Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, And Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra Celebrate Latino Music And Culture This November

The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will come together in November for a series of concerts and events at Symphony Hall celebrating music and culture from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

Part of the multi-season initiative E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One, these programs will explore how crosscurrents in music reflect and parallel societal change while deepening understanding of American identity through the voices of diverse artists.

November highlights will include the Boston Pops’ second annual Día de Muertos concert honoring Mexican pop icon Juan Gabriel with conductor Keith Lockhart and guest artists Veronica Robles, Ely Guerra, and La Marisoul on November 1. Later in the month, guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk will lead the BSO in three concerts featuring the world premiere of Time for Time by Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León, alongside Roberto Sierra’s Concerto for Saxophones with jazz great James Carter as soloist, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 (November 13–15). Composer León will also appear in a free “What I Hear” program at the New England Conservatory on November 13.

On November 14, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will make its Boston debut with Music Director Maximiano Valdés and soloist Luis Sanz on cuatro in a program of works by Puerto Rican composers, including Angélica Negrón and Roberto Sierra. That same evening, Yale professor Albert Laguna will lead Crash Course: Bad Bunny & Beyond, a dynamic lecture-performance exploring Puerto Rican history and identity through music, with contributions from Sanz and Negrón.

The E Pluribus Unum focus will continue in January with a festival of humanities events supporting previously announced BSO concerts featuring music by American composers such as Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Simon, and John Williams.

Helaine B. Allen Vice President for Education and External Engagement Josué González said, “Through these performances and educational opportunities, the November E Pluribus Unum series will invite our community to experience and learn about how Latino voices shape a collective understanding of our American identity and cultural life.”

Boston Pops Presents A Tribute to El Divo de Juárez: Celebrating Día de Muertos

Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m.*
Keith Lockhart leads the Pops in their second annual Día de Muertos concert honoring singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel, featuring guest artists Veronica Robles, Ely Guerra, and La Marisoul. The evening will also include Gabriela Ortiz’s Antrópolis and festive Día de Muertos décor and pre-concert buffet options.

Boston Symphony Orchestra Performs World Premiere of Tania León’s Time for Time

Thursday, November 13 – Saturday, November 15*
Guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk will lead the BSO in the premiere of Tania León’s new commission, alongside Roberto Sierra’s Concerto for Saxophones with James Carter and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. Programs also include a High School Open Rehearsal on November 13 and a free “What I Hear” event with León at New England Conservatory.

Crash Course: Bad Bunny & Beyond

Friday, November 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Professor Albert Laguna of Yale University will lead a lecture-performance at Symphony Hall examining Puerto Rican history and identity through the music of Bad Bunny and beyond, joined by Luis Sanz and Angélica Negrón.

Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra: Boston Debut

Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.*
Maximiano Valdés conducts the orchestra in its Boston debut, with Luis Sanz as soloist. The program includes works by Ernesto Cordero, Angélica Negrón, Noel Estrada, Alfonso Fuentes, Roberto Sierra, and others, celebrating Puerto Rico’s musical traditions.

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