Ana María Martínez is CARMEN in the Closing presentation of the Casals Festival celebrating the 50th

Anniversary of Ópera de Puerto Rico

The Golden Anniversary of the oldest opera company in Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rican singer with the greatest international projection.

Our Rafael Dávila in the role of his triumph at the Met.

The most popular opera in the world.

The majestic setting of the Casals Festival.

All the factors come together to make the show on Saturday, June 4, an unforgettable night for those who gather at the Antonio Paoli Festival Hall for the closing of the Casals Festival 2022 edition.

The eternal popularity of Bizet's CARMEN is due to the perfect combination of a gripping story and compelling music. A fateful love triangle between a gypsy, a soldier and a bullfighter expressed in a great score, which includes popular pieces like the the seductive Habanera, the children's choir, the vibrant Toreador song, and the heartbreaking final duet.

The title role is one of the great challenges in the repertoire. It requires from the performer extraordinary skills as an actress, endurance to sing for four acts, mastery of both the style of French opera and Spanish rhythms, and a color of voice that can be velvety for seduction and dramatic for confrontations: the perfect vehicle for the enormous talent of our Ana María Martínez, who has already triumphed as Carmen in Houston and Los Angeles.

Rafael Dávila, will be the obsessed Don José, giving us the opportunity to see him in the role with which he achieved great success in his debut at the Metroplitan Opera. Rafael's voice is ideal for this character, and this was recognized by New York critics. The main cast is completed by the soprano Zulimar López as the sweet Micaela and, as the bullfighter Escamillo, the extraordinary baritone Ricardo José Rivera.

The Choir of 40-voices will be in charge of Jo-Anne Herrero and there will be a special participation of the San Juan Children's Choir. The stage direction and production design are in charge of the experienced Gilberto Valenzuela, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by the prestigious Catalan maestro Josep Caballé Domenech, who will be making his debut on our island.

ANDREA GONZÁLEZ CABALLERO, GUITARRA

PROGRAM

Francisco Tárrega          Fantasía sobre los motivos de la Traviata

Joaquín Turina              Sonata Op. 61

Manuel de Falla              Danza del molinero

                                     Danza del terror

                                     Danza española de “La vida breve”

R. Sainz de la Maza        Rondeña

Francisco Tárrega          Preludio núm. 1

R. Sáinz de la Maza        Petenera

Francisco Tárrega          Preludio n. 2

R. Sáinz de la Masa        Zapateado

M. López de Quiroga    Tatuaje

Arr. Carles Trepat          Ojos verdes

                                      Dime que me quieres

                                    Romance de valentía

Isaac Albéniz.                De la Suite española:

Cataluña

                                     Sevilla

Opera World Magazine describes Andrea Gonzalez Caballero as “the female voice of the Spanish guitar”. Andrea is a laureate of multiple prestigious international guitar competitions, receiving First Prize and Special Prize at the “XL International Competition F. Sor” (Rome), and First Prize at the “XIII Alhambra International Guitar Competition” (Valencia), of which she was the youngest guitarist to receive first prize.

The BBC Music Magazine described her as one of today’s young rising stars of the classical guitar. Andrea has appeared at international festivals and concert series around the world. Recent highlights include performances in Palau de la Música in Barcelona, National Auditorium and Juan March Foundation in Madrid, as well as performances with Sinfonietta Ratingen and Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany. Selected by the International Guitar Foundation of London to perform as a soloist in international music festivals such as the “London Guitar Festival”, she debuted in the UK offering concerts at venues like King’s Cross in London and Sage Gateshead in Newcastle.

Andrea’s 2017 Naxos CD, which contains the premiere of new guitar compositions and pieces by composers like Britten, Albéniz and Tárrega was received with great acclaim: “This album is a delicate, elegant, and majestic musical word…” obtaining the Golden Melómano distinction by Melómano Magazine.

SANTIAGO CAÑÓN VALENCIA, CHELO

PROGRAM

J. S. Bach                      Suite No. 2, BWV 1008.

Damián Ponce de León  La ruta de la mariposa

Paul Hindemith             Sonata for solo cello No. 3, Op. 25

César Zambrano            Suite No. 2 for solo cello

Santiago Cañón             Ascenso hacia lo profundo

“Technically flawless, he’s totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.” - The Strad

Santiago Cañón-Valencia has been praised as one of the most promising young cellists of his generation. Born in Bogota in 1995, his major musical mentors have been Henryk Zarzycki in Colombia, James Tennant in New Zealand, and Andres Díaz in the United States.

Winner of the Silver Medal and “Audience Favourite” Award at the 2019 XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition and the 2018 Starker Foundation Award, Mr. Cañón-Valencia has been a constant figure of the International Cello Competition scene for many years. He was awarded third prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Competition 2017 in Brussels. He is also a First Prize winner of the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition, Beijing International Music Competition, Gisborne International Music Competition, and Lennox International Young Artists Competition. He was also a major prize winner of the Sphinx, Casals, Johansen, Cassadó, and Adam cello competitions.

Mr. Cañón-Valencia made his orchestral debut as a soloist when he was six years old with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. Since then, he has appeared with all the major orchestras in his native Colombia and his international solo career has taken him around the world to perform with orchestras such as the Mariinsky Orchestra with Valery Gergiev, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra with Christoph Eschenbach, Brussels Philharmonic with Stephane Deneve, St Petersburg Philharmonic with Nikolai Alexeev, Moscow Soloists with Yuri Bashmet, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Recording for the Atoll label in New Zealand, his debut CD “Solo” has been internationally acclaimed.

Coralia

Carmen Acevedo, director

Diana Figueroa y Bryan Ojeda, piano

PROGRAM 

J. Brahms                      Liebeslieder Walzer (Love Songs), Op. 52

J. Casañas                    Salve Regina                                                              

B. Galante                    Jubilate Deo                                                               

J. Délano                     La rosa y el colibrí

Trad. Chile                   Punta y taco                                       

(Arr. Ward Swingle)

J. Morel Campos       Tormento                   

(Arr. Augusto Rodríguez)                                           

Á. “Cucco” Peña        Negra Majestad

“Coralia is an elixir for the soul... their voices are sublime”. El Nuevo Día

ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DE PUERTO RICO
MAXIMIANO VALDÉS, DIRECTOR TITULAR
LARISA MARTÍNEZ, SOPRANO
JOSHUA BELL, VIOLÍN

PROGRAM

Roberto Sierra              Symphony No. 2 “Gran Passacaglia”

F. Mendelssohn            Ah, ritorna, età felice, Op. 94 – Concert Aria

H. Villa-Lobos               Bachianas brasileiras No.5, W389-391

P. I. Tchaikovsky            Violin Concerto, Op. 35

“Mr. Bell doesn’t stand in anyone’s shadow.” — The New York Times

“Music, dance, and theatre tell us what it means to be human, making us better individuals and therefore creating a better society.” — Larisa Martínez

Join us for an exciting evening with Joshua Bell, the world’s undisputable violin super star, and the   exquisite soprano Larisa Martínez together with the stellar Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra conducted by its principal conductor, Mo. Maximiano Valdés.

REVERÓN TRIO

Ana María Otamendi, piano

Simón Gollo, violín

Horacio Contreras, chelo

PROGRAM

A Latin American Journey

Antonio María Valencia Emociones caucanas

Eduardo Alonso-Crespo. Trío núm. 1, Op. 30

Ricardo Lorenz                         La hamaca

Horacio Fernández Vásquez    Jacarandas en el suelo

Teresa Carreño                         Pequeño vals

Astor Piazzolla                         Las cuatro estaciones de Buenos Aires

The Reverón Piano Trio’s main goal is to introduce audiences to underrepresented music from Latin America alongside contemporary and standard repertoire. These seasoned artists are active promoters of Latin American music through their work as scholars and entrepreneurs, and they have devoted their careers to the discovery, cataloguing, performance, and recording of this rich repertoire. In addition, the trio continues to commission new works, and is in the process of creating the Sphinx Catalog of Latin American Piano Trios. Ana María, Simón, and Horacio are all Venezuelan artists that have made their home in the United States.

YEFIM BRONFMAN, PIANO

PROGRAM

Robert Schumann Arabesque in C major, Op. 18

Ludwig van Beethoven        Sonata, Op. 57, Appassionata

Bela Bartok                               Sonata, Sz. 80

Frederic Chopin                     Sonata no. 3 in b minor, Op. 58

“Yefim Bronfman combined fire and poetry…his fingers have always burned up the keyboard, but his lyricism has become more remarkable with age.”

Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman’s commanding technique, power, and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike. As 2021/22 Artist-in-Residence with the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam the season began on tour with the orchestra in Europe and will conclude with the world premiere of a concerto commissioned for him from Elena Firsova. The fall continues with the Enescu Festival, Bucharest and return visits to the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics and symphonies of Boston, Houston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Montreal, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Oregon, San Antonio, Cincinnati and Palm Beach. With the Munich Philharmonic he will visit Vienna and Frankfurt; Luxembourg and Paris with the Concertgebouw; London with the Philharmonia and Israel with the Israel Philharmonic. Born in Tashkent in the Soviet Union, Bronfman immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi. In the United States, he studied at The Juilliard School, Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, under Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, in 2010 he was further honored as the recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane prize in piano performance from Northwestern University and in 2015 with an honorary doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

With great enthusiasm we end our 2021-2022 concert season with a great concert with the participation of our principal flautist, Josué Casillas and past principal clarinet, Kathleen Jones. This great closing of the season will be led by our director, Maximiano Valdés.

PROGRAM

Héctor Campos Parsi, Divertimento del Sur

Richard Strauss, Don Juan, Op. 20

Antonín Dvořák, Sinfonía núm. 7 en re menor, op. 70

The international flock of enthusiasts for the Star Wars franchise has adopted May 4 for decades, designating the date as Star Wars Day. “May the Fourth” evokes the iconic address “May the Force be with you!” recognized all over the world.

Come and enjoy your favorite soundtracks from the Star Wars franchise. The repertoire will include a varied selection of themes from: Star Wars Suite, Star Wars Saga, Across the Stars, The Force Awakens, Battlefront 2, The Mandalorian, Clone Wars, Rebels, among others. Under the direction of our guest conductor, Angel Vélez.

Symphonic, solo, choral, chamber, theater and electronic music composer Carlos Vázquez is one of the most outstanding Latin American contemporary composers coming from the Caribbean basin. Ha has composed and presented ambitious works such as the opera "La Mina de Oro" and the "Requiem domesticus." Born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Vázquez studied music at the University of Puerto Rico, University of Pittsburgh, New York University and La Sorbonne in Paris, where he earned a Doctoral degree. His composition teachers have been Rafael Aponte Ledée, Frank MacCarty and Bruce Saylor. Under the sponsorship of the Rockefeller Foundation, he attended a seminar on new computer music techniques at Stanford University in 1995.

Celebrate with us his 70 years.

PROGRAM

Maurice Ravel, Alborada del Gracioso

Carlos A. Vázquez, Concert Comtal

I.           Espirit Gotic

II.          Grandes Gaudiana

III.         Ramblas

Claude Debussy, Preludio a la siesta de un fauno

Carlos A. Vázquez, Sinfonietta: trópico añorado

I.           Verde Intenso besando al azul transparante junto a una brisa juguetona con aromas florales

II.          Sueño de una noche estrellada

III.         Aquella única isla (la mía)

Recognized as a prominent force in the world of classical music and one of the greatest conductors of his generation, the distinguished conductor, Andreas Delfs, is one of the most respected musicians working today. Born in Germany and educated at Julliard, Delfs studied with such famous conductors as Christoph von Dohnányi, Lorin Maazel, and Dennis Russell Davies, served as Music Director of the esteemed European opera companies Hannover State Opera and Bern Opera, and conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra. From london. Delfs is renowned for delivering electrifying performances and artistic excellence.

On this occasion, he will be leading the orchestra in two renowned works from the classical orchestral repertoire. The Violin Concerto no. 5 of W.A. Mozart, will be interpreted by the concertmaster of the OSPR, Omar Velzázquez Frías. On second half of the concert, the orchestra will perform Franz Schubert’s Symphony no. 9 in C major.

Glory to God in heaven and peace on earth to men of good will.

Words that have recently gained singular importance and will be the essence of our concert on April 13.

We celebrate 25 years of the founding of the Orfeón San Juan Bautista and its extensive contribution to the Puerto Rican cultural environment. Eternal Transits is the title of this meeting with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

The choir members will be in charge of the first part of the program, focused on meditative works from different periods, in accordance with the solemnity of the Holy Week of Christianity.

The choir, soloists, and orchestra occupy the second part of the concert. Rekindled interest in Vivaldi in the twentieth century, attention turns to his defining works for instruments for Bach and Mozart. Closing the 1920s, a collection of his vocal music appeared in Turin, Italy, and Vivaldi transcends being more than the composer of 600 concertos. The exceptional Gloria in D Major, recovered in Turin, received its modern premiere in 1930. Since then it remains the most renowned vocal composition for “il prete rosso.”

Delight yourself with great classics under the tutelage of maestro Guillermo Figueroa, next April 9.

PROGRAM

Ernesto Cordero, Ínsula tropical, concerto for violin and strings

I. Yerba bruja

II. Jájome

III. Fantasía salsera

IV. El colibrí dorado

Dimitri Shostakovich, Symphony no. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70

I. Allegro

II. Moderato 

III. Presto 

IV. Largo

V. Allegretto 

Claude Debussy, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Richard Strauss, The Merry Antics of Till Eulenspiegel, Op. 28

On Saturday, April 2, we will have the concert that closes the 2022 Symphony Experience. A concert directed by Karlo Flores, where advanced music students perform with #TuSinfónica after having taken workshops with the Orchestra. The Symphonic Experience program is aimed at reinforcing the cultural values ​​of youth, while creating a bond between them and the musicians of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

Date: April 2, from 7pm

Venue: Pablo Casals Symphony Hall

Next Sunday, March 27, we will be in the T-Mobile District offering a free presentation in celebration of our new brand identity.

You cannot miss this! Come and share with your family the best music from #TuSinfonica.

Free admission!

Enjoy great classics at our concert in tribute to Kryzysztof Penderecki, next March 26 at 7pm, under the tutelage of our principal conductor Maximiano Valdés.

Don't miss the world premiere of the piece "In memoriam Penderecki," written by Puerto Rican composer Alberto Rodríguez, and commissioned by #TuSinónica.

CulturArte de Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra invite you to enjoy the zarzuela “Los gavilanes” by Spanish composer Jacinto Guerrero, in a semi-scenic version. This production will feature the participation of the soprano Ana María Martínez, the tenor Rafael Dávila, the baritone Nelson Martínez, and the soprano Meechot Marrero, under the direction of the principal conductor, Maximiano Valdés.

The concert will take place on August 14, 2021, in the Antonio Paoli Festival Hall of the Luis A. Ferré Fine Arts Center. Get your ticket by visiting the Centro de Bellas Artes ticket office, calling (787) 620-4444; or by accessing the Ticket Center at www.ticketera.com.

For more information call CulturArte at (787) 620-5262.

The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (OSPR) will celebrate the magic of cinema with the special Hollywood Magic concert, which will be conducted by renowned musical directors Ángel Vélez and Conrad Pope. The repertoire will include songs from The Mandalorian, The Umbrella Academy, Tom & Jerry, The Queen Gambit, and Titanic.

 Ángel Vélez has been director of the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival, the American Society of Cinematographers Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Gala, DeutscheStaatsphilharmonie Rhineland-Pfalz, among others. Also recorded for the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) labels in Germany and Varèse Sarabande Records. He currently works on projects such as Jane the Virgin, Family Guy, Star Wars Rebels, and The Mandalorian.

Conrad Pope is a legendary Hollywood music director and film composer. Some of his works include Jurassic Park, The Polar Express, The Matrix, Indiana Jones, Amistad, Peter Pan, King Kong, and some episodes of Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Roselín Pabón, emeritus conductor

After a year full of challenges for all the people of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra prepared and recorded the Christmas concert “Aguinaldo Sinfónico” which will be our gift to the public on Friday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. through FACEBOOK LIVE, and at 10:00 p.m. through Telemundo.

On this occasion, the musicians of the Symphony will be accompanied on stageby the soprano Laura María Pabón and the ensemble Versos de Mujer.

The repertoire that viewers will enjoy will include: “Holy Night” (A. Adam / Figueroa); "The Birth" of "Our Christmas" (A. Ramírez / Arr. M. Vizoso Veray); “Rejoice” from “Oratorio El Mesías” (G.F. Handel); "Six Fajardeño" (M. Vizoso); “Seis Mapeyé” (Traditional / Figueroa); and “Seis Chorreao” (Traditional / Figueroa).

Roselín Pabón, emeritus conductor

After a year full of challenges for all the people of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra prepared and recorded the Christmas concert “Aguinaldo Sinfónico” which will be our gift to the public on Sunday, December 20, at 10:30 p.m. through Telemundo. The special will air again on Friday, December 25, at 10:00 p.m.

On this occasion, the musicians of the Symphony will be accompanied on stageby the soprano Laura María Pabón and the ensemble Versos de Mujer.

The repertoire that viewers will enjoy will include: “Holy Night” (A. Adam / Figueroa); "The Birth" of "Our Christmas" (A. Ramírez / Arr. M. Vizoso Veray); “Rejoice” from “Oratorio El Mesías” (G.F. Handel); "Six Fajardeño" (M. Vizoso); “Seis Mapeyé” (Traditional / Figueroa); and “Seis Chorreao” (Traditional / Figueroa).

Maximiano Valdés, music director

PROGRAM

• WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, SERENATA NO. 12, K. 388, DO MENOR

  I.     ALLEGRO

  II.    ANDANTE

  III.   MENUETTO IN CANONE

  IV.  ALLEGRO

• AARON COPLAND, FANFARE FOR A COMMON MAN

• CARLOS CHÁVEZ, TOCATA PARA INSTRUMENTOS DE PERCUSIÓN

  I.     ALLEGRO, SEMPRE GIUSTO

  II.    LARGO

  III.   ALLEGRO UN POCO MARZIALE

The Puerto Rico Products Association will broadcast the concert "Christmas Made in Puerto Rico" on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, from 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. through the digital platforms of elnuevodia.com.

As part of the concert recorded at the Pablo Casals Symphony Hall, of the Luis A. Ferré Fine Arts Center, you will be able to enjoy a Christmas repertoire played by the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra led by associate conductor Rafael Enrique Irizarry, which will include the pieces “Aguinaldo de Coamo”, “Creo en Dios (I Believe)”, “Hossana,” “El seis chorriao” and “Villancico Yaucano.”