Aurelio De la Vega Centennial - TUE MAY 19 @ 7 PM -Join Us!

[ns.co...@att.net]

Aurelio De La Vega

A Centennial Celebration

Featuring De La Vega's

Recordatio, Tropimapal, Antinomies, Danza Lenta & Extrapolations

performers include

Anne Marie Ketchum, soprano

Martha Marchena, piano

Max Lifchitz, conductor

The North/South Chamber Orchestra

Tuesday, May 19 @ 7 PM

DiMenna Center for Classical Music

450 West 37th Street

New York, NY 10018

FREE ADMISSION

On Tuesday evening, May 19, the North/South Chamber Orchestra,

directed by Max Lifchitz, will present a special concert featuring

the music of Aurelio De La Vega, the late Cuban-American master.

We are particularly excited to welcome guest soloists soprano Anne

Marie Ketchum and pianist Martha Marchena, both of whom are closely

associated with De La Vega’s work.

This retrospective concert will highlight five compositions by De La

Vega, created over a span of fifty years. The pieces to be performed

include Danza Lenta, Antinomies, Extrapolations, Tropimapal, and

Recordatio.

The event will take place in person, starting at 7 PM and concluding

around 8:30 PM at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, located at

450 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018.

Seating is limited, so please email ns.co...@att.net to secure

your spot.

ABOUT AURELIO DE LA VEGA

Aurelio De La Vega (1925-2022) received numerous accolades throughout

his career as a composer. He won the prestigious Friedheim Award from

the Kennedy Center twice, first in 1978 and again in 1984. De La Vega

was also honored with the Cintas Foundation's William B. Warren

Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ignacio Cervantes Medal for

Lifetime Achievement. Additionally, he received four nominations for

the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2018, he was inducted into the Imperial

Spanish Order of King Charles V, receiving the title of Comendador.

De La Vega studied composition under Fritz Kramer in his native city

of Havana and later continued his studies with Ernst Toch in Los

Angeles, California. During the 1950s, he held significant positions

in Cuba, including serving as president of the Cuban National Music

Council and chairing the Music Department at the University of

Oriente. In 1959, he lectured throughout the United States before

relocating to Los Angeles, where he became a U.S. citizen in 1966.

For thirty-four years, De La Vega taught composition at California

State University, Northridge, where he held the title of

Distinguished Professor of Music. In 1971, he received the

Outstanding Professor Award for the entire California State

University system.

After becoming a U.S. citizen, De La Vega emerged as a vocal critic

of the Castro regime, particularly regarding its poor human rights

record and persecution of dissident artists and intellectuals. As a

result, his growing international acclaim was overlooked in Cuba. It

wasn’t until 2009, during an overdue acknowledgment of his lifetime

achievements, that his piece "Intrata" for orchestra was performed in

Havana by the Cuban National Orchestra.

In his later years, De La Vega received well-deserved tributes and

accolades. The documentary "Aurelio: Rebel with a Cause," narrated by

actor Andy García, was released in 2014. Subsequently, two books

detailing his life and works were published. This year, three new

books have been released, and a new biography is expected to be

published this fall.

MEET THE PERFORMERS

Soprano Anne Marie Ketchum is renowned for her interpretation of

contemporary art music and twentieth-century Latin American art

music. She has performed at various prestigious venues, including the

International Forum of New Music in Mexico City, the Santa Fe Chamber

Music Series, the Southwest Chamber Ensemble, the Monday Evening

Concerts series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Los

Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella New Music series, and the

Sunday Live series presented by Los Angeles County. In addition to

her performance career, Ms. Ketchum has taught at Pasadena City

College and served as the Stage Director for the Metropolitan Opera

National Council – Western Region Showcase Concerts in Palm

Springs. She is also the Founding Artistic Director of the acclaimed

Verdi Chorus, based in Los Angeles, which is currently celebrating 42

years of performing operatic choral music.

Pianist Martha Marchena has been inspiring audiences around the world

for decades with her unique repertoire, captivating performances, and

innovative recordings. Born in Cuba, she graduated with honors from

the University of Miami’s doctoral program and later served as a

professor in the Music Department at Kean University. Critics have

celebrated the intensity of her interpretations and the emotional

impact she delivers to her audiences. Her playing has been described

as "exquisite and breathtaking," with praise for her deep involvement

in each work and her ability to uncover and recreate its essence,

establishing her as a formidable pianist. Among her highly regarded

recordings is one that features the complete piano works of Aurelio

de la Vega.

A dynamic figure in America’s musical life, Max Lifchitz was born

in México City and has lived in New York since 1966. Active as a

composer, pianist, and conductor, Lifchitz won first prize at the

1976 International Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Twentieth

Century Music in the Netherlands. The San Francisco Chronicle

described him as "a stunning, ultra-sensitive pianist," while The New

York Times praised Mr. Lifchitz for his "clean, measured and

sensitive performances.” The American Record Guide remarked, “Mr.

Lifchitz is as good on the podium as he is behind the piano.”

Founded in 1980, North/South Consonance, Inc. is dedicated to

promoting music by composers from the Americas and around the world.

Its activities are supported in part by public funds from the New

York City Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as grants from the

Music Performance Fund, the BMI Foundation, the Zethus Fund, and the

generosity of numerous individual donors.