Border CrosSing
Featuring Border CrosSing
Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa El Samkary, director
Program:
Hanacpachap cussicuinin
Anonymous (Peru 17th century)
Tleycan timochoquilia
Xicochi conetzintle
Composed by Gaspar Fernandes
Gala del día
Al tribunal de tu pecho
Una de dos
Composed by Carlos Guastavino
La barca de oro
Composed by Abundio Martínez
Los reyes magos
Alfonsina y el mar
Composed by Ariel Ramírez
Alma llanera
Composed by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez
Performers:
Gabrielle Doran, soprano
Alyssa Anderson, alto
Shahzore Shah, tenor
Justin Staebell, baritone
Jake Endres, bass
Nicolás Muñoz, charango, percussion, and zampoña
Rahn Yanes, double bass
Ahmed Anzaldúa, harpsichord and piano
Border CrosSing is a choral music organization based in Minnesota. Its mission is to integrate historically-segregated audiences and musicians through the performance of choral music. It envisions a landscape where singers and audiences more closely reflect the racial and cultural composition of the Twin Cities.
Border CrosSing Director Ahmed Fernando Anzaldúa El Samkary is a Mexican conductor and pianist of Egyptian descent. Early in his career, he was the awarded the first prize at the Maria Clara Cullel International Piano Competition. He’s since then avoided participating in competitions in favor of championing the works of new composers and exploring his musical heritage. Ahmed is a recognized authority in Latin American and Spanish music, particularly the compositions of Federico Mompou and Miguel Bernal Jiménez. He regularly collaborates with composers to premiere new works, including Helmut Lachenmann, Paul Lansky, and Arturo Marquez. His most recent recordings include Carteles, recorded for FMM, and Contemplating Weather, on Bridge Records. Ahmed holds Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Choral Conducting from Western Michigan University, where he taught before moving to Minnesota, and carried out postgraduate work at the Queen Sofia College of Music in Madrid, Spain. He received a doctorate in Music Conducting at the University of Minnesota, under the mentorship of Kathy Romey. Apart from his work with Border CrosSing, he is co-editor of the Justice Choir Songbook and is Director of Music Ministries at Unity Church – Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota.
All concerts are at noon, are FREE to the public, and include coffee and bagels. After the performances there is an opportunity to meet and talk with the musicians.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts, and through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Additional funding is made possible by generous donations from Boss Foundation, Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation, Ecolab Foundation, Anna M. Heilmaier Foundation and the Twin Cities Opera Guild and an Anonymous donor.