Elgin Symphony Orchestra welcomes Mariachi Acero April 30 and May 1
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra welcomes Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas for two festive concerts at the Hemmens Cultural Center.
Guest conductor Richard Mizell will lead the ESO in the “Mariachi!” concerts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.
Tickets for the family-friendly concerts are available at www.ElginSymphony.org, or between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Monday through Friday, through the ESO box office, 20 DuPage Court, Elgin, and by phone at (847) 888-4000.
The Mariachi Joya Dorada de U-46 will be performing in the lobby before each performance.
The first half of the concert program will feature “March de Zacatecas” by Codina, “Sobre las olas” by Rosas, “Mi País” by Sarabia, “La Bikina” by Fuentes and Roth, “El Jinete” by Jimenez, “Como Han Pasado Los Años” by Ferro, and “Popurri Veracruzano,” arranged by F. Grijalva.
After the intermission, featuring Grupo De Danza Folklorica Quetzaly, the concert program will include Danzón No. 2 by Marquez, “Canto A Jalisco” by Esperon, Flores, and Guizar; “Homenaje A Jose Alfredo Jimenez” by Jimenez; “Granada” by Lara, “Exitos De Vicente Fernandez” by Fernandez, and “Son De La Negra” by Vargas and Fuentes.
Mizell was senior music producer for the Walt Disney Company for 37 years and conducted nationally recognized orchestras with EPCOT's Mariachi Cobre and Doc Severinsen,
Tickets are $30 or $50 for the Gold Circle. Children age 17 and under, and students with a valid student ID, are $10. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination is required; masks are optional.
Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas was founded in 2008 by Erik Ramirez, a graduate of East Chicago High School in Indiana, and received top honors in the 2012 and 2013 Mariachi Nationals hosted by Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and at the 2014 Battle of the Mariachis at San Juan Capistrano Mission in California.
Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas has shared the stage with the greatest Mariachi ensembles in the world including Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, and Mariachi Los Camperos. They have also accompanied top Latino artists such as Emmanuel, Jenni Rivera, Angeles Ochoa, Lorenzo de Monteclaro, Pancho Barraza, Maribel Guardia, Los Temerarios, Pablo Montero, Gerardo Ortiz, Voz de Mando, and Banda Limon.
Founded in 1950, and becoming a professional ensemble in 1985, the Elgin Symphony has been recognized as Orchestra of the Year four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. For more information, visit www.ElginSymphony.org.
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra has a long history of highlighting the works of world-renowned conductors, composers, and musicians, and of promoting the advancement of women in the arts.
Founded in 1950 as a community orchestra, the ESO became a professional ensemble in 1985, in good part due to the leadership of the late Margaret Hillis, who was music director at the ESO from 1971-1985. Hillis was one of the first females to break through the male-dominated world of conducting and is credited with being the impetus behind the creation of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra Association, the formation of the ESO League, and the start of the ESO's outreach to youth through concerts for school students.
Today, the ESO continues to draw its creativity and artistry from the Elgin area and gives back to the community through ensemble members' performances at local hospitals and retirement homes, free Listeners Club experiences, and open rehearsals. The ESO has been named Orchestra of the Year four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016).
The ESO is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more or to support the ESO, visit www.elginsymphony.org.