Historic Concert will include two world premieres
The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Anthony Parnther, will present the second concert of its 95th season, “Revolutionaries,” on Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 3 p.m. at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts.
Explained Maestro Parnther, “This will be an exciting and unique concert inclusive of two world premieres and some very special surprises. We will introduce the first Composer in Residence in the 95-year history of the SBSO, Dr. Fernando Arroyo, who has been commissioned to write a new symphonic poem centered around our beautiful city, San Bernardino. The title is: ‘Al Pie de La Montaña,’ translated to ‘At the Feet of the Mountain.’ It’s a retrospective of the city going through its early Indigenous roots, the mission and pioneers of the region, the 1920s and old Hollywood, the boom of the Black and Latino communities, the struggle, and a hopeful future with the idea of the mountain range and the desert as two spirits watching over the town.”
Arroyo received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Composition at the Manhattan School of and a PhD in Composition at the University of California in Los Angeles where he worked with composers Bruce Broughton, Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse and David S. Lefkowitz. His music has been performed throughout the world and ranges from solo instrumental works, chamber music and large symphonic works to film, theatre and popular music. Most recently the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra (NYC), the Southern California Viola Choir and members of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Santa Barbara Symphony have performed his music. As a film composer, Arroyo wrote the music for “Any Given Tuesday”, a PSA featuring Elton John and Jamie Foxx. Recent film collaborations highlights include work on Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Pet Fooled (2016), Survivors (2018), and Midway (2019). And, SBSO attendees may we recognize him from our string section!
Now in her second year with the SBSO, Associate Conductor Raphaela Lacerda will take to the podium conduct the Danzon no. 2 by Mexico’s most esteemed living classical composer, Arturo Márquez. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Maestra Lacerda is an accomplished conductor who has garnered recognition both in Brazil and the United States for her exceptional talent and dedication to the world of orchestral music. In 2022, Maestra Lacerda collaborated closely with the three-time Grammy-nominated American composer Miguel Del Aguila, where she conducted his composition “Toccata.” Del Aguila praised her performance, noting, “The performance was very energetic as she managed to keep the rhythmic and dramatic tension of the work forward. Her interpretation was personal and showed an unusual awareness of the overall architecture of the work. (…) She has that rare quality among conductors of getting a big sound and a dramatic response from the orchestra with spare but accurate and effective movements and directions.”
Danzon no. 2 is considered one of Márquez’s most beautiful and evocative pieces. Born in Mexico, the composer spent his middle school and high school years in La Puente, California, where he began his musical training. After he returned to Mexico, he studied at the Conservatory of Music and the Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico, followed by private study in Paris with Jacques Castérède, and then at the California Institute of the Arts with Morton Subotnick, Stephen Mosko, Mel Powell, and James Newton.
Writes Márquez, “The idea of writing the Danzón No. 2 originated in 1993 during a trip to Malinalco with the painter Andrés Fonseca and the dancer Irene Martínez, both of whom are experts in salon dances with a special passion for the danzón, which they were able to transmit to me from the beginning, and also during later trips to Veracruz and visits to the Colonia Salon in Mexico City. From these experiences onward, I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings by Acerina and his Danzonera Orchestra. I was fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world; we can fortunately still see this in the embrace between music and dance that occurs in the State of Veracruz and in the dance parlors of Mexico City. The Danzón No. 2 is a tribute to the environment that nourishes the genre… It is a very personal way of paying my respects and expressing my emotions towards truly popular music.”
The SBSO is also presenting the world premiere of the Morgante Violin concerto, in dedication to trailblazing African American conductor Michael Morgan and written by Argentinian composer and double bassist Andres Martin, and dedicated to and performed by Venezuelan virtuoso violinist Samuel Vargas.
Vargas has received wide recognition for his powerful artistry and awards including First Prize of the 2021 Sphinx Competition, 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artist, Grand Prize of the 2019 Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, First Prize in the 2017 Atlanta’s GA Philharmonic Competition, and he was named 2014 Concertmaster Ambassador of the United Nations. Vargas holds the Pin Artistic Merits from “City Key of Prince George” and “Central Bank in Canada,” and has performed on tours in 40 countries, collaborating with acclaimed artists like Gustavo Dudamel, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, and Christian Vasquez. He began his violinistic journey through Venezuela’s El Sistema program under the tutelage of Luis Miguel Gonzalez. In 2017, he won the prestigious Woodruff Award enabling him to study with his current mentor and professor Sergiu Schwartz at the Schwob School of Music at CSU. He is the founder and president of the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation, an organization which is enriching communities and society through the power of classical music, emphasizing a holistic approach to music education supporting students in all areas of studies and well-being. Through his passionate work and entrepreneurship, he has founded eight active Venezuelan chamber orchestras and currently mentors young musicians in the US and South America.
“Once again, Maestro Parnther has curated a concert that will exceed expectations! This is going to be an extremely exciting afternoon of music,” shared Symphony Board of Directors President Donna Marie Minano. “I cannot wait to present this masterpiece to the entire community!”
Tickets and Location Details
Tickets for “Revolutionaries” are available at $20-$100 per seat and may be purchased online at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org or by phone at (909) 381-5388 Monday through Friday. Single tickets for students and Active Military are always $15.
The historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts is located at 562 W. Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino. Free, lighted parking is available directly across from the venue, and is accessible from E Street. Venue box office sales are planned prior to the performance, but the availability of seats cannot be guaranteed.
Season tickets are also currently on sale in money-saving bundles of three to five concerts. Those who attended the March 2nd concert with a single ticket may apply the ticket price to the purchase of any multi-concert subscription. For more information, please contact the Symphony office.
