Music of the Americas: Stringed Together 

Tuesday, November 3, 10 am

Clara Cantore, from Córdoba, Argentina, is a singer and multi-instrumentialist. At seven, she began formal studies at conservatories, first violin, then saxophone, and finally, after finishing school, she went on to study composition at the National University of Córdoba and later in Mannheim, Germany. 

Clara travels the world through a new way of conceiving folk-rooted music, with the bass as a solo instrument, creating encounters in cultural spaces where local artists take part, and recognizing oral traditions and connecting them with music. Clara has released six albums: Mentiras Criollas (2011), Ser Tiempo (2013), Calma (2016), Entre algarroba y durazno (2020), La música del vacío (2022), and Regreso (2025). 

Federico Díaz is a versatile Argentine musician of the new generation of guitarists with a multi-faceted career as a performing artist, arranger, and composer in the classical and Argentine music worlds. His performances have taken him to distinguished festivals and concert halls across the United States, Europe, and Latin America. He has recorded for Sony Classical and Epsa Music. 

They share with us "La soledad," an original song by Cantore. The song pairs delicate extended harmonies with folk-like rhythms to create a lively, yet sophisticated instrumental texture. Cantore's voice is the force that gives the music its emotional weight, while Díaz's lead lines provide contrast with levity and joy. With lyrics that focus on emotional openness and overcoming, "La Soledad" is like a musical breath of fresh air. 

Friday, November 6, 10 am

Alejo de los Reyes is a guitarist whose main focus lies in the genres of classical and tango music. His musical specialties and practice have resulted in a discography in fifteen albums.The album Al compás de la vihuela, released on the Pasacaille label in 2022, presents all of these musical universes, where Argentine folk music and tango meets Renaissance music played on three period guitars. De los Reyes has performed in over twenty international tours and has had numerous performances in Argentina, the United States, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, France, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, and other countries in Europe and the Middle East. 

From Philadelphia he sends us "La olvidada." Made famous by the great guitarist Atahualpa Yupanqui, this chacarera was composed by Francisco Benicio "Soco" Díaz and his brother Julián Antonio "Cachilo" Díaz. The chacarera, born in the 19th century in the Gran Chaco region of Argentia, is one of the most well-known Argentine folk styles. It is known for exciting rhythms and rasgueos (a rapid, rhythmically precise guitar finger-strumming) and its joyful yet elegant choreography when danced.  

The MetLife Foundation Music of the Americas concert series is made possible by the generous support of Presenting Sponsor MetLife Foundation. 

The 2026–2027 series is also supported, in part, by the Howard Gilman Foundation, Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and Mid Atlantic Arts.