Program Notes: MSU Side-by-Side, Watchhouse, Aymée Nuviola

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT 2022/23

MSU DENVER SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY

SCOTT O’NEIL, conductor

Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 7:00pm

Boettcher Concert Hall

LECUONA Malaguena from Andalucia Suite

DUENTES, Cielito Lindo Huasteco

ORCH. MILLER

TRAC Canción Mexicana

VARGAS, Son de la Negra

ARR. NEVIN

GUÍZAR, Guadalajara ARR. NEVIN

VELÁZQUEZ Bésame Mucho

ARR. NEVIN

PONCE/ Gavota e Intermezzo

ARR. NEVIN

TRUJILLO, GARZA Reina de America

ORCH. MILLER

J. JIMÉNEZ Homenaje a José Alfredo Jiménez

ARR. J. GIMENEZ La Boda de Luis Alonso

GUÍZAR, Pelea de Gallos

ARR. NEVIN

ARR. NEVIN Fiestas Patrias

CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 48 MINUTES WITH NO INTERMISSION

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

SCOTT O’NEIL, conductor

As a conductor, Scott O’Neil recently completed a nine-year tenure as Resident Conductor with the Colorado Symphony in Denver. During his time there he performed with some of the classical world’s elite soloists, such as Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Pinchas Zukerman, Lang Lang, Van Cliburn, Christopher O’Riley, Cameron Carpenter and Sharon Isbin, as well as leaders in the larger musical world, such as Steve Vai, Chris Botti, Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Tracy Silverman, Eileen Ivers, Sarah McLachlan, Ben Folds, Ingrid Michaelson, Amos Lee, Rufus Wainwright, Gregory Alan Isakov, Devotchka, The Lumineers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Susan Egan and Will Chase.

Mr. O’Neil has also created and developed an extensive series of concerts, entitled Inside the Score, which combined art, entertainment and enlightenment to engage audiences in explorations of a wide variety of music and ideas. Under the umbrella of Inside the Score fell a number of sub-series, including biography (Letters from Mozart, The Best of Beethoven, Brahms: A Life in Music, Rachmaninoff: From Tragedy to Triumph), individual masterpieces (Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony – This I Believe!, Eroica!, Beethoven’s Fifth, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, Debussy’s La mer, the “The Debussy Code”) and a cross-genre concert – Shuffle – which includes everything from Bach, Elgar, and Prokofiev to Metheny, Björk, and Philip Glass, as well as a feature concert with cross-over artist Kip Winger. (Once the front man for the band Winger, he now composes “classical” music reminiscent of Honegger and Messiaen.) In this vein, O’Neil has also presented Masterworks programs with “cross-over” elements, notably featuring Victor Wooten, performing the premiere of his own Bass Whisperer concerto, co-written with Conni Ellisor.

Mr. O’Neil’s engaging manner in addressing audiences has led to extensive speaking engagements, including a TED-talk on music he composed for Arrow Electronics. As an arranger/orchestrator, Mr. O’Neil has created and orchestrated numerous works for the Colorado Symphony (Arrow: Five Years Out! – an original composition, Pat Metheny’s “The First Circle” as well as Minuano, Björk’s Overture, “107 Steps” and “New World,” a live version of Philip Glass’s Changing Opinions); he has also written orchestrations for Ingrid Michaelson, Eileen Ivers and Béla Fleck.

Scott O’Neil continues to guest conduct and to lead his own ensemble, the Rosetta Music Society, in Denver, creating new, innovative programming and constantly seeking to draw wider audiences to live performances of music from Bach to today’s cutting-edge artists.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

MARIACHI CORRECAMINOS

The Mariachi Correcaminos (Roadrunners) of MSU Denver started as a student club by a small group of Adams City High School mariachi alumni who united to practice in 2013. In 2015, the MSU’s Music Department moved forward to offer mariachi as an accredited class that also serves to fulfill a music major’s degree course requirement.

Mariachi is offered to promote understanding and appreciation of Mexican music and culture through developing sophisticated level artistry in mariachi performance. The program is directed by Dr. Phil Ficsor, in collaboration with Dr. Lorenzo Trujillo. The Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra provides support and master classes for the group. Professional mariachi educators have taught our students including: Dr. Jeff Nevin, José Hernández, Rebecca Gonzáles, and Juventino Romero - Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra.

Class membership includes music majors and non-majors pursuing performance skills in mariachi music. Some of them have become teachers of mariachi music in public schools. Others have pursued professional careers as mariachis in Guadalajara, San Antonio and throughout Colorado. Isahar Mendez Flores, mariachi program graduate founded The Colorado Youth Mariachi Program - a community youth mariachi teaching and performance organization. In the past, students have performed at the Colorado Music Educators’ Association Conference at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, for Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Mexican Consulate, and with the Colorado Symphony, among others.

In addition, the MSU Mariachi Program, in collaboration with the Latino Cultural Arts Center, hosts the annual Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival offering workshops, lectures, a showcase concert and a headliner concert featuring experiences with outstanding master mariachi teachers and performing artists.

MARIACHI SOL DE MI TIERRA

Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra was formed through the idea to show people something fresh and different from the already existing groups in Denver, Colorado. On August 6th of 1999, four young enthusiasts, Oscar Vaca, Jesus Ramirez, Raul Romero, and Vicente Romero, gave their complete trust and hope to whom would be the leader of the group, Juventino Romero. Together sitting at a table they decided to plan this adventure that with a lot of determination, practice and hard work, soon would blossom into something wonderful. Throughout the years more musicians would join, which lead to the eight musicians that are a part of the group today.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

JEFF NEVIN, Professor of Music & Director of Mariachi Activities (Southwestern College)

Jeff Nevin, Ph. D., works professionally as a classical trumpet player, mariachi trumpeter and soloist, and a conductor specializing in the interpretation of Mexican music. Currently he works as Professor of Music and Director of Mariachi Activities at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA, where he devised and is now offering the world’s first college degree in mariachi music. He is a founding member of the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation that has awarded $500,000 to students pursuing careers in music. Dr. Nevin founded the San Diego International Mariachi Summit which brings together top musicians, dancers, teachers, historians and historical figures to promote mariachi music and education. Classrooms across the United States and Mexico use his book, “Mariachi Master,” to help mariachi students become better musicians.

LORENZO TRUJILLO, Affiliate Professor of Music, Mariachi

Lorenzo A. Trujillo, Ed.D., J.D. grew up in Denver and spent many summers in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico (eight miles outside of Taos) with his extended family. He was highly influenced by his aunt, Eva Nuánez, as a vocalist, guitarist, and violinist. He is the Director of the Mariachi Program at Metropolitan State University in Denver. As a musician, dancer, and culture bearer, Lorenzo was awarded the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into the Colorado Chicano Music Hall of Fame and has served on the National Endowment for the Arts as a performing artist, grants panelist, and arts program evaluator. He was also named a Colorado Folk Artist and Master Teacher by the Colorado Council on the Arts through the Master/Apprentice Program and in 2012 was awarded the Tesoro de Oro by the Tesoro Cultural Center. Lorenzo co-founded the Southwest Musicians in the late 1980’s, recording several musical standards that are part of a vast repertoire of regional social dances and popular Mexican music of the early and mid-twentieth century. He has toured in Italy, Peru, Ireland, Mexico and throughout the Southwest United States. He holds a Doctorate in Education and Juris Doctorate Degrees (Ed.D., J.D.) and served as Assistant Dean and Professor at the University of Colorado School of Law.

MB KREUGER, Professor of Music, Choirs

Professor MB Krueger is the Director of Choral Activities at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she directs the Chorale, University

Treble Choir, and University Basso Choir, and teaches Basic and Advanced Conducting. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University, where she was a National Merit Scholar, and her master’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. MB is an active member of American Choral Directors Association in Colorado and hosts the annual Choral Celebration, a highly regarded high school choral festival. She is a member of the fully-professional St. Martin’s Chamber Choir and is a staff singer at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. MB has also sung professionally with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

BRANDON MATTHEWS, Professor of Music, Orchestra

Brandon Matthews serves as Director of Orchestras and Professor of Music at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He was recently appointed to become Chair of the Music Department beginning in August 2023. In addition to teaching conducting and leading the University’s orchestral ensembles, Dr. Matthews works as a music director for MSU Denver’s Music Theatre Department and Opera Ensemble. He is also an active adjudicator and clinician for competitions and honor orchestras, and regularly collaborates with orchestras and arts organizations in Colorado such as the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra, Arapahoe Philharmonic, Longmont Dance Theatre, the Boulder Symphony, and the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also conducted orchestral ensembles in Michigan, Texas, Utah, Washington, as well as Germany (Berlin). In the 2022-2023 season Dr. Matthews will guest conduct the Littleton Symphony as well as the Aurora Symphony Orchestra.

Matthews obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting at Arizona State University, studying with Timothy Russell and William Reber. While at ASU, he was co-music director of the ASU Sinfonietta and served as an assistant conductor for the ASU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He also conducted operatic and musical theatre performances in the ASU Lyric Opera Theatre. In 2015, Dr. Matthews was invited to Germany to work with Kenneth Kiesler and conduct the Berlin Sinfonietta in an international conducting workshop. Matthews also received a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at Brigham Young University under the direction of Kory Katseanes. Other conducting mentors include Kenneth Kiesler, Harold Farberman, Ronald Staheli, and Larry Rachleff.

Raised in Spokane, Washington, he began his musical studies as a pianist and later took up the viola in the public school system. Matthews’s musical training continued during summers spent at the Brevard Music Center and the Marrowstone Summer Festival. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance at BYU, and continues to perform on piano, viola as well as the violin.

Dr. Matthews resides in Denver with his wife, Meghan, and their four children.

PHIL FISCOR, Assistant Professor of Music, Strings

Philip Ficsor has released four recordings which have been aired in the US on WGBH, WNYC and KUSC among others. He has been featured as a performer across the US and Europe, notably in Prague CZ, Budapest, St. Petersburg, Russia, Ghent, Belgium as well as performances at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Michigan, and the International Horn Society (2018). A recent recording of two worldpremieres on Naxos feature his performance of Bolcom’s Second Suite for Solo Violin and Bolcom’s Horn Trio. Gramophone described his playing as “impressive” and the horn trio recording as “splendidly intense and involving.” He received his DMA in violin performance from Boston University, his MM from Yale University, and his BA from the University of Michigan. He is an editorial advisor for publication through E.B. Marks/ Hal Leonard Corporation for Bolcom’s works for violin and piano. He directs the mariachi

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

ensemble Los Correcaminos de MSU Denver and coordinates the string program as part of the music faculty of Metropolitan State University of Denver.

BRYAN LASTRELLA, artist & composer

An aural artist, a multipotentialite, a composer of stories. Music and art are means of expression not only for the artist, but for the audience as well. Sonder is the term for the realization that a stranger is living their own complete life separate from yours; I see each individual as the protagonist of their own story. For me that is the core that I want to reach with my music, using it to show the vignettes of these life experiences. The audience is there to listen, and it is my job to reach into their hearts and minds to connect my music with the stories inside. The stories we tell each other are a way of diluting abstract truths about the universe into easily digestible, entertaining lessons. Music is a medium that can weave together the various feelings and emotions that breathe life into the stories we tell each other.

I graduated from MSU Denver with a Bachelor of Music in Composition and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory. I have been trying to stretch the limits of what I am capable of as a composer by experimenting with different styles, timbres, and performance as a musician. I have primarily composed solo and chamber pieces; I’ve also composed a few pieces for electronics and a one movement orchestral work that has won MSU Denver’s 2022 Composition Competition.

I’ve worked on collaborative projects including composing a piece alongside composer Ashley Stitt for a student dance performance which opened new collaborative opportunities with the Dance Department at MSU Denver. I’ve scored a trailer for a small indie video game called “Intergalactic Taxi, Co.” I am pushing my musical capabilities to their limits as I progress further in my career, and I look forward to seeing where my own story as a composer and artist will lead me.

LUIS MURILLO RODARTE, Music Student

Luís Murillo Rodarte studies Music at MSU Denver. His abilities are easily recognizable as he has been a favorite vocalist in the Denver area.

WILLIAM TREVIZO, Music Student

William Trevizo is a professional mariachi and studies Music Performance at MSU Denver. He forms part of his dad’s mariachi band “Mariachi Aguila” in Denver, Colorado. “Music is my passion, mariachi is my heart.”

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

MARIACHI LOS CORRECAMINOS DE MSU DENVER

Phil Ficsor, violin (faculty)

Lorenzo Trujillo, violin and voice (faculty)

Belem Adame, guitar

David Bond, guitar

Daniel Cabezos, trumpet

Jennifer Franco, guitar

Ruby Godoy Flores, guitarron

Chris Merino, voice

Ally Rodriguez, violin

Ediuriel Maldonado-Sanchez, vihuela

Kristen Tracy, flute

William Trevizo, violin

Javier Vela Becerril, vihuela

Elizabeth Vigil, guitar

Gavin Worland, trumpet

Maria Vidal, violin

MSU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

Violin

Emory Dombkowski, Concertmaster

Debra Robinson, Principal Second Violin

Sam Cooper, Assistant Conductor

Frankie Domenico

Layla Ghiasi

Jessica Lee

Quinn Rubin

Kaitlin Scott

William Trevizo

Renee Whitney

Viola

Jameson Kaiser, Principal

Riley Williams

Cello

Jesse Molina, Principal

Gwenyth Timm

Maxwell Cooper

Morgan Stengl

Bass

Ruby Godoy Flores, Principal

Flute

Kristen Tracy

Oboe

Jesse Winchester, Principal

Clarinet

Patti Galleher, Principal

Jaymie Giordano

Dallan Heard

Sabrina Lalinde Fischer

Bassoon

Emerson Farina

Horn

Jonathan Westerfield, Principal

Jade Albert

Tali Linton

Michael True

Trumpet

Braden Collison, Principal

Peyton Brauch

Trombone

Ryan Krofta, Principal

Fatima Bahrani

Tuba

Fiona Stever

Percussion

Jackson Bingham, Principal

Jakob Garcia

Alexandra Sylvester

PUBLIC BENEFIT CONCERT BIOGRAPHIES

MSU SYMPHONY CHOIR PERSONNEL

SOPRANO

Jeremy Burns

Laila Carroll-Bankston

Claire Cartwright

Megan Colpitts

Michelle Felix

Junelle Gabrielle Flores

Joan Foster

Erin Hanlon

Zoe Jenkins

Jenaé Martinez

Darcy Naugle

Chloe Short

Celine Spears

Sequoia Sutton

Lillian Timmons

Bella Weiss

Miranda White

Brianna Winkler

ALTO

Enzo Albert

Lexi Bauer

Alia Brand

Lillith Burch

Lindsay Cann

Lauren Coats

Elisa Dean

Grace Dougherty

Jori Friend

Abigail Hollmann

Kelly Kerr

Annagrace O’Connor

Anglina Ostrum

Krista Petersen

Jordan Rhoades

Tania Sapinsky

Abigail Sheehan

Abigail Skinner

Mary Worley

TENOR

Joshua Barker

Mike Dennis

Emory Dombkowski

Emerson Farina

Wilson Hettinger

Drake Jenkins

André Lang

Diego Maldonado Lopez

Camden Yasahiro

McPhee

Ben Moser

Luis Murillo Alfonso

John Nelson

Cass Pangell

Carter Skau

Javier Vela

Logan Willey

Eli Undercofler

MSU DENVER'S GAMELAN MANIK KUSUMA

Under the direction of Ade Wijaya

MEMBERS

BASS

Geoff Banninger

Daniel Campbell

Philip A. Dennis

Nev Foley

Xavier “X” Gonazales

Nathaniel Hamilton

Elias Rex Herlin

Ben Howard

Francisco Martinez

Christopher Merino

Elijah Nason

James Park

Chris Rathbun

Ben Roby

Rick Seagraves

Carter Skau

Kristopher M. Thornton

Spencer Wilhoite

Dr. Liz Macy

Ade Wijaya

Aaron Burris-DeBoskey

Jonaton Anstedt

Geoff Banninger

Andi Bean

David Bond

Sam Cooper

Jakob Garcia

Jaymie Giordano

Will Kuepper

Luis Murillo

Tucker Smidt

Ashley Stitt

Ethan Tatreau

Kat Taylor

Jesse Winchester

MSU DENVER TRUMPET ENSEMBLE

Bright Ansah

Peyton Brauch

Kylie Bronk

Braden Collison

BRASS QUINTET

Braden Collison, Peyton Brauch - trumpet

Jonathan Westerfield. horn

Ruby Kovach

Ellie Vogelsberg

Fatima Bahraini - trombone

Jaeden Rooker - tuba

ALTERNATIVE 2022/23

WATCHHOUSE WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY

NICHOLAS KOO, conductor

Friday, May 5, 2023 at 7:30pm

Boettcher Concert Hall

Program to be announced from stage.

CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES WITH A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.

FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 7 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

ALTERNATIVE BIOGRAPHIES

WATCHHOUSE

Over a year after Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse (formerly known as Mandolin Orange) reintroduced themselves on their 2021 self-titled LP, the pair shared a special surprise release: Watchhouse (Duo), a self-produced recording of Marlin and Frantz performing the most elemental possible arrangements of all nine songs from Watchhouse. It’s a project that captures the fundamental power of Watchhouse: Two singers and musicians with profound chemistry, performing earnest yet masterfully crafted songs that encompass the unknowable mysteries, existential heartbreak, and communal joys of modern life.

Starting over a decade ago playing coffee shops and local restaurants around North Carolina, Watchhouse is a grassroots success story that’s been driven by Marlin’s poignant songwriting. They’ve sold out iconic venues (Red Rocks, Ryman Auditorium) and attract hundreds of millions of streams while producing exploratory music that “redefines roots music for a younger generation” (Washington Post).

2022 was filled with many endeavors including the American Acoustic Tour with Punch Brothers, headlining shows across the US, collaborating with Planet Bluegrass on Mabon, an autumn equinox concert series, and of course Watchhouse (Duo). In 2023, Marlin and Frantz will celebrate the release of Watchhouse (Duo) with a short run of shows that will feature just the two of them, harkening back to their earliest days of performing.

NICHOLAS KOO, conductor

Nicholas Koo is a Korean-American conductor currently serving multiple orchestras across the United States including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and the San Diego Symphony. He has assisted a variety of notable conductors including Donald Runnicles, Fabien Gabel, and Marin Alsop and has worked alongside soloists such as Emanuel Ax, Hélène Grimaud, Paul Huang, Orion Weiss, and Joyce Yang. He has made a number of appearances conducting the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in their regular season and is active in the Chicago area both on and off the podium, additionally working in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association in artistic media.

Most recently in December of 2022, Nicholas was selected from a pool of over 300 world-wide applicants to be an active conductor of the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in Ravenna, Italy that culminated in a performance of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem. He was invited to join the artist roster of Festival Mozaic in the summer of 2022 as the festival’s first assistant conductor and collaboration with the San Luis Obispo Movement Arts Collective. Koo has been a frequent

PHOTO: CHARLIE BOSS

ALTERNATIVE BIOGRAPHIES

conductor at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival where he was featured leading the CCSMF Orchestra through film scores by Aaron Copland alongside the original cinematography in the critically acclaimed PBS television masterworks series, Now Hear This. A strong advocate for contemporary music, Nicholas also served as music director for the Atlantic Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble and as assistant conductor of the AMF Symphony Orchestra where he premiered more than 20 new works for chamber and full orchestra.

Nicholas received both his masters and doctoral degrees in conducting from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music as the final student of Victor Yampolsky where his dissertation work led to a U.S. premiere of a new arrangement of Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde for chamber orchestra. He served as assistant conductor with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra throughout his time at Bienen and accompanied the orchestra on its first international tour to China in the spring of 2018. In partnership with the Northwestern University Opera Company, Nicholas led a production of Johann Strauss II’s operetta, Die Fledermaus and additionally served as assistant to the Northwestern Contemporary Music Ensemble under director Alan Pierson.

Originally from the Bay Area, California, Nicholas attended the University of California Berkeley for undergraduate degrees in both molecular cell biology and music, where he studied orchestral conducting with David Milnes while simultaneously studying choral conducting with San Francisco Symphony Chorus Director Emeritus, Vance George. A two-time recipient of the Alfred Hertz Memorial Traveling Scholarship, Nicholas has participated in various masterclasses, working with eminent musical figures such as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel. Among many others, his list of mentors includes Donald Runnicles, John Storgårds, Fabien Gabel, Scott Yoo, and Rune Bergmann.

AYMÉE NUVIOLA AND THE COLORADO MAMBO ORCHESTRA

SCOTT O’NEIL, conductor

Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 7:30pm

Boettcher Concert Hall

Abelardito Veladés Almendra*

Rafael Hernandez Cachita*

Tito Puente Oye Como Va*

Arturo Márquez Conga del Fuego Nuevo

Ernesto Duarte Como Fue*

Louis "Louiguy" Guglielmi Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White*

Sergio González Siaba El Cuarto De Tula*

— INTERMISSION —

María Teresa Vera Veinte Años*

Compay Segundo Chan-Chan*

Nick Jimenez & Cheo Feliciano El Rantón*

Moisés Simons El Manicero*

Carlos Gardel & Alfredo Le Pera El Día Que Me Quieras*

Jose Claro Fumero Bemba Colorá*

*Arranged by Dr. Raul Murciano, Jr.

CONCERT RUN TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES WITH A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION.

FIRST TIME TO THE SYMPHONY? SEE PAGE 7 OF THIS PROGRAM FOR FAQ’S TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE GREAT!

SPOTLIGHT BIOGRAPHIES

SCOTT O’NEIL, conductor

As a conductor, Scott O’Neil recently completed a nine-year tenure as Resident Conductor with the Colorado Symphony in Denver. During his time there he performed with some of the classical world’s elite soloists, such as Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Pinchas Zukerman, Lang Lang, Van Cliburn, Christopher O’Riley, Cameron Carpenter and Sharon Isbin, as well as leaders in the larger musical world, such as Steve Vai, Chris Botti, Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Tracy Silverman, Eileen Ivers, Sarah McLachlan, Ben Folds, Ingrid Michaelson, Amos Lee, Rufus Wainwright, Gregory Alan Isakov, Devotchka, The Lumineers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Susan Egan and Will Chase.

Mr. O’Neil has also created and developed an extensive series of concerts, entitled Inside the Score, which combined art, entertainment and enlightenment to engage audiences in explorations of a wide variety of music and ideas. Under the umbrella of Inside the Score fell a number of sub-series, including biography (Letters from Mozart, The Best of Beethoven, Brahms: A Life in Music, Rachmaninoff: From Tragedy to Triumph), individual masterpieces (Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony – This I Believe!, Eroica!, Beethoven’s Fifth, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, Debussy’s La mer, the “The Debussy Code”) and a cross-genre concert – Shuffle – which includes everything from Bach, Elgar, and Prokofiev to Metheny, Björk, and Philip Glass, as well as a feature concert with cross-over artist Kip Winger. (Once the front man for the band Winger, he now composes “classical” music reminiscent of Honegger and Messiaen.) In this vein, O’Neil has also presented Masterworks programs with “cross-over” elements, notably featuring Victor Wooten, performing the premiere of his own Bass Whisperer concerto, co-written with Conni Ellisor.

Mr. O’Neil’s engaging manner in addressing audiences has led to extensive speaking engagements, including a TED-talk on music he composed for Arrow Electronics. As an arranger/orchestrator, Mr. O’Neil has created and orchestrated numerous works for the Colorado Symphony (Arrow: Five Years Out! – an original composition, Pat Metheny’s “The First Circle” as well as Minuano, Björk’s Overture, “107 Steps” and “New World,” a live version of Philip Glass’s Changing Opinions); he has also written orchestrations for Ingrid Michaelson, Eileen Ivers and Béla Fleck.

Scott O’Neil continues to guest conduct and to lead his own ensemble, the Rosetta Music Society, in Denver, creating new, innovative programming and constantly seeking to draw wider audiences to live performances of music from Bach to today’s cutting-edge artists.

SPOTLIGHT BIOGRAPHIES

AYMÉE NUVIOLA, vocalist

The Multi- GRAMMY Award winning singer, musician, songwriter and actress Aymée Nuviola “La Sonera del Mundo”, like the music from her native island of Cuba, embodies that magical blend of musical genres. Born in Havana, Cuba, into a family of musicians, some of her earliest memories are at the piano, working through melodies between lessons. Later, as she became a classically trained pianist and composer at the Manuel Samuell Conservatory, Cuba’s top music academy, she recalls her fascination with all kinds of music, from Debussy to Bossa Nova. Her sound is now highly influenced by the Classical, American Jazz, Bossa Nova, Cuban Son, Bolero and Fílin genres.

Aymée Nuviola was the first Latin American to sing in a special segment showcasing and highlighting the historically underrepresented Tropical genre on the 64th GRAMMY Awards telecast 2022.

In 2021, she was selected by People en Español magazine among the 25 most powerful Latina women in the United States and was also selected by the magazine Hola on the list of “Latina 100 Top Powerhouse 2021” annual initiative that pays tribute to the most influential and empowered Latinas of each year.

Known as “La Sonera Del Mundo”, Aymée is one of the founders of the “Timba” genre and the first female to lead a “Timba” band around the world. Aymée has also had the honor of working with top icons in the music industry. She is also known as “The Voice of EL FILIN of her generation”, she grew up musically with some of the main exponents of this movement in Havana such as Omara Portuondo, Elena Burke and Jose Antonio Méndez among others. She is currently honored to be a Governor of the Florida Chapter of the GRAMMY® Recording Academy.

In 2021 she was nominated for a Grammy for the third consecutive years with her Album “Sin Salsa no hay Paraíso”, In 2020, she was nominated for the “Best Latin Jazz Album” Viento y Tiempo Live at Blue Note, Tokyo with the greater of all time Gonzalo Rubalcaba, In 2019, she won the Grammy plus a nomination of the Latin Grammy with her album “A Journey Through Cuban Music” with her project that showcases traditional Cuban music from different eras and genres. In 2018, Aymée Nuviola, was awarded her first Latin Grammy for best Tropical Fusion Album for “Como Anillo Al Dedo” and in 2014/15 she was nominated for Grammy & Latin Grammy with her Album “First Class to Havana” for best Tropical Album. Her song “Bailando todo se olvida” was #1 Billboard Tropical list, and she has five consecutive songs on the top ten of the Billboard Tropical list.

Also, Aymée has the honor to be the Protagonist in the telenovela about the life of Celia Cruz that will be on air in United States by Telemundo and in 45 other countries plus NETFLIX.

Aymée has collaborated with several organizations in humanitarian aid such as USAID, Amnesty International - Human Rights Protection, The League Against Cancer, 305 Pink Pack, aid organizations against Autism; among others.

SPOTLIGHT BIOGRAPHIES

DR. RAUL MURCIANO, JR., founder & pianist of Colorado Mambo Orchestra

Raul Murciano, Jr. is an unabashed lover of life and has worn many hats throughout life’s journey—from becoming a civil engineer, to being a founding member/performer and musical director of The Miami Sound Machine (yes, with Gloria Estefan), to earning master’s and doctoral degrees in music theory and composition, serving over 29 years at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, first as Program Director of Media Writing and Production, then Full Professor of Practice in Composition, and ultimately as Dean of Administration of the entire School, to now having moved to Denver in early 2020 and creating the Colorado Mambo Orchestra in 2021. It has been, thus far, nothing short of an amazing adventure that has included touring nationally and internationally making music with world-class performers, as well as composing and producing over 700 musical ads for radio, television (and even a few movie scores). As a university professor, Dr. Murciano has been privileged to mentor many currently successful and recognized (Grammy Award-winning) music producers, composers, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and fellow educators.

And while previous successes, significant accomplishments, and past influences are certainly noteworthy and help others get a sense of “where you’re coming from,” Dr. Murciano has always been much more inspired and motivated by the notion of “what’s next?”—which brings us back to the Colorado Mambo Orchestra... The first prototype of the group was created in June of 2021 and within three months they debuted with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as part of the Mexican Cultural Center’s Latin Beats series in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. And so it was, and so the momentum has grown... With the support of many local advocates and a continually growing fan base, to date the Colorado Mambo Orchestra has performed in a series of noteworthy venues, festivals, and events including Five Points Jazz Festival, Cuba-Cuba, Caffe Sole, Inga’s, The Brown Palace, Dazzle, KUVO Studios, Intercambio, Cultural Caravan, City Park Jazz Festival, and performances with CASA Children’s Advocacy Group, Flock Party at Denver Metro Zoo, and Marjorie Park at Fiddler’s Green. So, fasten your seatbelts—The Colorado Mambo Orchestra is now recording its first release and it only gets bigger from here!

Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring with Peter Oundjian

MAY 26-28 FRI-SAT 7:30 ✹ SUN 1:00