R. Vega Photography
This week’s Classical Californian is conductor Sonia Marie De León de Vega, who founded the Santa Cecilia Orchestra more than 30 years ago in L.A. She named it in honor of her father, who was a guitarist and singer, and regularly prayed to the patron saint of music. In addition to their concerts, the orchestra is also committed to an educational outreach program meant to introduce young people to the world of classical music. The selections she’s chosen show her love of music for piano, full orchestra, and the operatic stage. We’ll hear selections from some of her favorite performers and composers, including an arrangement of music by Astor Piazzolla that inspired her to track down and get the unpublished score.
Chopin: Etude Op. 25 No. 1 "Aeolian Harp"
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Mvt. 2 "Allegretto"
Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème, "O soave fanciulla"
J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, Variation 18 (Glenn Gould)
Astor Piazzolla: Primavera Portena
Arturo Márquez: Máscaras
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 3, Mvt. III
