Symphony of the Americas to Present TRAILBLAZERS! Celebrating the Women of Symphonic Music

Symphony of the Americas celebrates The Women of Symphonic Music with The Symphony Classics program, "Trailblazers!" on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at Broward Center for Performing Arts Amaturo Theater. Conducted by Symphony of the Americas Music Director Pablo Mielgo, the program highlights the role of women in their different historical expressions over a 200-year timespan.

Joining The Symphony as guest artist is the internationally acclaimed Jeanette Vecchione-Donatti, an Italian American soprano from New York and now a South Florida resident. She has graced the stages of the Vienna State Opera, Theatres des Champs Elysées, Teatro Verdi di Trieste, Teatro Massimo Bellini among others the title roles of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini's La Sonnambula to Constanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail to most notably, the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

Ms. Donatti has appeared as a soloist in concert at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Philarmoniker Hamburg, NDR Radiophilarmonie, and Malta Symphony. After taking time to start a family, she reentered the operatic stage in concerts with Placido Domingo and tenors Joseph Calleja and Ramon Vargas. She made her operatic stage debut as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette and Micaela in Carmen. Ms. Donatti will sing Fioridiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in a concert performance this February in Matera, Italy alongside a concert with the Opera Naples Festival in Naples, Florida this March.

Ms. Donatti had the privilege of studying with notable superstars such as Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanewa, Renata Scotto and Natalie Dessay and received a full scholarship to attend The Juilliard School where she graduated with both a Bachelors and Masters in Music.

The "bookend" approach to "Trailblazers!" compares and contrasts styles and sounds, intertwining the influence of composers and their themes.

Grammy and Pulitzer Prize recipient, Jennifer Higdon, an icon of current contemporary American composition, brings us Blue Cathedral - an ode to her brother. Next, several arias by the great Austrian genius Mozart, whose thematic approach highlights the characters of women, taking on the lead roles within the opera. "I call this cycle 'Mozart's Heroines,' expounding the virtues and strength of women within the classical period," says Pablo Mielgo.

The program is completed with the first symphony by the great American composer of the 20th century, Florence Price. A woman who was a mark of musical influence in her time, and broke great barriers in the cultural and social environment of the United States. Price is considered to be the first Black American classical composer. Her Symphony n.1 is inspired by both the Western classical tradition and Black musical idioms.

The performance will be presented at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in the Amaturo Theater, located at 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.

Individual tickets range from $35 to $75, and can be purchased in advance online at https://sota.org or Broward Center Box Office: 954.462.0222.

About Symphony of the Americas

Symphony of the Americas enters its 36th season in the 2023-2024 concert series. Symphony of the Americas is a beloved cultural institution, enriching the communities of South Florida & The Americas for decades. It is essential to recognize the immense cultural and artistic significance of Symphony of the Americas. It serves as a beacon of artistic excellence, providing a platform for our musicians and a venue for the cultivation of their craft. The Symphony is not only a showcase of virtuosic performers, but also serves as a vital resource for aspiring musicians. Symphony of the Americas performed the inaugural concerts of the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in 1991.

Symphony of the Americas has long-established roots and partnerships between South and Central America, and The Symphony's Home of South Florida. Symphony of the Americas is The Americas' Symphonic Cultural Voice. Symphony of the Americas is committed to serving South Florida's multicultural population with diverse programming - a cultural crossroads of music, ranging from classics, Tango, and jazz to Broadway. The concert seasons have featured guest artists including: award-winning bandoneon player and composer from Argentina Juan Pablo Jofre, acclaimed Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, guitarist Rafael Aguirre, Emmy Award-winner and Tony nominated actress, singer and recording artist, Liz Callaway, among many others.

About Pablo Mielgo, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor

Pablo Mielgo, a conductor from Madrid, is a true world citizen with an entrepreneurial spirit and the mission to make music accessible to everyone. Appointed in 2020 as the new Artistic Director & Conductor of Symphony of the Americas, Pablo is also the Chief of the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears (OSIB), based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Following his studies at the Royal Conservatory in his hometown of Madrid, the Reina Sofia School, and then the London Guildhall School of Music, Pablo has led orchestras around the world. Moreover, he has created a network of numerous musical friendships between Berlin and Qatar, Lucerne and Los Angeles, and with renowned musicians who are now enriching the the OSIB and Symphony of the Americas concert.

The 2021-2022 Concert season with Symphony of the Americas featured guest artists Juan Pablo Jofre from Argentina, Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, and American soprano Rebecca Nelsen, living in Vienna. The Symphony welcomed renowned American soprano Karen Slack in February, 2022.

Pablo is a sought-after conductor who continues to conduct globally. Mielgo, Music Director of Symphony of the Americas, has led the majority of United Nations Human Rights Ensemble performances and is one of the United Nations' and Onuart Foundation's "great creators." Past performances led by Pablo Mielgo, include: Dec. 10, 2014 - Inaugural Performance, Dec. 10, 2017 - The Silk Road Concert, May 4, 2018 - The Silk road Concert at The Temple of Luxor where Pablo conducted The Cairo Symphony Orchestra, July 16, 2018 -The Silk Road Concert in Tunedis, Tunisia at The Ruins of Antonin Baths and Archaeological site of Carthage, Dec.8, 2018 - Human Rights Concert, and most recently the Dec.10, 2023 - Human Rights Concert celebrating the United Nations 75th Anniversary for the Founding of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Some recent performances include the Slowakische Philharmonie in Vienna, Austria, with Soprano Nadine Sierra, Orchestra Sinfonica in Palermo, Italy, with Andrea Roberto on guitar, and at the Volkstheater in Rostock, Germany, with Rafael Aguirre on guitar. Pablo has also recently collaborated with German cellist Alban Gehardt, American operatic soprano Ailyn Perez, Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno, Franco-Albanian pianist, Marie-Ange Sopiqoti-Nguci, and Russian violinist Sergei Krylov, to name a few.

On February 2, 2023, Pablo led the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra in a gala performance with world-renown soprano Nadine Sierra at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Pablo Casals Symphony Hall. On April 3, 2023, Pablo had the distinct honor of conducting and leading a Gala Benefit concert for the "Projecte Home Balears," chaired by S.M. The Queen Dona Sofia of Spain, with Queen Sofia in attendance, held at the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Mallorca in Palma.

During the summer of 2023, Mielgo went on world tour with two exceptional sopranos; Nadine Sierra and Pretty Yende. Yende, who sang at the Coronation of King Charles in May 2023, was the first African soloist ever invited to perform at a British Coronation. Mielgo conducted orchestras in The Balearic Islands, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Budapest, Hungary, and Italy. Additional guest musicians and vocalists included cellist Kian Soltani, promising young pianists Dmitry Shishkin, and Davit Khrikul, and soprano Olena Tokarm and tenor Xabier Anduaga.

Pablo Mielgo has assisted conductors such as James Conlon, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Daniel Barenboim and Claudio Abbado. He regularly conducts on the great stages of Europe such as the Wiener Musikverein, the USA such as Carnegie Hall New York, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 2005 he has been the musical and artistic director of the SaludArte Foundation, which aims to bring about social change through music.

Pablo is especially dedicated to the promotion of young talents. Since 2011, he has served as co-artistic director of the Medellin Philharmonic Academy, striving to give young artists access to musical education.

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