UVMC Welcomes Special Guest Artists Sol y Canto

Upper Valley Music Center is thrilled to welcome award winning Pan-Latin ensemble Sol y Canto for a very special residency this fall. During their visit to the Upper Valley in October, Sol y Canto will work with UVMC’s choral ensembles, plus offer a workshop and performance open to the general public.

Led by Puerto Rican/Argentine singer and percussionist Rosi Amador and New Mexican guitarist, singer and composer Brian Amador, Sol y Canto is known for making their music accessible to Spanish and non-Spanish speaking audiences of all ages. 

On October 2, Rosi and Brian will conduct a workshop focused on vocal improvisations and Latin rhythms. Participants will learn to embody the sounds of a Cuban salsa band, a Puerto Rican bomba group, and much more. No experience is necessary, and singers of all levels ages 15 and up are invited to register. Workshop participants will also get to perform what they learned with Sol y Canto during the concert.

Since 1994, Sol y Canto has brought audiences to their feet from the Kennedy Center to the California World Music Festival, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Puerto Rico’s Museo de Arte and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as countless club shows and house concerts. The Boston Globe hails them as “sublime ambassadors of the Pan-Latin tradition,” and music critic Norman Weinstein observes, “Together, Rosi and Brian Amador create a musical marriage made in heaven.” In this concert, Rosi and Brian will be joined by Queralt Giralt on cello/vocals, Paul Lieberman on winds, and Keala Kaumeheiwa on acoustic bass. 

Members of the Community Chorus and Children’s Chorus at Upper Valley Music Center will have the opportunity to work with Sol y Canto during multiple visits to rehearsals throughout the fall. “We’re really excited for our students to have this special opportunity to work with such an incredible band, and to give the spotlight to a Spanish-language music ensemble,” says UVMC’s Education Director Erin Smith. This residency was developed based on UVMC’s experience with guest artists in the Suzuki strings program, including Mamadou Diabate and the Grammy-winning Villalobos Brothers. “Residencies like this give students and community members a chance to make a unique connection with and learn from extraordinary touring musicians.”  

In addition to their visits to Upper Valley Music Center, Sol y Canto will conduct workshops with local choral groups, including the Lebanon High School chorus and Harmony Night, the Upper Valley’s premiere a capella chorus.

“Sol y Canto makes me smile; their concerts glow with generous spirit,” says Harmony Night director Mark Nelson. “In their joyful traversals of Central and South American musical idioms, they have a winning way of inducing listeners and amateur singers to intuit and celebrate their membership in a pan-cultural musical community. I’ve long been anticipating the chance to see them galvanize the musical energies of friends and neighbors in the Upper Valley!”

The October 2 workshop is open to everyone ages 15 and up, no experience required. Workshop registration and concert tickets are available online now at uvmusic.org. Sol y Canto will return to the Upper Valley to perform with the local choral ensembles on Tuesday, November 10 at Lebanon Opera House.

This residency is supported in part by the Couch Family Foundation, and in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies.