Updates 2013

June 2013:

PRSO: We finished the 2012-13 season on June 15th with Revueltas Sensemaya, Sierra’s 4^th Symphony; Paquito D’Rivera’s new Flute Concerto with Marina Piccinini; and Gershwin’s American in Paris, Maximiano Valdes conducting.

PRSO: June 1^st subscription concert including Saint-Saens’ 5th piano concerto (Pascal Roge) and Roussel’s 3^rd Symphony; Maximiano Valdes conducting.

May 2013:

CMPR: May 19^th, Camerata Caribe gives the world premiere of Howard Buss’ Canticles of St. Francis, which I played in Assisi in July. Here is the composer, me, Elisa Torres and Josue Casillas in the Sala Sanroma.

PRSO: May 11^th featured clarinetist Kathleen Jones! The air conditioning in Sala Sinfonica failed the night of the concert, so the first work (by Delano) was not performed as scheduled. We opened the concert with the Berio orchestration of Johannes Brahms’ Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Opus 120, No. 1. Immer Kleiner by Schreiner was our light-hearted encore. The orchestra finished the concert with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Trombonist Jaime Morales (Ricardo’s brother) conducted.

April 2013:

PRSO: April 20^th, sponsored by APOS (Asociacion Pro-Orchestra Sinfonica, our support group,) we played Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, Summertime and Rhapsody in Blue (Adlan Cruz,) along with Broadway hits. Roselin Pabon conducted.

March 2013:

PRSO: March 16^th, we closed the Casals Festival with the Verdi Requiem, Maximiano Valdes conducting, with our Ana Maria Martinez, soprano, among the all-star soloists.

February 2013:

PRSO: February 2 and 3—we perform our violist Francisco Figueroa’s reconstruction of the Rafael Hernandez operetta Cofresi, sponsored by Interamerican University to celebrate their 100^th anniversary. It was a gala production, with gorgeous sets by Martorell, and our Boricua stars Elaine Arandes, and Rafi Davila heading up the cast. The recording (made live) picked up a Latin Grammy nomination for best classical album.

January 2013:

Here is a picture of legendary teacher Leslie Lopez, Ricardo Morales’ first teacher, in the home where he was living. I wrote an article about him in The Clarinet some years ago. You can read it here on my website:
Maestro Leslie Lopez: Ricardo Morales’ First Teacher.

PRSO: Jan. 19^th, subscription concert: Alfonso Fuentes, Planeaciones Ancestrales; Barber Cello Concerto (Julian Schwartz,) and Shostakovich #9. Maximiano Valdes conducting.

PRSO: Jan. 12^th, subscription concert: Bax, Tintagel; Beethoven’s 3^rd Piano Concerto; and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, with James Judd on the podium.