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New Mexico State University Department of Music faculty participated in a binational exchange with musical institutions in Mexico during the first week of May. Led by NMSU professor of viola Jorge Martinez-Rios and Raul Olmos, director of the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico, the exchange featured NMSU faculty in concerts, master classes and outreach activities during their week-long residency.
“I look forward to continuing to develop a fruitful relationship with the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico,” Martinez-Rios said. “Collaborating with faculty and students from both institutions will not only bring a unique experience to our students, but it will also help in promoting our faculty to perform more in the international arena.”
The conservatory, founded in 1743, is considered the oldest music conservatory in the Americas, and serves students from elementary through the undergraduate level.
Along with Martinez-Rios, who is an alumnus of the conservatory, NMSU faculty participating in the exchange were violin professor Daniel Vega-Albela, cello professor Jorge Espinoza and voice area coordinator Sarah Daughtrey.
Faculty conducted master classes with conservatory students, participated in interviews with the Michoacano Radio and Television System and performed an outreach concert for children and two other concerts.
The first concert featured both NMSU and conservatory faculty and students as well as the conservatory’s chamber orchestra and was presented at the Teatro Mariano Matamoros in downtown Morelia. Two chamber works for strings performed during the concert included students from the conservatory, allowing them to learn from and perform with NMSU faculty. Included were works by Haydn, Berlioz, Piazzolla and Weill as well as an arrangement of the Mexican standard “Estrellita” for two violas. Concluding the concert was a special recognition by the Colegio de Abogadas de Michoacán A.C. for the distinction of the event.
Olmos also arranged for NMSU and conservatory faculty and students to perform in the Manuel M. Ponce recital hall of the renowned Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City as the final event of the exchange. Sponsored by La Coordinación Nacional de Música y Ópera del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura which promotes and disseminates musical heritage, the concert featured chamber works by Haydn, Beethoven, Berlioz and Piazzolla.
A similar visit from conservatory faculty to NMSU for concerts and master classes is in the planning stages. As a Hispanic-serving institution, and with goals for amplifying extension and outreach as part of its “LEADS 2025” initiatives, this exchange highlights efforts by the NMSU College of Arts and Sciences and the NMSU Music Department for collaboration and elevation of creative activity.
For more information, contact the NMSU Department of Music at 575-646-4879.
Visit http://music.nmsu.edu/.
