Music of the Americas: Gismonti, Andreas, and Lauzer

Monday, April 12, 10 a.m.

Bianca Gismonti sent us her riveting version of Gilberto Gil's “Aquele abraço” a few weeks ago. Her transatlantic trio is back with bassist Paolo Andriolo and drummer Júlio Falavigna in her own "Piano Station."

Gismonti was born in a family of musicians and started her own career at age 15. Her first CD, Sonhos de Nascimento, was released in 2013 with the participation of renowned Brazilian musicians including percussionist Nana Vasconcelos. She established her trio a few years later and since 2005 has performed in Gisbranco, a duo with fellow pianist Claudia Castelo Branco, with whom she’s toured the world and released several albums and DVDs. The trio's first album, released in 2015, features guest appearances by Jane Duboc, Paula Santoro, José Staneck, Jessé Sadoc, and Djakali Kone. Gismonti has toured Europe, Asia, and South America. In 2017, celebrating her father’s 70th birthday, Gismonti recorded many of his most popular compositions. This show captivated audiences worldwide between 2018 and 2020, and will be released in CD this year.

Tuesday, April 13, 6 p.m.

Our exhibition Joaquín Orellana: The Spine of Music will be on display at our gallery through April 24. Co-curators of Diana Flatto and Sebastián Zubieta moderate a discussion on the influence of the Guatemalan composer's music and instruments with musicologist Laura Novoa, sociologist María Alejandra Privado, and artist Stefan Benchoam. 

Watch the panel.

Wednesday, April 14, 10 a.m.

Colombian guitarist, singer, and composer Nilko Andreas Guarin has been praised as an "electrifying performer for his powerful stage presence and spontaneity that grows irresistible." Since his Carnegie Hall debut in 2009, Guarin has captivated audiences on three continents as a soloist, chamber musician, guest lecturer, and teacher. He is the lead singer of La cumbiamba eNeYe and has collaborated in different projects dedicated to Latin American music such as Festejation, Folklore Urbano, Alba Potes, and Juan Pablo Carreño, among others. Guarin has received several awards including The Recognition Award by the city of New York for his contributions to the arts. He has given master classes at the Guitar Seminar at Mannes, as well as in Latin America and Europe. He has recorded music with multi-platinum artists and composed music for film, dance, and theater. He holds a BM and MM from The Manhattan School of music. Recent solo concerts include Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in China with the Shenzhen Philharmonic under Henry Van de Velde, and at UNESCO in Paris with the Prague Philharmonic. He is the artistic director at AZLO Productions and the Latin-American Chamber Music Society of New York.

From Costa Rica, he sent us this barefoot version of Heitor Villa Lobos' "Guitar Prelude No. 4." The piece is subtitled "Homenagem ao índio brasileiro" (homage to the Brazilian Indian), and is the fourth of the Cinq Préludes, written in 1940, which were the composer's last contribution to the guitar repertoire. It was first performed with the rest of the set by Abel Carlevaro in Montevideo in 1942.

Thursday, April 15, 10 a.m.

In March, Music of the Americas presented a concert by Canadian recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer alongside a stellar group of early music specialists in a delightful concert of Trio Sonatas by Vivaldi and two of his French contemporaries.

The whole concert is here, but today and tomorrow, we share Vivaldi's "Trio sonata in a minor, RV 86."

Vincent Lauzer, recorder
Mathieu Lussier, baroque bassoon
Amanda Keesmaat, baroque cello
Mélisande McNabney, harpsichord
Sylvain Bergeron, baroque guitar

This concert was part of GEMAS, a project of Americas Society and Gotham Early Music Scene devoted to early music of the Americas.

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

The Spring 2021 Music program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Additional support provided by The Augustine Foundation.