Flores
Pacho Flores, the internationally renowned trumpet performer who stunned the audience with his artistry and range when he last performed with the Central Ohio Symphony is returning to headline the Symphony’s March 17 concert.
After Flores performed with the orchestra in 2022, he immediately began discussions with Symphony Executive Director Warren W. Hyer and Music Director Jaime Morales-Matos to plan a repeat visit.
“Pacho made it very clear that he wanted to return and play with us again,” said Hyer. “We are excited to have him back.”
The concert will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, in the Gray Chapel auditorium on the Ohio Wesleyan campus in Delaware.
Flores requested that the Symphony join a consortium to commission a new trumpet concerto written for him by Swedish composer Christian Lindberg. He will perform the resulting work, “Caballos Mágicos” (Magic Horses), the Western Hemisphere premiere. Flores also commissioned Sonia Morales, the sister of the orchestra’s music director, to write a piece for him that brings out the Latin flavor in the music for which she is well known. The world premiere of “Divertimento Caribeño no. 6.” As a special encore for the audience, Flores on trumpet, and Morales-Matos on trombone, will perform “Diamond Hands” by Italian Composer Ricardo Mollá.
The orchestra will be playing two other works during the concert. The first work is “Beghilolia” by Cincinnati composer Susanna Hancock, who teaches at Miami University of Ohio. Hancock’s work is part of the Symphony’s ongoing Play It Again project, now in its third year. The major traditional work in the program will be Antonín Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 7.”
Other concert activities will be a display of paintings by Delaware artist David Groff, whose specialty is horse paintings. He will create a piece just for this concert and make signed prints available for sale at the concert, with all proceeds from the sale going to support the Symphony.
This concert is partly underwritten by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. This is the Symphony’s fifth NEA-funded concert.
This is the second year since the Symphony partnered with the Delaware County District, Sunbury Community, and Ashley libraries to provide tickets to young people. Any youth 18 and under can present their library card and get free admission to the concert, as well as a half-price ticket for an accompanying adult.
There will again be a free shuttle service from the parking lots on South Henry Street at Selby Stadium to the rear lower door of Gray Chapel. A grant from SourcePoint funds the shuttle service.
Tickets for this concert only may be purchased at the Symphony office in Delaware’s Historic Sheriff’s Residence, 20 W. Central Ave. in downtown Delaware; online at www.centralohiosymphony.org; or at the box office the afternoon of the concert.
More information about the concert and ticket availability is available on the Symphony website, www.centralohiosymphony.org, at the Symphony office, or by calling the Symphony at 740-362-1799.
Submitted by the Central Ohio Symphony.
