Boston Pops to Present Día de Muertos Concert in November

The Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart will present the orchestra’s first-ever Celebrating Día de Muertos – The Day of the Dead concert on Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall. Inspired by the Mexican holiday, in which families honor and celebrate the souls of deceased relatives, the Boston Pops’ inaugural Day of the Dead concert sets out on an exploration of the rich and varied offerings from the world of Mexican music: nationally inspired works from contemporary Mexican composers Gabriela Ortiz and Arturo Rodriguez, popular and traditional songs associated with Día de Muertos, and the vibrant folk styles of mariachi and son jarocho, in collaboration with local artists Veronica Robles and Zaira Meneses. 

The program opens with Antrópolis by prominent Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, whose ballet score Revolución diamantina will be performed by the BSO in early 2025 (Feb. 27 - Mar. 1). In Antrópolis, Ortiz pays tribute to the iconic bars and dance clubs of Mexico City.  

Lockhart will conduct the world premiere of a new arrangement by Mexican composer Arturo Rodríguez: Tres Canciones Mexicanas. Also on the program is Rodríguez’s Mosaico Mexicano, the composer’s first work, which honors Golden Age Mexican film composers.  

The Pops will also perform a suite from Coco, the critically acclaimed 2017 Pixar film about Day of the Dead, and Huapango, a series of rhythmic dances from Veracruz by 20th century Mexican composer José Pablo Moncayo. 

Internationally acclaimed Mexican classical guitarist Zaira Meneses will present a “son jarocho collage,” a blended tapestry of works that includes a world premiere of a new piece by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, one of her frequent collaborators. Son jarocho, a style of folk music from the Mexican state of Veracruz, melds indigenous, Spanish, and West African influences. Meneses has been an ambassador for son jarocho music in Boston, receiving grants for this work from The Boston Foundation in 2018 and 2024. This will be her debut with the Boston Pops and her first performance at Symphony Hall. 

A cultural icon for Latinos in Boston, Veronica Robles will perform both as a vocalist with the Pops and with her Mariachi Ensemble. The first all-female mariachi band in Boston, the ensemble has performed at festivals and venues throughout New England including at the BSO’s recent Concert for the City.Robles is also the co-founder and director of the Veronica Robles Cultural Center, which offers Latin American art and culture programming, education, and employment opportunities to youth in East Boston.