EVENT PREVIEW
CANADA-MEXICO MUSIC FESTIVAL
November 16 to 21
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"When you have a passion, you don't look at the hours of work you have to put in, you just keep going," says Alicia Romero about her involvement in the Canada-Mexico Music Festival.
Romero, who moved to Canada from Mexico in 1986, runs a music publishing company with an emphasis on scores by female and Mexican composers. She created the festival to share the contemporary music of Mexico with Canadian audiences, and to bring Canadian composers to Mexican audiences.
This is an ambitious festival, with concerts in Mexico City and Calgary, lectures on the history of music and musicology, and masters classes for professional musicians and music students. The festival has the support of The Conservatory at Mount Royal College, and The National School of Music at the National University of Mexico. Romero and other volunteers have worked on this festival for the last three years – if it succeeds, they hope to make it a biennial event.
The focus this year is piano music, and seven events take place in Calgary. Canadian pianist Colleen Athparia, will join her Mexican colleague Monique Rasetti for two concerts. The first program, on Friday, November 16 is part of the New Works Calgary season and debuts work by Calgary composers Quentin Doolittle and John Abram, commissioned by Athparia for the festival. Athparia and Rasetti will also play Canadian premières of Mexican works. The second concert, on Sunday, November 18, includes work by Mexico's most famous composer, Ponce; the composer of Canada’s national anthem, Calixa Lavallée; and the Canadian première of three indigenous Mexican folk dances.
Athparia is also excited to perform these concerts in Mexico City, where the first part of the cross-cultural festival took place in early November. She specializes in 20th century and Spanish music, and is interested in comparisons between Mexican and Canadian composition. Moreover, she says contemporary composition makes her more creative and stimulates the imagination.
"The relationship that develops between the performer and composer strengthens the music.... The Mexican compositions for piano are influenced by writings for Spanish guitar, with respect to harmony, chords and rhythm."
Romero’s enthusiasm for music created this special opportunity for Calgary audiences, piano students and teachers. Why go through all this work?
"(Because) it is important to live and enjoy the music of these times," she says.
More information about the Canada-Mexico Music Festival is available from www.arlamusic.com. |
