For its first concert of the winter quarter, the UCLA Wind Ensemble is joined by the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology's spectacular Mariachi de Uclátlan, founded in 1961 as the first ensemble of its kind to be established at an academic university.
The Mariachi ensemble, led by Grammy winning musical director Jesús "Chuy" Guzmán, opens the program with more than a dozen selections from their repertoire. The UCLA Wind Ensemble follows with a program of works based on (largely sacred) vernacular tunes of the United States and Mexico, including the Clef Club March by James Reese Europe, Frank Ticheli's iconic setting of Amazing Grace, Donald Grantham's Southern Harmony, and Genaro Codina's Zacatecas March. The two ensembles collaborate for a new take on H. Owen Reed's 1949 "Mexican folk song symphony" La Fiesta Mexicana.
About Mariachi de Uclatlán:
Founded in 1961 and first introduced as a formal course of study in 1964, Mariachi de Uclatlán is the first ensemble of its kind to be established at an academic university and is dedicated to the performance and preservation of traditional Mexican music, culture, and heritage at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
Under the tutelage of Grammy-winning musical director, Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán, the ensemble is admired around the world for its exceptional legacy of passionate musical excellence and impact on mariachi education.
Mariachi de Uclatlán features UCLA students – both graduate and undergraduate – and staff from diverse backgrounds and in fields spanning the full breadth of UCLA. Along with the Music of México Ensemble (Ethnomusicology 91K), Uclatlán features mariachi music in a variety of musical styles from various regions of Mexico, including son jalisciense, son huasteco, bolero, ranchera, and huapango.
This event is made possible by the David and Irmgard Dobrow Fund. Classical music was a passion of the Dobrows, who established a generous endowment at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music to make programs like this possible. We are proud to celebrate this program as part of the 2024 - 25 Dobrow Series.