The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra played in Vieques for the first time in history. We went by bus from Santurce to Fajardo, by ferry to Vieques, and by vans to the old Fortín, where, conducted by Rafael Enrique Irizarry (our Assistant Principal Horn,) and by Francisco Figueroa (our Assistant Principal Violist,) we participated in the Vieques Festival, to the delight of several hundred residents, and many more watching the live WIPR broadcast. Here I am with Pochi, our second clarinetist, at the end of the concert, with the old wall of the fort behind us.
The next day, bleary-eyed from arriving at 2 a.m. from Vieques, we played in Plácido Domingo’s fabulous show in the Miguel Agrelot Coliseo (we call it the Choliseo, because the famous comedian for whom this coliseum is named was nicknamed Don Cholo.) Plácido, always the consummate gentleman and an artist without peer, offered a cornucopia of styles, including Spanish zarzuela, Argentinian tango, Mexican mariachi, with guest artists, thrilling thousands of fans.