One of Mexico’s finest orchestras makes its UK debut in Cambridge this summer before making a tour of the country. The Orquesta Filarmónica de México UNAM will present a compelling programme of Mexican and Latin American music alongside works from the USA, Britain and Spain.
The timely tour takes place in The Year of the UK in Mexico and The Year of Mexico in the UK: a joint initiative of the British and Mexican governments designed to strengthen cultural and economic relations between the two countries.
The Orquesta Filarmónica de México UNAM was founded in 1936 and became the first professional symphonic ensemble in Mexico to present an annual season of concerts. The orchestra’s 2015 programme includes a diverse repertoire including works by Carlos Chávez, Arturo Márquez and José-Pablo Moncayo.
“Although the Orquesta Filarmónica de México UNAM has been established for nearly 80 years, it’s a young orchestra in terms of its players and also in terms of their hunger to become the best they possibly can,” says Jan Latham-Koenig, the British-born conductor who first worked with the orchestra four years ago.
“Our concerts are almost always sold out and attract audiences of all ages and backgrounds. I am certain that our UK tour audiences will be delighted by the orchestra’s music-making,” Jan says.Fernando Saint Martin, the orchestra’s general director of music, says: “Mexico and the United Kingdom decided to celebrate the Year of Mexico in the United Kingdom and the Year of the United Kingdom in Mexico in 2015 to promote exchange in different areas, and culture is one of them. Mexico is a country with an enormous and rich cultural tradition and we think this is a great opportunity to show a bit of the great quality and importance of Mexican concert music.”
The programme’s first half includes Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Gustav Holst’s Song of the Night, with Tasmin Little as soloist in both works. George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue launches the programme’s second half, for which the Orquesta Filarmónica de México UNAM will be joined by the internationally acclaimed pianist Jorge Federico Osorio.
The event takes place at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, 5 July, 7.30pm. Tickets from £18.
