Opera San José And LA Opera Present Free Digital Stream Of Latina Composers Recital

Opera San José formed an exciting partnership with LA Opera to create the Latina Composers recital, honoring the invaluable contributions Latina composers have made to the world of classical music.

Curated by LAO Artist in Residence Russell Thomas, and featuring OSJ Resident Company members, this recital includes songs by Modesta Bor (1926-1998), María Luisa Escobar (1903-1985), Chabuca Granda (1920-1983), María Grever (1885-1951), Ernestina Lecuona (1882-1951), Ángela Peralta (1845-1883), and Consuelo Velázquez (1916-2005).

Four living composers are also represented: Gabriela Lena Frank, Tania León, Mariela Rodríguez, and Irma Urteaga. Produced and captured in Opera San José's Heiman Digital Media Studio, the Latina Composers recital will be available to stream FREE, beginning May 14. For more information, the public can visit operasj.org/latina-composers-recital.

"The songs I've programmed celebrate an incredibly rich and diverse range of musical works created by Latinas over the past two centuries throughout the Americas," said Thomas. "Their music will transport our audiences to Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba, and Peru, all while honoring the women who wrote each piece. It was fantastic to partner with our friends in Northern California, the incredible team at Opera San José, on this gorgeous new project. Their digital media studio was the perfect space to create this thrilling undertaking."

The featured performers in the Latina Composers recital are soprano Vanessa Becerra, tenor Carlos Enrique Santelli, and baritone Efraín Solís, resident artists with Opera San José; baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco; pianists César Cancino and Bryndon Hassman; and guitarist Jose Chuy Hernandez. Becerra and Santelli are also alumni of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program.

The collaboration between LA Opera and Opera San José creates a space where innovation and ingenuity are not only possible, but proved necessary in these current circumstances, allowing the two organizations to combine forces to create this concert celebrating the immense talent of the highlighted Latina composers and the artists who perform them. The recital program was prepared with the assistance of Indiana University's Latin American Music Center.