Latinx Fiesta

Get to know the Latin culture
through the best symphonic music of the region!

About Latinx Fiesta

Latinx Fiesta is a full symphonic concert selectively designed to present the most outstanding composers of Latin America.  The program  includes contemporary, classical, and popular music, showcasing vibrant Latin rhythms, percussion instruments, and dances.

Latinx Fiesta aims to connect new audiences to a  world- class repertoire. We are proud collaborators with musical institutions across the world, helping to enrich their musical programming with brilliant and rarely-heard works.

International Concerts

In recent years Latinx Fiesta full concerts, selected pieces and world premieres have been featured by:

  • ADCA Symphony Orchestra, New York (2019)
  • Washington University Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis  (2019)
  • Gateway Festival Orchestra, USA  (2019)
  • Florida International University Symphony Orchestra, Miami (2019)
  • Saarlandisches Staatsorchester, Germany  (2018)
  • University of Missouri St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (2018)
  • Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz, Germany (2012, 2016)
  • Filarmónica Boca del Rio, Mexico (2014)
  • International Music Festival “Alfredo de Saint Malo”, Panama (2011, 2012, 2018)
  • National Youth Symphony Orchestra, Dominican Republic (2010, 2013, 2015)
  • Sembrando Talentos Festival, Uruguay (2011)
  • Youth Orchestra of the Americas, USA – Dominican Republic (2010)

Its originality, colorful sounds and the power of this music’s connection to audiences of all ages has made Latinx Fiesta a favorite concert series worldwide.

A vital component of Latinx Fiesta is audience engagement. The program includes live explanations and multimedia projections of the various composers, their works, the countries, the instruments, and dances.

Latinx Fiesta projections

Listen to Latinx Fiesta -live- audio samples

Fuga con Pajarillo

by Aldemaro Romero | an intricate, energetic and virtuosic orchestral Fugue, that brings to life the popular "Pajarillo" dance of Venezuela, inside a fearless ternary tempo

Compadre Pedro Juan

by Luis Alberti | the "Merengue" is the national dance of the Dominican Republic. A mix of the Hispanic and African culture of the country. First, the "Jaleo" section invites the couple to begin the dance before "Tambora and Guira" percussion instruments take the lead

Fantasia Criolla

by Bienvenido Bustamante | a quiet pastoral chant of peasants from the Dominican Republic is transformed into the "Criolla" and "Mangulina" hispanic dances, in three short connecting movements

A Haitian Phantasy

by Ludovic Lamothe | Lamothe was known as the "Black Chopin" because of his lyrical piano pieces. Here two of them are elegantly and brilliantly orchestrated by American composer John Jost

Colombia Tierra Querida

by by Lucho Bermudez | The "Cumbia" is the national dance of Colombia and this one has practically become their National Anthem!"Colombia My Dearest Land" is known in Latin America as one of the most popular songs of all times

Guaguancó

by Guido López Gavilán | the "Guaguancó" is one of Cuba's main rhythms and part of the famous "Rumba". With a beautiful orchestration and improvisatory section, the composer takes us into the Afro-Cuban religion of the island

YOAminicana

by Darwin Aquino | a brief folkloric overture full of Caribbean percussion and ritual chants. The African "Congos" from the Dominican Republic are the center and inspiration of this energetic piece

Latinx Fiesta – live videos

Orchestral: Merengue 

Strings: Puntos 

Orchestral: Cumbia

Strings: Contemporary

Latinx Fiesta – representative works 

México

  • A. Márquez – Conga del Fuego Nuevo(7 min)
  • J. Moncayo – Huapango (9 min)
  • A. Márquez – Danzón No. 2  (10 min)

Venezuela

  • A. Romero – Fuga con Pajarillo (7 min)
  • A. Rugeles – Tanguitis (4 min)

Haiti

  • L. Lamothe – A Haitian Phantasy (12 min)
    • Danse No. 4
    • Danse Capoise

Dominican Republic

  • B. Bustamante – Suite Macorix (18 min)
  • B. Bustamante – Fantasía Criolla (15 min)
  • D. Aquino – Congofonía (7 min)
  • D. Aquino – YOAminicana (5 min)
  • D. Aquino – Concerto for Violin, Strings & Percussion (18 min)
  • J. L. Guerra – La Bilirrubina (4 min) with choreography
  • L. Alberi – Compadre Pedro Juan (3 min) with choreography

Argentina

  • A. Ginastera – Danzas del Ballet “Estancia” Op. 8 (12 min)

Brasil

  • H. Villalobos – Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2 (20 min)

Puerto Rico

  • Carlos Alberto Vázquez – Fiesta Rugeliana (8 min)

Cuba

  • Carlos Fariñas – Seis Sones Sencillos (14 min)
  • G. López-Gavilán – Guaguancó (6 min)

Guatemala

  • Sergio R. Reyes – Migraciones (10 min)

Colombia

  • A. Bermúdez – Colombia Tierra Querida “Cumbia” (5 min) with choreography

Panama

  • R. Cordero – Elegia for Strings (5 min)
  • L. Casal – Puntos & Cumbias Panameñas (15 min)
Darwin Aquino is a Member of the Latin American Collegium of Composers: click here to learn more.

More selections include music from: Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Bahamas, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, El Salvador, Peru, Guatemala, etc.