Cuban, Georgetown Students Participate In Musical Exchange Program

GEORGETOWN, DC — From Georgetown University: The Georgetown University Orchestra and Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez will host eight advanced, pre-professional music students and two faculty from Cuba’s Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana during their first trip to the United States from April 16-24, 2017.

Their cultural immersion will include tours of Washington, D.C. landmarks, classroom visits at Georgetown, gatherings with students and faculty of the university’s Center for Latin American Studies, teaching opportunities, and rehearsals with GU Orchestra musicians, culminating in a free, public concert on April 22, 2017.

Gil-Ordóñez launched the program to foster mutual understanding between the two countries through musical exchange, moving beyond stereotypes and misconceptions. Currently in its first year, the program will invite students to travel annually between the two countries.

Twelve Georgetown University students, accompanied by Gil-Ordóñez, participated in the first part of the exchange March 5-12, 2017 in Cuba.

Gil-Ordóñez notes that while students from Lyceum Mozartiano are or will become professional musicians, their peers from Georgetown are not music majors—they're studying disciplines from international relations to science. This open exchange of ideas, perspectives and expertise is essential to the experience, Gil-Ordóñez said.

The concert series is as follows:

• Rehearsal on Monday, April 17 from 8-10:30 p.m.
• Rehearsal on Wednesday, April 19 from 7:30-10 p.m.
• Dress rehearsal on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m.
• Free culminating concert on Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m.

The rehearsals and concert will be held at Gaston Hall in the Healey Building of Georgetown University at 37th and O Streets NW, Washington, D.C.

Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana was founded in 2009, with a focus on Cuban and European classical music, particularly Mozart. Since its founding, the school has been led by Ulises Hernandez and Musical Director José Antonio Méndez Padrón. Founded in 1980, the Georgetown University Orchestra is a large ensemble devoted to the study and performance of orchestral music, including repertoire composed for full orchestra and chamber orchestra.

Photo: Healey Building via Ken Lund/Flickr