Bravo (¡y felicitaciones!) to all the talented youth who joined with us in our final concert closing the 2010-11 Experiencia Sinfónica project. Here I am with Pochi (our fine second clarinetist, officially known as Emmanuel Díaz-Retamar) and this year’s three clarinet “interns”: Juan Soto on the left, Janice Rivera, and Victor Carrión, at the end of our challenging May 7th concert. Repertoire included Strauss’ Gypsy Baron Overture, Jack Delano’s La Reina Tembandumba, among other works, and two fine young soloists: Paola Vázquez Cartegena playing the first movement of Saint-Saens’ Third Violin Concerto, and Kristalis Sotomayor playing the first movement of Mozart’s D Major Flute Concerto. ¡Special thanks to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, for its continued support of this inspirational program!
The Puerto Rico Symphony is now in its third season of a wonderful project sponsored by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (the island’s largest bank) called Experiencia Sinfónica, which gives hands-on experience to students 18 and younger of what playing in a symphony is like. Included are master classes given by the principals, a competition to choose two soloists to play in the final concert, and an audition, which gives those who pass the unequaled opportunity to sit in the orchestra and play a week alongside us, culminating in a public concert (this year to be given on May 7th.)
Here I am on February 12th at the Escuela Libre de Música in Caguas giving a master class to Victor E. Carrión, Catherine Castro, Juan L. Soto Rivera, and Jonathan Cosme Sánchez.
