“While growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sonia Morales-Matos and her five brothers each played a musical instrument,” writes Peter Tonguette in Thursday’s (10/18) Columbus Dispatch (Ohio). For the Central Ohio Symphony’s season-opening concert on October 20, “Music Director Jaime Morales-Matos will lead … a pair of pieces composed by his sister; their brother, Rolando, will serve as a percussionist on one of the pieces…. The … siblings are scattered across the United States. [Says Sonia], ‘The last time that we were together, it was for Jaime’s wedding (in 2014).’ Warren Hyer, executive director of the symphony, was in attendance at that event. ‘My joke is, “We went to a concert and a wedding broke out,” ’ Hyer said. At Saturday’s concert … the musicians [perform Sonia’s] ‘Tembanduma’s Court Dance,’ a selection from an opera in progress…. Rolando will play bomba drums on the piece…. Next up is ‘Pajaides for Cuatro and Orchestra,’ which Sonia composed in honor of Puerto Rico…. The symphony will wrap up with a performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. ‘We have a young composer; we have a Latin composer; and then we have an established, major composer,’ Jaime said, ‘so it’s music for everyone.’ ”
Posted October 22, 2018
