welcomed the opening, for the next academic year, of a UCAM university campus in collaboration with the Spanish Olympic Committee in Torrejón de Ardoz, ‘great news for Torrejón, for Madrid and for Spain’.

The presidents of both institutions, María Dolores García and Alejandro Blanco, attended the event, as well as prestigious Murcians, from various professional fields, based in the Spanish capital.

Under the baton of Borja Quintas, pieces from El barberillo de Lavapiés, Luisa Fernanda, La tabernera del puerto, La alegría de la huerta, Gigantes y cabezudos, etc. were performed, as well as several works by the Jumilla composer Julián Santos.

The audience enjoyed the orchestra, the choirs of Coslada, Voces del Alma and Vocale, the Estampas de Zarzuela ballet and Chotis siempre Madrid and an excellent cast of soloists: María Rodríguez, Carmen Mateo, Joana Jiménez, Moisés Marín, Antonio Vázquez, Juanma Cifuentes, Andrés del Pino, Quique Bustos and Simón Orfila. 

Two uninterrupted hours of solidarity and exaltation of the Spanish lyric genre, punctuated by continuous applause and crowned with several encores to receive 2025, the last of which was a very special tribute, the pasodoble ‘Valencia’, from the zarzuela La Bien Amada.