eMusic Wire - Yalil Guerra Presents "viva La Hispanidad" Featuring Two World Premieres In Pasadena

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The Hispano String Quartet performs contemporary classical music from Cuba, Costa Rica, and Mexico, including world premieres by Francisco Castillo and Jorge Maletá and a 2014 Latin GRAMMY-nominated composition

LOS ANGELES - eMusicWire -- LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Hispano String Quartet will present two world premieres at the center of Viva la Hispanidad, a chamber music concert celebrating Hispanic and Latin American classical music on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Pasadena.

Presented by composer, conductor and producer Yalil Guerra, the program highlights contemporary classical music from Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico, bringing together works by Paquito D'Rivera, Eddie Mora, Eduardo Gamboa, Francisco Castillo, Jorge Maletá and Guerra.

The Hispano String Quartet features Marlene Gentile and Alejandro Junco, violins; Alejandra Moreno, viola; and Masiel Medina, cello.

Anchoring the program are the world premieres of Guerra String Quartet by Costa Rican composer Francisco Castillo and De cuerdas... by Cuban composer Jorge Maletá. The premieres reflect the ensemble's commitment to expanding the chamber music repertoire while creating opportunities for contemporary Latin American composers to connect directly with performers and Southern California audiences.

Also featured is Guerra's String Quartet No. 2, a 2014 Latin GRAMMY-nominated composition. The work adds an established piece from the contemporary Latin American chamber music repertoire to a program centered on discovery and new musical voices.

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The evening represents three distinct Latin American traditions. Cuban composers include Paquito D'Rivera, Jorge Maletá and Guerra; Costa Rica is represented by Eddie Mora and Francisco Castillo; and Mexican composer Eduardo Gamboa completes the international program.

"Viva la Hispanidad continues the work I have been developing in Los Angeles to create meaningful opportunities for fellow composers, expand their visibility, and connect their music directly with the community," said Guerra. "In a time when classical music must find new ways to remain vital and relevant, building a genuine relationship between composers and audiences is essential. We need to break down the distance that often exists between the stage and the public and give people compelling reasons to return to the concert hall. This concert offers an intimate, distinctive and carefully curated experience, with a boutique repertoire that audiences are unlikely to encounter in mainstream chamber music programming."

The concert continues the Hispano String Quartet's mission of increasing representation in classical music by programming composers and musical traditions from historically underrepresented communities. Its work places particular emphasis on Hispanic and Latin American composers, contemporary repertoire, premieres and music that remains outside the standard classical canon.

By bringing living composers, performers and audiences together, Viva la Hispanidad approaches the concert hall as both a place to preserve cultural heritage and a space for the creation and discovery of new repertoire.

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Viva la Hispanidad is produced by RYCY Productions, a division of RYCY Music Group. Tickets are available now.

EVENT DETAILS

Yalil Guerra Present Viva la Hispanidad

Hispano String Quartet

Saturday, October 24, 2026
8:00 p.m.

St. Andrew Catholic Church
311 North Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

World Premiere — Guerra String Quartet by Francisco Castillo

World Premiere — De cuerdas... by Jorge Maletá

Yalil Guerra — String Quartet No. 2, 2014 Latin GRAMMY-nominated composition

Additional works by Paquito D'Rivera, Eddie Mora and Eduardo Gamboa.

ABOUT HISPANO STRING QUARTET

Hispano String Quartet is dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music by Hispanic and Latin American composers, with an emphasis on contemporary works, premieres, historically underrepresented voices and repertoire deserving greater visibility.

ABOUT RYCY PRODUCTIONS

RYCY Productions, a division of RYCY Music Group, produces concerts, recordings and audiovisual projects with an emphasis on classical and contemporary music, supporting composers, performers and ensembles while bringing new repertoire to audiences through live performance and recorded media.

MEDIA INFORMATION

High-resolution photographs, artist biographies, composer information, interview opportunities and additional press materials are available upon request.