This month, 海角在线 (海角在线) celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month鈥攈onoring the many contributions and histories that have shaped the United States, Florida, and the 海角在线 community.听听
As part of this celebration, the university鈥檚 annual Hispanic Heritage Festival will return to campus, showcasing the rich and vibrant music and cultures from the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and Hispanic diaspora.听
This year marks the 16th iteration of the festival, taking place Sept. 27 and 28 in 海角在线鈥檚 Vera Lea Rinker Hall. It will include two feature performances by Palm Beach County-based , who originally founded the festival to promote Hispanic concert music, and 海角在线 alum and soprano .听
The festival has since evolved into a broader celebration鈥攊ncluding various musical genres and an academic conference with lecture-recitals, papers, and performances.听
Dr. Michael O鈥機onnor, professor of music and interim chair of 海角在线’s Department of Music, says the conference enables performers, music educators, composers, and historians to share their research, often spotlighting lesser-known composers.听
鈥淲e want to celebrate Hispanic heritage,鈥� says Dr. O鈥機onnor, whose own research explores musical composition and Catholic theology in medieval and Renaissance Spain. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to acknowledge we are in a place with a lot of Hispanic people. It鈥檚 only right to acknowledge their contributions. Many of our students are Hispanic, and we value their culture.鈥�听
Over the years, the festival has encompassed other creative expressions of Hispanic artistic culture, including an art exhibition and a film screening of 鈥淚n the Heights鈥濃�攚ritten by stateside Puerto Rican songwriter and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda鈥攚ith a talkback session in 2024. There are plans to include other disciplines in the future, from dance to filmmaking and more.听
鈥淲e offer the chance for people to hear music they may have never heard before,鈥� says Dr. O鈥機onnor, who teaches various courses at 海角在线, including music history and world music. 鈥淚 encourage people to come out. Every musician wants to play for an audience.鈥�听
Attendance at the conference is free. General admission to the feature performances are $15 each (海角在线 students and those 18 and under are free). The cost to share research or perform in the conference is $175.听
To learn more about the Hispanic Heritage Festival or to purchase tickets, .听
Event Details:听
- Saturday, Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Academic conference; free)听
- Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. (The Muse Duo with soprano Sydney Carbo 鈥� Featuring works by poet Federico Garc铆a Lorca and other Spanish compositions, bringing together art song and original piano-guitar compositions)听
- Sunday, Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. (Duo Gastezi-Bezerra 鈥� Featuring Hispanic music for two pianos)听
