Symphony performs world premiere of a cantata for mariachi and orchestra

In a first—perhaps anywhere, by any orchestra—traditional mariachi and classical music combine in a cantata for mariachi and orchestra. Los Braceros Cantata, commissioned by the Santa Rosa Symphony and composed by Enrico Chapela Barba, tells a story of romance and family loyalty amidst the 1942-1964 agreement between the United States and Mexico for agricultural worker migration. Mariachi Champaña Nevin and four vocalists, including renowned Mexican actor and singer Rafael Jorge Negrete, join the Santa Rosa Symphony orchestra for this world premiere, conducted by Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong.

Lecce-Chong says, "Visions of Hope will truly be one of the most spectacular performances of our season—musically, visually, and emotionally. I am so excited for the long-awaited world premiere of a large work for four singers, mariachi ensemble, and orchestra. It brings together a beautiful and poignant story against the backdrop of the Braceros program, which is such an important part of the history of Santa Rosa. Respighi's Fountains and Pines of Rome are stunning showpieces for orchestra and these vibrant musical portraits of Italy's beloved city will close the program in awe-inspiring fashion."

Interesting facts about Visions of Hope:

• This program was originally scheduled for May 2020
• Printed lyrics for the cantata will be available, with English translation, at the venue
• Enrico Chapela Barba's works, commissioned by leading orchestras and festivals around the world, have been broadcast and performed in more than 40 countries

Born in Mexico City in 1974, Enrico Chapela Barba studied guitar performance and composition at CIEM academy in Mexico. He obtained a Master's Degree at the University of Paris Saint-Denis in 2008, and is writing his PhD thesis at the National University in Mexico (UNAM). Since 2002, he has won recognition at several international competitions, such as The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships, National System of Art Creators (FONCA-Mexico), the International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO), International Alexander Zemlinsky Composition Competition and The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition Prize, amongst others.

Chapela Barba teaches composition at NICO and CIEM academies, and his music is exclusively published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Mariachi Champaña Nevin, led by Jeff Nevin, Ph.D., is widely regarded as one of the leading proponents of “classical mariachi music” in the world. Comprising virtuoso mariachi and classical musicians, this unique ensemble fully embraces the ideals of traditional Mexican and European Classical music. Led by composer and trumpeter Jeff Nevin, they have delighted diverse audiences across the U.S., Mexico, and as far away as Russia, South Korea and Turkmenistan for more than two decades.

Jeff Nevin has created a large canon of original music scored for mariachi and symphony orchestra, including a Mexican Christmas celebration (“La fiesta de la nochebuena”), as well as numerous orchestral adaptations of traditional mariachi songs. Together with Mariachi Champaña Nevin, or as trumpet soloist/conductor, Jeff Nevin has performed his music with dozens of symphony orchestras including the San Diego Symphony, Colorado, Aguascalientes, Grant Park, Jalisco and many others. And Mariachi Champaña Nevin has performed with many of Mexico’s finest singers, including Placido Domingo, Aida Cuevas, Vikki Carr, Jorge Lopez-Yañez, Mónica Ábrego, José Luis Duval, Rafael Jorge Negrete, Florencia Tinoco and José Medina.

Mariachi Champaña Nevin recently released its fifth album, “Nuestra Navidad,” a groundbreaking two-CD set featuring beloved Mexican and American Christmas carols along with classical favorites including Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Pachelbel’s Canon. And their “Día de Muertos” celebration has received wide acclaim, becoming a much-anticipated tradition in San Diego.

Rafael Jorge Negrete, an opera and concert singer at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, has performed in the most auspicious venues throughout Mexico as well as venues in Latin America and Europe. He has also been broadcast on TV and radio. In the U.S., he is the leading artist at Charlotte Latin American Festival in North Carolina, as well as performing in concerts in Tucson, Chicago, San Diego, San Bernadino and Tijuana with Mariachi Champaña Nevin. In addition, he has sung operetta including roles in The Merry Widow, Zehn Maedchen und kein Mann, The Fantasticks and Beauty and the Beast. Also an accomplished actor, he has appeared in numerous movies, soap operas and documentaries. Negrete studied, as a grant recipient, at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received an Honor Diploma at the National Singer Competition Carlo Morelli and has taken master classes in Italy with Francesca Scaini, Maria Luisa Tamez and James Demster. He speaks (and sings) in five languages: Spanish, English, Italian, French and German.

Additional guest artists, who regularly perform with Mariachi Champaña Nevín, include soprano Mónica Ábrego, contralto Giselle Vallejo and guitarist and lead vocalist Perry Chacón Jr.

More details at https://www.srsymphony.org/EventDetail/210