Hispanic Heritage Month

Musician Angélica Negrón began studying piano and violin — and later composition — at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. She went on to earn her Master’s degree in composition from New York University and pursue Doctoral studies at The Graduate Center (CUNY). Angélica Negrón is an imaginative composer who writes music for accordions, […]

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, marking the beginning of the Fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. So today’s Beautiful Music features a musical celebration of the seasons. It’s Argentine composer bandoneón player Astor Piazzolla’s FOUR SEASONS OF BUENOS AIRES, arranged by Leonid Desyatnikov, and played by violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen and the Curtis Chamber Ensemble

Isn’t it amazing to imagine that instruments from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries are still playable — and are still being played!? The Sabionari guitar was crafted by famed luthier Antonio Stradivari. It is the only still-playable Strad guitar, and it lives in the Stradivarius Museum in Cremona, Italy. But guitarist Krishnasol Jiménez has

Today’s Beautiful Music features Grupo Segrel in a couple of performances. The first is from 18th century Mexico — a manuscript by Joseph Maria Garcia of some lovely guitar music dating to 1772. The second performance is a live concert recording of Grupo Segrel of Fandango de la Independencia. It’s such a pleasure to see

Juan García de Zéspedes was a 17th century Mexican musician who sang, played viola da gamba, and composed. As a boy he sang in the choir of his hometown Cathedral in Puebla. Juan García de Zéspedes composed this sacred villancico called Convidando está la noche. The performance is from January 2020. You can also use

Gaspar Fernández was born in 1566 in Portugal, and pursued his musical career in what was then called New Spain — present-day Mexico. Today’s Beautiful Music is a choral composition by Gaspar Fernández — XICOCHI CONETZINTLE / XOCHIPITZAHUAC. He wrote the piece while he was the organist at Puebla Cathedral, and he was inspired in

September 16 was Mexican Independence Day, and today’s Beautiful Music features the powerful work of Mexican baroque composer Manuel de Zumaya. LA BELLA INCORRUPTA is a type of composition called a villancico. It was performed in June 2023 by Matthew Leese leading Zenith Ensemble with the Monadnock Region Singers in Keene, NH. You an also

In his charming musical story, Serge Prokofiev chose the oboe as the voice of the duck. But when you hear the supple tone and fluid technique of oboist Gonzalo Ruiz, you most certainly WON’T think of a duck! The Argentine musician is a top-tier instrumentalist who has performed as principal oboist and soloist with leading

Today’s Beautiful Music is a celebration of Latin American music of the 16th and 17th centuries. The selections include Hanacpachap cussicuinin, a processional hymn to the Virgin Mary in the Quechua language. It’s followed by HOLA, HALA QUE VIENEN GITANAS by Juan de Araujo. The composer was born in Villafranca, Spain. He became maestro di

José de Cascante was a Colombian musician who lived from 1630-1702. Born in Bogotá his music is held in the Archive at Bogotá Cathedral, where he worked as Chapelmaster. Today’s Beautiful Music features José de Cascante’s 1690 villancico Detente asombro veloz.