Music of the Americas: Chile and Peru

Thursday, March 12, 10 am

Chilean pianist, singer-songwriter, weaver, and seamstress Valentina Peralta, recipient of the 2024 Violeta Parra Sandoval Regional Arts Prize for Music in Ñuble, is a graduate of the Escuela Experimental de Música Jorge Peña Hen in La Serena, where she studied piano with Ariadna Colli Hurtado and percussion with Raimundo Garrido Muñoz, and was a member of the symphony orchestra and chamber choir at Universidad de La Serena. Later, she studied music production at Universidad Vicente Pérez Rosales in Santiago. 

Her work uses music as a platform to develop a critical awareness of life in the Global South. She has participated in important festivals throughout the Americas. Describing herself as a "song artisan," Valentina sees creation as primarily about work and connecting with people and a way to connect to the daily lives of those who work on the docks or in commerce.

"Noche" is a song of resilience and persistence that invites us to rise up and trust the strength of our bodies and our spirituality. It is a call to listen to our intuition and to feel accompanied by the vast network of women who are weaving one another together. With an introduction that includes a fragment of the poem “Newen para una puma herida” by Susana Moya, Valentina's mother, "Noche" affirms that the great loom of women giving birth to one another can conquer even death.

Wednesday, March 11, 10 am

Camila y Silvio is a Chilean duo formed by Silvio Rozzi and Camila Soria. Their music is rooted in South American folklore, offering a contemporary interpretation of traditional genres from the Andean region. In 2019, they released their first album, En el borde de la noche, for which they were awarded Best Folk Music Artist at the 2020 Pulsar Awards, the most important recognition in the Chilean music industry. In 2023, they released Piedra Azul, which blends traditional Andean folklore and contemporary music, creating a bridge between traditional roots music and new generations. They have performed on various national stages and, since 2022, have performed in England, South Korea, Spain, and across Latin America. 

From Santiago, they sent us videos of songs included in Piedra Azul, an album that honors water and its journey through the world and through all life forms. Today, we share "Noche azul."

Friday, March 13, 10 am

Uruguayan composer and sound artist Gustavo Castellano explores traditional folk song, instrumental compositions, ambient sound, and experimental electronica. In addition to his solo work, he is a member of the groups Irizaga and Pepe Carqueja. In recent years, he has become increasingly interested in combining recorded sounds with sounds produced through various types of synthesis, thinking of the recording studio as a compositional tool. His most recent album, Los días contados, was released in November on the Pulsar Sonoro label. 

"Caja" was inspired by a stay in the Peruvian Andes. It originates from the sound of the typical caja chayera, from which synthesized sounds emerge, combining in different percussive layers. The ancient sound of percussion (and some wind instruments) remains the foundation for the gatherings that can take place in any plaza, in any corner of the Sacred Valley.

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

The 2025–2026 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, The Augustine Foundation, the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, and The Amphion Foundation.