Chris Ludwa, director of Kalamazoo Choral Arts, joins Cara Lieurance to preview the opening concert of the season for the choral group formerly known as the Bach Festival Chorus. It will be held at 7:30 pm on Friday, Oct 17 at Lincoln International Studies School.
The concert features music from Argentina, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, and Bolivia, with approximately 80-90 singers. The centerpiece is Ariel Ramirez's Misa Criolla, composed in 1967, which Ludwa describes as marrying "indigenous folk musics of Argentina" with classical tradition.
Héctor Camacho-Salazar, who performs the tenor solo in the mass, praises the work's authenticity. "The whole piece is a testament to how effective you can be with very few resources," he says, noting that Ramirez uses minimal instrumentation—harpsichord, classical guitar, and percussion—to create "a very wonderful effect."
The program also features Latin jazz by Western Michigan University student Jormilit Garcia and her quartet, who perform regularly at Dabney and Co. in downtown Kalamazoo. Percussionist Carolyn Koebel and guitarist Dan Mervak round out the collaboration.
Ludwa chose Lincoln International Studies School, which he describes as "a mini-Chenery," to bring the performance into the community. "We really wanted to get off the campus," he explains, noting the venue's "terrific acoustics" and accessibility.
The evening concludes with all performers joining together in what Ludwa describes as "inspiring call to action and to resist and to make sure that we rise up and share the things that are important to us and our cultures."
Tickets are available through KalamazooChoralArts.org, or at the door Friday evening.
