Program Note: El Pueblo Unido/The People United
About this Piece
The voice of resistance throughout the Americas has always been a singing one, and this program powerfully expresses the intersection of music and social justice. Gabriela Ortiz’ new arrangement of her Seis piezas a Violeta (the original was for piano and string quartet) pays evocative tribute to the spirit and music of Violeta Parra and Chilean nueva canción. Inspired by suffragist Susan B. Anthony and her own grandmother, Tania León won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Music with Stride, a percussion-rich piece about moving forward with steady determination. Roberto Sierra’s Alegría is a vigorously propelled homage to Spanish dance and Silvana Estrada caps the evening with some of her own deeply felt songs and León Gieco’s classic Argentine protest song “Sólo le pido a Dios.” —John Henken