A Playlist En Celebración of Hispanic Heritage Month

By Anna James

Through October 15, 2023, join the Seattle Symphony in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month! We offer our greatest thanks to Hispanic communities here and around the world for an expansive array of contributions to classical music, enriching our sonic landscape while taking inspiration from a wealth of heritages and Indigenous traditions. Our ears are forever grateful! 

Check out some of our favorite Hispanic artists, from composers to musicians, in the playlist below. 

***

Composer Teresa Carreño’s virtuosic piano abilities were recognized early in her childhood, and she eventually earned the well-deserved nickname, “Valkyrie of the Piano.” She ascended to international fame after emigrating from Venezuela to New York City, even performing for Abraham Lincoln in his “White House” in 1863. Playing in Carreño’s Mi Teresita is the fittingly brilliant Venezuelan pianist, Gabriela Montero.

During his early years while dividing his time between Mexico and California, Arturo Márquez composed Danzón No. 2 in 1994, inspired by a trip to Malinalco, where the Mexican genre and dance, danzón, holds incredible significance. Of his Danzon series, the Second is one of the most popular Mexican orchestral pieces written in the 20th century. The Seattle Symphony will be performing the work during our Family Concert Día de los Muertos on Saturday, October 14! 

Known for the unique harmonic imagery she cultivates in her compositions, Angélica Negrón makes for a compelling listen whenever she’s featured by the Seattle Symphony. Conversación a distancia takes inspiration from a danza from mid-19th century Puerto Rican composer Juan Morel Campos called Conversación, and pays homage to the Afro-Latinx histories throughout the diaspora that has been lost to time.

Guatemalan singer-songwriter, producer, film composer and guitarist Gaby Moreno has rich, silky vocals, delivers lyrics in both English and Spanish, and has an eclectic sound that spans genres, including folk and Americana, blues, Latin music, alternative rock and more. You’ll be blown away when you have the chance to experience her talents in person during her Benaroya Hall Presents performance on Friday, October 6, 2023! Enjoy her beautiful rendition of the classic Quizás, quizás, quizás, originally composed by Osvaldo Farrés in 1947.

The pianist and composer Aldemaro Romero was known for his ability to mix popular music and folk songs with Western classical forms. Below is Fuga con Pajarillo, a movement from his Suite No. 1 for Strings. Fun fact — a pajarillo is a style of Venezuelan music and dance! Gifted interpretation below by the outstanding Black and Latinx ensemble, Sphinx Virtuosi.

Throughout Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s Xochiquetzal, the violin solo represents the titular Mayan goddess, a manifestation of music, dance, beauty and love. The first movement below grows more spirited to convey her power after a graceful entrance by vibraphone, an aural representation of the often-depicted goddess surrounded by a charm of hummingbirds — a quite fitting term for both a collective group of the tiny bird species and the overall vibe of the piece.

Tania León continues to make strides as a leading conductor, educator and composer of both large-scale and chamber works. Her Cuban American heritage takes center stage in her contemporary and Latin-influenced works, as heard in the third movement here of Esencia, and as a guiding voice for many significant cultural institutions.

Obertura Festiva begins as I’d imagine it would feel like emotionally to command a flight deck on a trip to the moon, leveling out through the score for a truly smooth ride! If I may be so bold, The Orchestra of the Americas does a phenomenal job in launching this rendition of the 1943 Juan Orrego-Salas composition straight to the stars.

And now, with help from Astor Piazzola, we say a fond adiós and muchas gracias for listening along with us!

Click here to check out the playlist on Spotify and add it to your library.