José Silvestre de los Dolores White (1835-1918), also known as José White and Joseph White, was born in Matanzas, Cuba, during colonial times. He began playing the violin and composing at a young age. His professional debut occurred in 1854 alongside the American pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869), who inspired him to study at the Paris Conservatoire. There, he won the Premier Prix after less than one year of study. White gained global recognition as a soloist, composer, and pedagogue and, in the United States, he notably became the first soloist of African descent to perform with the New York Philharmonic Society, during his 1875-1876 tour. Through musical works by White and his contemporaries in Europe and the Americas, including Gottschalk, Camille Saint-Saëns, Cécile Chaminade, Nicolás Espadero, Ignacio Cervantes, and others, this program will examine the rich—and underexplored—cultural milieu in which White lived and worked. 

 The Festival welcomes Latin Grammy-nominated pianist Adonis Gonzalez in his Valley of the Moon Music Festival debut. 

PROGRAM

José White – Zamacueca, Danse Chilienne Op.30 for Violin and Piano (1897)

Ignacio Cervantes  – 6 Cuban Dances (1899)

Camille Saint-Saëns  – Piano Quartet in B♭ major, Op. 41 (1875)

INTERMISSION

Cécile Chaminade – Piano Trio No.1, Op.11 (1881) | III. Presto

José White – Potpourri Cubano (arr. for piano)

Louis Moreau Gottschalk  – Souvenir de la Havane, Op.39 (1859)

Pablo de Sarasate – Zigeunerweisen, Op.20 (1878)

José White  – La Bella Cubana for 2 Violins and Piano (ca. 1910)

ARTISTS

Violin: Jennifer Frautschi, Juliette Greer, Keir GoGwilt

Viola: Liana Bérubé

Cello: Tanya Tomkins, Coleman Itzkoff

Piano: Eric Zivian, Adonis Gonzalez

PERFORMANCE LENGTH

Approximately 2 hours with intermission | Programs and artists subject to change

SUBSCRIPTIONS

SINGLE TICKETS