Save the Date: Encuentro Coral de Tijuana
By Sandra Dibble
Curious about the choral music scene south of the border? A four-day festival in Tijuana next month will showcase a sampling of choirs from Baja California and across Mexico. All concerts are free and open to the public.
Encuentro Coral de Tijuana–Tijuana Choral Encounter– takes place from October 22 to October 25 at several venues across the city. It features 17 choral groups (eight from the Tijuana-Rosarito region and nine from other parts of Mexico) whose members will perform in 7 concerts, mostly a cappella.
A highlight of the event is the participation of Conrado Monier, a prominent Cuban composer and arranger of choral music. He has been invited to lead a workshop on Cuban choral music (limited to festival participants) and conduct the festival’s closing event.
The groups range from small ensembles to larger choruses. Out-of-town participants are flying in from different regions of Mexico, including Jalisco, Morelos, Puebla, Sinaloa, Mexico City, Mexico state and Baja California Sur.
The festival comes as Tijuana’s choral community has seen a growth of choral music. “Before, we had two or three choruses,” said Salvador Cortes, the festival’s director. “Now, there is a great variety.”
Participants will perform a wide range of works–from Renaissance to classical to contemporary Latin music.
The opening event is, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday on October 22nd, in downtown Tijuana at the Casa Arquidiocesana (Avenida Juan Sarabia 8585). It features all 17 choruses, each one performing a piece.
On Friday, October 23rd, two concerts are scheduled at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Sala Federico Campbell of the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) in the city’s Rio Zone.
On Saturday, October 24, three concerts are scheduled: 5 p.m. in the city’s Rio Zone at Instituto de Servicios Culturales ( Paseo del Centenario 10151) at 6:30 p.m. in Colonia Libertad at Parroquia Divina Providencia (Avenida. Aquiles Serdán 11490); and at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Sacramento (Calle Ventisca 2380, Sección El Dorado, Playas de Tijuana).
The closing concert is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Hotel Ticuan near downtown off of Avenida Revolucion and Eight Avenue.
