Into the Spotlight: Composers of Color | Wild Beautiful Orchestra

Join us for a deep dive into the music of three exceptional composers! Silvestre Revueltas was arguably Mexico’s greatest composer, known for his musical humor and extraordinarily vivid sound-painting (bringing the sounds of the jungle to the concert stage!) Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was a reclusive genius of Persian/Indian/English heritage who developed a unique blend of Impressionist and exotic influences through the virtuosic language of Late Romanticism. Tania Léon is a composer from Cuba who recently received the Kennedy Center Honors; always writing music which bristles with energy, she collaborates with dance troupes and conducts orchestras across the globe from Harlem to Bangkok.

Each composer is represented by vocal works (accompanied by piano or chamber orchestra) and instrumental quintets. The vocal works set poetry about race relations in Mexico, forbidden love between men in the Renaissance, an invocation to a swamp goddess, the secret life of cats, and…the love songs of frogs?? The instrumental pieces express the wildly different personalities of their creators: Revueltas makes fun of modern music, Sorabji evokes the ornate complexity of Persian tapestries, and Léon takes us on an exuberant ride.

The Wild Beautiful Orchestra is a musical collective established in 2019 to perform the most exciting music from diverse traditions. Projects have included the Kashmir Concerto (Led Zeppelin meets World Music), Love Songs, Music from Five Continents, the Youth Showcase (17 youth soloists accompanied by the WBO), Christmas Jazz, music for Kim Robards Dance, and the ever-popular Halloween Show (at several festivals and Enigma Bazaar). WBO members have presented Songs from Around the World in over thirty outreach visits to local elementary and middle schools. As Artistic Director, Dr. Chappell Kingsland selects the music and writes custom arrangements for nearly every project, giving the WBO its signature sound. The performers are freelance musicians in the greater Denver area, primarily classical musicians, adding jazz and rock players as needed. Conductor Taylor Gonzales, a rising star in the Colorado classical scene, has held positions with the Denver Philharmonic and Lamont Symphony Orchestra.

We are excited to have four guest vocalists for this program. Andrew Garland is a “baritone of strength and vocal opulence” (Opera News) who performs everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Hawaii Opera and teaches at CU-Boulder. Daniela Guzmán-Égüez is a soprano from Ecuador who performs for Central City Opera, Boulder Opera, the Opera Colorado Chorus, and teaches at Regis University. Zoë Spangler (soprano) is a recent graduate from the Lamont School of Music and the recipient of an award from the Denver Lyric Opera Guild. Natacha Cóndor Guevara is a mezzo-soprano also from Ecuador, with experience performing everything from opera to rock music.

Vocal works:

• Revueltas, “Ranas (Frogs)” and “El tecolote (The Owl)” for soprano and 10 instruments

• Sorabji, Five Sonnets of Michelangelo for baritone and 14 instruments

• Sorabji, Arabesque and Three Poems for soprano and piano

• Léon, “Oh Yemanya” from Scourge of Hyacinths for mezzo-sorano, cello and piano

Instrumental works:

• Revueltas, Pieza seria (Little Serious Piece) no. 1 for quintet of winds and brass

• Sorabji, Il tessuto d’arabeschi (A tapestry of arabesques) for quintet of flute and strings

• Léon, Parajota delaté for quintet of winds, strings and piano

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St, Denver, United States

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