Known for developing and introducing Cuban and Latin American works to classical music audiences around the world, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba will perform a special program featuring pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist, at the Moss Arts Center on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m.

The performance will be held in the Moss Arts Center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.

Led by conductor Enrique Pérez-Mesa, the orchestra brings a program that includes Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 7 in A major, op. 92, alongside great Latin works from Manuel de Falla and Amadeo Roldán. Sunwoo joins the orchestra for a performance of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16.

In 1959, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba was founded as part of the National Philharmonic of Cuba. Since its debut in 1960, the orchestra has performed more than 3,000 concerts across the globe and been directed by more than 100 national and foreign conductors. In addition to its focus on music from Cuba and Latin America, the ensemble has covered a vast symphonic and chamber repertoire that ranges from the baroque to modern music.

Sunwoo is the first Korean to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition’s gold medal. The 28-year-old pianist, who began learning piano at age eight, launched his 2017-2018 season with invitations to the Aspen, Grand Teton, and Duszniki international music festivals. He performed recitals in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Vancouver, before joining the National Orchestra of Cuba for a nine-city spring tour of the United States.

Prior to the performance, join Joseph L. Scarpaci, Virginia Tech professor emeritus, Latin American studies scholar, and executive director of the Center for the Study of Cuban Culture + Economy, for a talk about Cuban musical culture at 6 p.m. in the Moss Arts Center’s Merryman Family Learning Studio (room 253).  The presentation summarizes and samples influential styles of Cuban music and highlights the island's historical and contemporary vanguard who have shaped the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba. The talk is free and open to the public, but admission is first-come, first-served. To guarantee a spot, register online.

Tickets

Tickets for the performance are $40-$75 for general public and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kacy McAllister at 540-231-5300 or email kacy@vt.edu during regular business hours.

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