Inamori Foundation

is pleased to serve as presenting sponsor of this evening’s performance by pre-eminent tabla virtuoso

Zakir Hussain

37th Annual Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy

Zakir Hussain is a Grammy® award-winning tabla musician who has opened new possibilities beyond the framework of traditional Indian music in collaboration with artists of other diverse genres worldwide. Hussain’s performance innovations include a unique method of creating melodies on the tabla, originally regarded as a rhythmic instrument of accompaniment. In the process, he has expanded the tabla’s possibilities and established it as one of the most expressive percussion instruments in the world. With his superb technique, engaging performances, and rich creativity, he has made a tremendous impact on world music audiences and performers alike.

In receiving the Inamori Foundation’s 37th annual Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, he joins other distinguished Kyoto Prize laureates from the music world—including Olivier Messiaen, John Cage, Witold Lutoslawski, Iannis Xenakis, György Ligeti, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Pierre Boulez, Cecil Taylor and Richard Taruskin.

PRELUDE 6:30 PM

Interview with Chucho Valdés hosted by Robert John Hughes

Support for this program generously provided by:

Vail Memorial Fund

Chucho Vald S Quartet

SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2023 · 7:30 PM

THE BAKER-BAUM CONCERT HALL

Chucho Valdés, piano

Dafnis Prieto, drum

Armando Gola, bass

Roberto Vizcaino Jr., congas

Program

Works will be announced from stage.

NO INTERMISSION

About

Winner of six GRAMMY® and three Latin GRAMMY® Awards, the Cuban pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés is the most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. In a rich career spanning sixty years, Chucho has pushed boundaries in pursuit of new expressions in Afro-Cuban music. His influence in the genre is immeasurable, his work establishing the standard by which younger generations set out to create their own.

La Jolla Music Society’s 2022–23 season is supported by The Conrad Prebys Foundation, The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, Banc of California, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, ProtoStar Foundation, Vail Memorial Fund, ResMed Foundation, Bright Events Rentals, Ace Parking, Brenda Baker and Steve Baum, Raffaella and John Belanich, Gordon Brodfuehrer, Mary Ellen Clark, Teresa and Harry Hixson, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Dorothea Laub, Jeanette Stevens, Debra Turner, and Bebe and Marvin Zigman.

Chucho’s musical education includes formal studies and countless nights on the best stages in Cuba as the pianist with his father, Bebo Valdés, and his orchestra Sabor de Cuba, and with the seminal Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna. Chucho is perhaps best known as the founder, pianist, and main composer and arranger of Irakere, a landmark ensemble in Cuban music. Chucho led Irakere for more than 30 years, but since 2005 he has focused on his personal career, highlighting his work as a pianist and leading small ensembles, like the Afro-Cuban Messengers, Jazz Batá, and his acclaimed Quartet.

Having celebrated his 80th birthday in 2021, Chucho’s technique and creative output are as prodigious as ever. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, has been inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a DC Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, his name joining an illustrious list that includes Kenny Barron, James Moody, Ellis Marsalis, George Wein, and Dave Brubeck.

Support for this program generously provided by members of the Dance Society and presenting sponsors: Elaine Galinson and Herbert Solomon