Thursday, November 18, 7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church of Hartford
136 Capital Ave. Hartford, CT 06105
THE AMERICAS DUO
Daniel Salazar-guitar Gonzalo Cortes-flute, quena
PROGRAM
Tres Piezas Marginales M. D. Pujol
Caserio (b. 1957)
Baldio
Potrero
Canción D. Salazar
Tango Etudes A. Piazzolla
(1921-1992)
Alfonsina y El Mar A. Ramirez
(1921-2010)
“Natalia”, Vals Venezolano A. Lauro
(1917-1986)
Alma Llanera P. E. Gutierrez
(1870-1954)
INTERMISSION
Dances In The Madhouse D. Leisner
Tango Solitaire (b. 1956)
Samba!
Malena L. Demare
(1906-1974)
Taquito Militar M. Mores
(1918-2016)
El Diablo Suelto H. Fernandez
(1851-1886)
THE AMERICAS DUO
From streets of Buenos Aires to the foot of the Andes, The Americas Ensemble take the listener on a Latin-inspired journey that features music by renowned composers such as Piazolla, Gardel, Pujol, Montes and Lauro as well as exciting new arrangements of traditional music. The group is comprised of two outstanding virtuosos: Guitarist Daniel Salazar and flutist Gonzalo Cortes.Together they present a fascinating program that explores the rich and colorful melodies, rhythms and dances of the Americas.
The Americas Duo-Musician Bios
Daniel Salazar possesses one of the most distinctive sounds in the world of the classical guitar, expanding the boundaries of the instrument with traditional repertoire and original works that fuse Spanish, Latin American, world music and orchestral elements creating a unique palette of sound, color and rhythm. Praised internationally for his warm and virtuosic playing, his solo, chamber and orchestral performances been enjoyed by international audiences throughout the U.S and Europe. Throughout his adventurous and versatile career, Daniel Salazar has reimagined the concert experience, creating new programs that relentlessly redefine the Spanish classical guitar’s limits. In 1993 he conceived and founded Guitar Under the Stars, a large-scale outdoor concert production with the goal of sharing his musical vision with large audiences. Since then, Guitar Under the Stars has become a one of a kind guitar event that draws an audience thousands to hear his original music and brilliant orchestral arrangements of classical, Latin American and Spanish works. In 2013, Salazar collaborated with Riverfront Recapture and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut producing the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Guitar Under The Stars and also serving as Musical Director for the Riverfront Latin World Rhythms Festival. In addition to his solo, chamber music and concerto performances, Salazar also performs with The Daniel Salazar Ensemble, a group of international musicians in a program that has been described as “a spectacular fusion of Spanish classical guitar with Latin and World rhythms”. He has produced and released three Compact Disc recordings, on his own SGP label, that sell internationally and are available through his website, iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and other sites. Daniel Salazar is the recipient of several prestigious honors including a 2019 Commendation from The Office Of The Governor Of Connecticut, the 2015 National Artist Teacher Fellowship, a 2013 Proclamation from the Office of The Mayor declaring “Daniel Salazar Day” in the of The City of Hartford, a 2013 Official Citation from The State of Connecticut’s House of Representatives for leadership in music and artistic vision, and the 2011 Connecticut Public Service Award for the Arts. He has also been featured in a long running NBC Television segment for Hispanic Heritage Month and is also a recipient of the Latino de Oro Award, which recognizes outstanding musical achievement. He has held the distinguished title of United States Artistic Ambassador for the Department of State, having travelled throughout Eastern and Western Europe including Italy, Malta, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and the Czech Republic, where he performing solo recitals, conducting master classes and meeting with foreign dignitaries. Daniel Salazar was a founding member and served as long-time Artistic Director for The Connecticut Guitar Society, leading the organization to international prominence as one of the largest and most active groups of its kind. As an educator, Salazar has conducted master classes and workshops at numerous institutions throughout the U.S and Europe, including the University of Connecticut, Yale University, Mannes College of Music in New York, The University of Southern California, Colegio De Bellas Artes in Morelia and Casa de La Cultura in Paracho, Mexico, The Prague Academy of The Performing Arts and The Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw among others. He currently serves on the faculty at The University of Connecticut, Manchester Community College and also teaches at his private studio in Hartford. Daniel Salazar is a graduate of the University of Hartford Hartt School, where he received a Master of Music Degree in Classical Guitar Performance. He received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Texas. Salazar has performed in master classes with illustrious classical guitar maestros and considers Oscar Ghiglia, Christopher Parkening, Pepe Romero, Leo Brouwer and Manuel Barrueco as most influential. He is a long time resident of Hartford, Connecticut. With his international performances, distinctive repertoire, dynamic original music and arrangements of Spanish classics for guitar and orchestra, Daniel Salazar continues to expand the guitar’s repertoire while introducing new audiences to the beautiful sound of the Spanish classical guitar. For more information visit: www.danielsalazar.com
Gonzalo Cortes
A native of Chile was formerly Principal Flute of the Classical Orchestra of Santiago, Chile. He studied with Alberto Harms at the Catholic University of Chile and earned an Artist Diploma from Duquesne University with Robert Langevin, Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic, as his teacher. As a soloist and orchestral musician, he has toured South America and the USA with different ensembles such as the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, Classical Orchestra of Santiago, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, Chorus Angelicus and Gaudeamus, UCONN Opera Orchestra and the Symphony of South East Texas. He has performed at numerous festivals and venues such as the Orford Arts Centre's Academy of Music in Canada, Primer Festival Internacional de Flauta in Rio de Janeiro, the Western Slope Music Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado, Semanas Musicales de Frutillar, Chile, International Festival of Arts and Ideas, New Haven, CT, The Phoenicia International Festival of The Voice, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts among others. In addition to Mr. Cortés' classical training pursuit, he is a proponent of World Music, particularly flutes from around the world. He has recorded with the internationally acclaimed Chilean folk group Inti-Illimani as well as the Choral Arts Society of Washington, DC for the Naxos label. In 2006, Gonzalo released his CD, Valle, featuring an amazing collection of original music composed and performed by him. He is also a skillful improviser, he has explored other musical genres such as flamenco and Latin jazz. Currently he teaches flute at Trinity College, the Community School of the Arts at the Mansfield Parks and Recreation, Miss Porter’s School, and the Jazz and Popular Music sector of The Hartt School Community Division. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Hartford Flute Ensemble, Atacama Ensemble and a member of Kalmia Ensemble and Blue Madeiras.