Anna Maria Mendieta & Tango Del Cielo

Performing Artist And Touring Concert-Show Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA United States

About Anna Maria Mendieta & Tango Del Cielo

Harpist Anna Maria Mendieta performs Classical to Tango as a soloist, with orchestras, and with her touring ensembles including: "Tango Del Cielo" (Tango From Heaven) - A multimedia concert! ...

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TANGO DEL CIELO "A Morsel of World Music" Spanish Themed Concert Inspires Redmond Students Publication: The Bulletin, Redmond, Oregon By Megan Kehoe Though Sage Elementary School students in Redmond had just returned from Spring Break, they were already being whisked away to foreign lands last week with a concert featuring classical music from Spain, Argentina and other Spanish speaking countries. "Most of these kids have never seen someone playing the harp, let alone a live classical concert, said Geri Gunderson of the Redmond Community Concerts Association. "And they're getting to hear such wonderful music." The concert featured harpist Anna Maria Mendieta along with a classical music ensemble. Their performance of Spanish and Argentine-infused music treated students to both a musical and cultural experience that Monday morning. students even watched their principal, Carolyn Espinoza, dance a tango - a sight that had many of them smiling and giggling. The Redmond Community Concert Association has operated an outreach program for 17 years, sending visiting artists and musicians into Redmond schools, Gunderson said. Last week's concert at Sage was held in the gymnasium, with the entire student body present. The musicians started the concert with a "Buenos Dias". Many of the students, understanding the Spanish words for "Good Morning" responded by repeating the phrase. Musician Tony Gomez talked to the students about Spanish, asking them which countries use it as their main language. "California!", one student near the front row shouted. Teachers and students laughed at the response. He told the student he wasn't altogether wrong - while many people in California do speak Spanish, California is not a country. Other responses were Mexico and Spain. He added several others to the list, and explained that the music the ensemble would play comes from many of those countries. "I've never been to a classical music concert before", said Brianna Hamilton, 10. "So I think it'll be interesting." The concert began with a piece by Spanish composer Manuel De Falla. As Mendieta gracefully plucked her harp, Thomas Yee cut away furiously at the violin. Midway through the piece, dancer Suzanne Mendieta, Anna's sister, emerged from behind the stage dressed in a canary-yellow flamenco dress. Yee joined her on the floor, matching her graceful movements while continuing to play the violin. reactions of "Whoa!" and "Cool!" erupted from the audience. "It's so much fun to see the kids' expressions." said Diana Barker, RCCA president. After receiving a round of applause, performers talked to students about the diversity of the local culture in Redmond, and how the confluence of cultures was comparable in some ways to many Latin American countries, including Argentina. The next piece the musicians played was an Astor Piazzolla tango. Mendieta left her harp midway through the piece to dance a tango with another dancer who emerged from behind the stage. "The dancing is awesome." said Gaby Smith, 10. "I like that if you close your eyes, you can hear a different place." The performance was topped off with a tango number featuring one of the dancers and a surprised Espinoza, who hadn't expected to be learning how to tango in front of the student body. "It's really amazing," said Eve Williams, 11. "I just love the way the music sounds." Barker said such concerts can spur an interest in music that students carry with them for life. "It gives them an exposure to a kind of music that they wouldn't otherwise see," Barker said. "Most artists were their age when they were first exposed to music-and it's the that one brief contact that can set them on their way." - by Megan Kehoe mke@bendbulletin.com

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