El Puerto Rico, the Rich Port, features new music inspired by Puerto Rico, performed by the Victory Players.
El Puerto Rico, which debuted in 2018, is a project of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), Don Sanders, Executive Director. The project has commissioned new works inspired by Puerto Rico for the Victory Players, a MIFA sponsored ensemble of young musicians from around-the-country under the direction of Tianhui Ng.
El Puerto Rico III, featured compositions by Gabriel Bouche Caro, Carlos Carrillo, Johanny Navaro, Christian Quinoñes,, Iván Rodriguez, and Omar Surillo. Because of the pandemic, many of pieces, were composed as duets and recorded and presented virtually by NEPM in January of 2021.
In June of 2021, NEPM, MIFA and WGBH Music collaborated to bring The Victory Players to WGBH’s Fraser Performance Studio in Boston to record the ensemble performing ten new works inspired by Puerto Rico. For El Puerto Rico IV, The Victory Players performed works by: J.J. Peña Aguayo, Gabriel Bouche Caro, Armando Boyolo, Johanny Navaro, Christian Quinoñes, Iván Rodriguez, Tony Solitro, Omar Surillo, and Liliya Ugay.
In addition to the videos of the June performances, we invite you to explore videos of interviews with the composers, a video of the January 2021 virtual presentation, and two radio programs of the performances. Coming in the fall of 2022, NEPM will present a podcast series featuring performances of all of the works from El Puerto Rico III and IV and interviews with all of the composers.
The Victory Players
Tianhui Ng, Music Director
Nathan Ben-Yehuda, piano
Clare Monfredo, cello
Giovanni A. Perez, flute
Robert Rocheteau, percussion
Eric Schultz, clarinet
Elly Toyoda, violin
El Puerto Rico 3: Identity Duets
El Puerto Rico 4: Rich Port
"What My Mother Wrote" by Christian Quiñones
"Belén: Un Canto Sagrado a mis Ancestros" by Johanny Navarro
"Nadie Puede dar lo que no lo Tiene" by Armando Bayolo
"Washy" from Ne fú, ni fa: Los cuentos de siempre by Gabriel Bouche Caro
"Prints of Lost Breath" by José J. Peña Aguayo
"Transmutación Inerte" by Iván Enrique Rodriguez
"Canción Exaltada" by Tony Solitro
"Pitorro" by Omar Surillo
"Isla Verde" by Omar Surillo
"Island of Enchantment" by Liliya Ugay
Interview with Tianhui Ng, music director of the Victory Players
