Maple City Community Orchestra to present "Mestizo America"

Apr. 21—GOSHEN — Maple City Community Orchestra presents "Mestizo America" Sunday at 4 p.m. in Sauder Hall at the Goshen College Music Center, 1700 S. Main St.

The performance is free and open to the public, a news release stated.

Nayo Ulloa is the featured artist performing in this weekend's orchestra, composed by Jaime Diaz Orihuela.

"The concert is presented by the Maple City Community Orchestra, which is comprised of volunteer local musicians of all ages," Ulloa said in the release. "I am the featured soloist in the principal piece, the Machu Picchu Concerto for Quena by Peruvian composer Jaime Diaz Orihuela. The orchestra is conducted by the young and talented Maestra Victoria Petrak."

He shared that the concert is called Mestizo America. The word "mestizo" refers to the ethnic and cultural mixture of European, Indigenous and African peoples throughout the Americas.

"This concert will be the first of its kind in Goshen," he said. "It features classical Latin American music. This program reflects the interesting mixture of cultures, language, ethnicity that makes up what is called Latin America."

Ulloa expressed that this concert that has so much enthusiasm and diversity is both beautiful and unique to the community.

"I am very excited that for the first time since I have been in Goshen, the local symphony is dedicating an entire concert to non-Western classical composers," he said. "I am very excited about the audience that will attend the concert. There is much enthusiasm both in the Anglo and Latino community about this event. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Anglo community to hear classical music with a Latino flavor, and for the Latino community to see themselves reflected in a style of music usually associated with Western Europe."

There is a lot of anticipation and hope for community attendance with this event. Ulloa shared that there is excitement for both communities surrounding this event.

"There is a lot of excitement in both the Anglo and Latino community, there have been several interviews and stories, we are especially looking forward to many families and young people for whom this may be their first time attending a symphonic orchestra concert," he said.

In addition to the work, he is doing for this performance, Ulloa is also working on his own compositions.

"I am currently working with the Goshen Chorale on a Christmas program that will feature my own compositions as well as lesser-known choral works from Latin America," Ulloa said.

He expressed gratitude with being able to participate in such an amazing first for the Goshen community and hope that there is many more concerts such as this to come.

"I am very grateful to the Maple City Community Orchestra and Goshen College for providing this opportunity to bring Latin American classical music to a wider audience. I hope this will be the first of many such performances," he said.

For more information visit their Facebook page at Maple City Community Orchestra — MCCO or at mcco-online.org.