“Symphony and Salsa”
The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra
“Passionate Performances. Brilliant Musicians”
Saturday, May 3, 2008
7:30 pm
Milford Town Hall ~ Grand Ballroom
52 Main Street
Milford, MA
Featuring CHSO Guest Artist: Daniel Salazar…
"A virtuoso guitarist who plays beautiful melodies infused with exciting, rhythmic colors."
About
Daniel Salazar
Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Symphony & Salsa”
Four Fantastic Guest Artists!
One Passionate Performance!
The first
half of the program features CHSO Concertmaster Nicola Takov, along with
Angel Valchinov. Together, they will perform Navarra (Spanish
Dance): A Concerto for Two Violins, a firecracker of
a piece written by Pablo de Sarasate. Navarra
is a magnificent and demanding showpiece
which produces brilliant sound. Rather than favoring one violin and letting the
other off with easier material, this work is demanding for both soloists. The
invigorating CHSO will set a lyrical but impassioned passage for the two violins
that will rip into the Spanish-flavored themes. One violin will play trills
while the other provides a double-stop drone, but for much of the piece they
will play the melody together in close harmony. Takov and Valchinov, both
acclaimed virtuosos, will dazzle the audience with their pizzicato, the
swirling, intertwining lines and the increasingly finger-twisting material put
forth in this piece.
Next on the program, Soprano Susan Benner-Bonito
will perform Bachianas
Brasileiras,
a lush piece,written byHeitor Villa-Lobos."With a
world-class voice, a masterful technique, a depth of spirit, and a commanding
stage presence, Susan Bonito draws her audiences into the heart of the
music and takes them on a journey far beyond entertainment" Villa-Lobos
claimed that he had "learned music from a bird in the jungles of Brazil," and
the sounds of folk-tunes, native instruments, and Brazilian street dances echo
through many of his works. The other force was the great tradition of European
classical music, which pulled Villa- Lobos as irresistibly as had the song of
that jungle bird. At the heart of his love for "class
ical"
music was his reverence for the works of J.S. Bach. Villa-Lobos was able to fuse
these passions in his series of Bachianas Brasileiras,
nine quite different pieces written for various instrumental and vocal
combinations between 1930 and 1945. Each piece shows the two influences on
Villa-Lobos, combining Bach-like music with movements based on Brazilian
folk-songs and dances.
The second half of the program belongs to Daniel Salazar, an innovative artist praised internationally for his "...warm, virtuosic playing" and "exceptional artistic talent." Salazar will perform the Adagio movement of the Concierto de Aranjuez, by Joaquín Rodrigo. The slow movement with haunting Spanish folk tunes and beautiful harmonies is, by far, one of the most beautiful adagios's ever written; most have heard it played in the old Chrysler Cordoba television commercials that were narrated by Ricardo Montelban. In addition, Salazar will continue to elate the audience with his performances of Rimsky Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol, De Falla's Fire Dance, and Lecuona's Malaguena.
Having had the distinction of being selected,
from a nationwide search, as United States Artistic Ambassador, Daniel has
toured Eastern Europe a
nd
the former Soviet Union, where his playing has been enjoyed by international
audiences through performances on television and radio in ten countries.
Highlights of his recent concert seasons include performances at the prestigious
American Academy in Rome and the Manoel Theatre in Malta.
Daniel, who has studied guitar with some of the world's foremost classical masters, has also been influenced by various other styles including traditional and popular Latin American music, Spanish flamenco and even American Rock. Marking an exciting new phase in his career, his latest project now brings many of these elements together in the self-titled recording, "Daniel Salazar." In his continued effort to expand the guitar's repertoire, Daniel Salazar has developed a new musical style that features the classical guitar combined with an ensemble of guitars, bass, keyboards, Latin percussion and orchestral instruments, resulting in a refreshingly original contemporary sound.
"Symphony & Salsa" will take place Saturday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm at Milford Town Hall, 52 Main Street, Milford, MA. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.claflinhill.org or by calling 508-478-5924. Prices: Reserved, $35; General Admission, $30; Student/Senior, $25.