“Working with Pacho Flores was really great!” And so, composer Roberto Sierra introduces us to the soloist of his new trumpet concerto Salseando (Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra). The three-movement, 18-minute work premieres on January 9, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra led by Domingo Hindoyan.
“I would say that Salseando is traditional in the sense of its fast-slow-fast movements [and] structure. On the other hand, it is infused with popular idioms, hence the title ‘Salseando,’ a word derived from the concept of ‘salsa’ music. As in my Concerto for Saxophones, I’ve also provided the opportunity for the soloist to improvise, in the manner that salsa musicians would do in the [score’s] ‘montuno’ sections.”
Sierra
shares some insight into Salseando.
“I was approached about the project
by Pacho’s
manager
Carlos Magan (from
ACM Concerts).
I immediately loved the idea. Pacho is one of the best trumpet
players of our times! Collaborating
with him
was [amazing].
We communicated via Skype and he would show me the range of available
trumpets [that]
he
has. Even after I had written my first draft, Pacho
suggested using
other trumpets either for color or range changes. I used everything
from
the piccolo trumpet to one that uses
the trombone register.”
More Sierra news: On the 12th, the Imani Winds and the Catalyst Quartet perform Sierra’s Concierto de Camara at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. On the 30th, the Louisiana Philharmonic — led by Carlos Miguel Prieto — performs Sierra’s ever-popular Fandangos.