On the Other Coasts: 1936-39 Spanish Exiles in the Americas

(EN)

Exiles are global and protean phenomena that have marked tragic moments in history. However, it can also represent extraordinary moments of creativity compared to the void in the homeland. This selection from Spanish composers exiled in the Americas after the defeat in 1939 of the democratic ideals of the Second Spanish Republic attempts to bring samples of the splendid legacy that those creators managed to preserve and spread throughout these other coasts. A brief dialogue between the conductor Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, the pianist Enriqueta Somarriba and José María Naharro-Calderón will situate the cultural framework of the program.

(ES)

Los exilios son fenómenos globales y proteicos que han marcado momentos trágicos de la historia. Pero también puede representar momentos de creatividad extraordinarias frente al consecuente vacío en los espacios de expulsión. Esta selección en torno a compositores españoles exiliados en las Américas debido a la derrota en 1939 de los ideales democráticos de la Segunda República española quiere así acercar muestras del espléndido legado que aquellos creadores lograron preservar y extender por estos costados. Un breve diálogo entre el director Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, la pianista Enriqueta Somarriba y José María Naharro-Calderón situarán el marco cultural del programa.

Note: as an exception, this event will start at 6 pm, which means that doors will open at 5.40 pm.

Program

Works by Rosa García Ascot, Rodolfo Halffter, Mario Lavista, Juan José Castro and Manuel de Falla

About the artists

Pianist Enriqueta Somarriba thrives in a prolific and versatile career as a sought-after performer and music educator. Praised by the New York Concert Review for her “aplomb” and her “natural, individual interpretation”, Somarriba performs regularly in the US and her native Spain, in venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Auditorio Nacional of Madrid, Cervantes Institute of NY, New Jersey State Theatre and the Festival de Música y Danza de Granada. She has recorded for the Spanish National Radio, 98.7 WFMT Chicago, Veracruz Television-Radio (México), 89.1 WWFM Radio and MSR Classics. She also recorded as solo pianist for the Netflix feature film “Dancing on Glass” by composer Iván Palomares, which was nominated for the Spanish Film Academy Awards (‘Goyas’) in 2023. With the mission to promote Hispanic music in the US, Somarriba often curates concerts and lectures with emphasis on new music by Spanish and Latin American composers, in institutions such as Cornell University, Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers University, Georgetown University, University of Michigan and Peabody Conservatory. Combining her performance career with the arts administration, Somarriba has taught at dozens of K12 schools, universities and programs in the US and Spain. She currently holds the position of Director of Education at SpeakMusic Conservatory in NJ, where she focuses on developing educational music programs for students of all ages. Somarriba holds degrees from the Madrid Royal Conservatory (B.M.), Chicago College of Performing Arts (M.M.) Manhattan School of Music (Professional Studies) and Rutgers University (D.M.A.).

Angel Gil-Ordóñez is Music Director of PostClassical Ensemble, Principal Guest Conductor of New York’s Perspectives Ensemble, and Music Director of the Georgetown University Orchestra. He also serves as lead advisor for Trinitate Philharmonia, a program in León, Mexico modeled on Venezuela’s El Sistema. Mr. Gil-Ordóñez is also a regular guest conductor at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine, and at the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington (IN). He has appeared as guest conductor with the American Composers Orchestra, Opera Colorado, Pacific Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and more recently at the Brevard Music Festival. Abroad, he has been heard with the Munich Philharmonic, the Solistes de Berne, at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and the Bellas Artes National Theatre in Mexico City. He worked closely with legendary conductor Sergiu Celibidache in Germany for more than six years, and studied with Pierre Boulez and Iannis Xenakis in France. The former Associate Conductor of Spain’s National Symphony Orchestra, Gil-Ordóñez received the Royal Order of Queen Isabella, the country’s highest civilian decoration. He has recorded nine albums for Naxos, including PostClassical Ensemble’s three DVDs featuring classic 1930s films with newly recorded soundtracks by Aaron Copland, Silvestre Revueltas, and Virgil Thomson. To learn more about Gil-Ordóñez’ work, visit gilordonez.com

José María Naharro-Calderón is Professor of Spanish Literature, Iberian Cultures and Exile Studies at the Department of Spanish & Portuguese (School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures) University of Maryland, where he teaches Spanish contemporary literature, culture and film. He is the president of la Asociación para el Estudio de los Exilios y Migraciones Ibéricos Contemporáneos (AEMIC). His research covers both contemporary Iberia and the Americas, specially exile literature and film. His latest publications in book format are: Ed. Spain’s 1939 Exiles in the Americas and Maryland: Eighty Years, Alive in Our Hearts. Madrid: Iberoamericana; Frankfurt: Vervuert, 2022. Ed. Diásporas y Fronteras: Llanes 2002-2025. De los exilios de 1936-1939 a los refugiados climáticos. Madrid: Ayuntamiento de Llanes-AEMIC-Unigráficas, 2025. With Musica Aperta and the SPAP Jimediantes Theater Co., he edited and read Hesperia. Logbook Lost, an original text by Gibraltar poet Trino Cruz (May 2025).

Important Information

• A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.
• Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available. A reservation does not guarantee admission.
• No Late Seating, ticket holders may not be allowed to enter 15 minutes after posted showtime.
• Right of admission reserved.
• If you need special assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

How to get there:

The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station).

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