The European-based tradition of classical music has found a congenial home in South America, and proof of this is no farther away than Peru’s Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor of Fort Worth Symphony Orchest
ra. To his credit, though, he’s never been satisfied with simply representing the continent among the world’s ranks of rising orchestra conductors. Rather, he has actively promoted the music of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina in his multimedia series Caminos del Inka, which has played to audiences across the United States. That series continues this weekend at Bass Hall.
His concert begins with the Peruvian national anthem, followed immediately by Enrique Iturriaga’s Sinfonia Junín y Aycucho, which incorporates that anthem into its commemoration of the battle for Peru’s independence. Another memorial piece is Osvaldo Golijov’s Mariel, originally written for cello and marimba but now transcribed for cello and orchestra, in memory of the composer’s close friend who died in a car accident. The concert closes with Esteban Benzecry’s Colores de la Cruz del Sur and Enrique Soro’s Tres Aires Chilenos, two pieces that were written 60 years apart and in different countries (Argentina 2002 and Chile 1943 respectively) but that are strikingly similar in their quest to capture the rioting colors and rough textures of local music. The composers hoped to bring South American culture to First World audiences in orchestral terms that they’d understand. This weekend Miguel Harth-Bedoya brings those pieces to Fort Worth.
Caminos del Inka performances are Fri-Sun at Bass Performance Hall, 555 Commerce St, FW. Tickets are $10-78. Call 817-665-6000.
