Ricardo Lorenz’s “Cecilia en Azul y Verde” and “Open Borders”

Tomorrow, mañana!!!

Two pieces in my program written by Venezuelan composer Ricardo Lorenz: first “Cecilia en Azul y Verde” and “Open Borders (Fronteras Abiertas). 

I first interacted with Ricardo’s work in 2015, back when I lived in Venezuela. My dearest Horacio and Natali had organized the “I Festival Iberoamericano de Violoncello, Ciudad de Barquisimeto” and amongst the activities that took place during the festival was a cello ensemble led and conducted by, of course, Germán Marcano. One of the pieces we worked on was this really fun, yet tricky, and engaging gothic salsa named Rochela (Raw cello) written by Ricardo Lorenz. I remember having the time of my life putting this work together and little did I know there was more where that came from. 

However, it wasn’t until later in my undergraduate degree that I came across the final piece on tomorrow’s program: “Open Borders (Fronteras Abiertas).” This piece is a special one to me. Not only do I feel like, in a way, we’ve seen each other go and grow through different stages of my life, but it was also the one that brought me to meet Ricardo himself. I met him for the first time in my beloved Ann Arbor, where he spent a couple of hours with me talking through the piece and working on it with me. It was then that I realized that he has this generosity about him and his time, intertwined with an ability to articulate so clearly the soundworld behind his music. Every time we have talked since then, I learn to follow his lead in terms of creating my own language and clarity around what I think and wish to inspire with my art. For this, I am so thankful to know him! 

I will also be performing “Cecilia en Azul y Verde” tomorrow. The contrasts in Cecilia are some that make one want to take the time to take it all in: the purity and simplicity of the opening of the first movement, a cadenza movement that serves as a mood transition and connection to the third movement, which is full of intricate rhythms, active energy, and opportunities for all sorts of color changes. 

Thanks for coming along this journey and learning about these artists with me. Let’s have fun!!!

More about Ricardo:

The compositions of Venezuelan-born Ricardo Lorenz have garnered praise for their fiery orchestrations, and rhythmic vitality as well as for raising awareness about global societal challenges that concern the composer.  These impressions have earned him two Latin Grammy Award nominations, multiple commissions and performances of his works at prestigious international festivals such as Carnegie Hall’s Sonidos de las Américas, Ravinia Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, France’s Berlioz Festival, Spain’s Festival Internacional de Música Contemporanea de Alicante, the Festival Cervantino in Mexico, Turkey’s Uluslararasi Summer Festival and South Korea’s PAN Music Festival, among others.