National Hispanic Heritage Month (Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana) runs from September 15 to October 15 in the U.S. It is a time for recognizing and celebrating the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans on the history, culture, and achievements in the United States.

Program

Spanish Dance No. 5 “Andaluza” by Enrique Granados

Estrellita by Manuel Ponce

Featuring: Dr. Dan Zhang, viola

Sonata para violin y piano by Angel Sauce

Featuring: Dr. Marjory Serrano, violin and Hsin-Yi-Yi, piano

About the artists

Chinese violist, Dr. Dan Zhang is LSO’s principal violist. She has performed internationally at major concert venues and currently teaches at Catoctin School of Music.

Venezuelan violinist Dr. Marjory Serrano-Coyer is LSO's co-concertmaster. She also teaches at Frederick Community College in Maryland.

Born in Taiwan, Dr. Hsin-Yi Chen has collaborated with various instrumentalists and singers in the area. She also teaches at Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy, and at her private studio in Loudoun County.

About the composers

Enrique Granados was a Spanish pianist and composer and a leader of the movement toward nationalism in late 19th-century Spanish music. His most famous work, Goyescas, for solo piano (later adapted to an opera) shares the same artistry as Chopin and Schumann. “Andaluza” comes from his set of 12 Danzas españolas for piano and has been transcribed for many different instruments.

Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar was a Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten tradition of popular song and Mexican folklore. Many of his compositions are strongly influenced by the harmonies and form of traditional songs.

Ángel Sauce, was a Venezuelan composer, violinist and conductor. He was founder of multiple choirs and orchestras, and for more than twelve years he directed the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. He received two National Music Prizes in Venezuela, one in 1948 for his composition Cecilia Mujica and one in 1982 for general achievements in his lengthy career.