Duo Portinari: An Evening of Latin American Music

The program will feature music from Latin America, including the works of Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos, Claudio Santoro, Cesar Guerra-Peixe, and Argentinian composers Esteban Benzecry, Astor Piazzolla, and Luis Gianneo. Violinist and PhD Candidate in Music and Sound Studies, Rafael Torralvo joins Duo Portinari for a set featuring Armorial music from northeastern Brazil. 

This event is funded in part by the Cornell Council for the Arts (CCA) and by a USIFL grant to LACS from the U.S. Department of Education.

Formed by Peter Pas, Viola Soloist of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and Soledad Yaya Principal Harpist of the Goiânia Philharmonic Orchestra, Duo Portinari performed throughout the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Duo Portinari’s recording of Michael Kurek's Sonata for Viola and Harp reached #1 on the Billboard Classical chart in 2017. Duo Portinari’s current project includes a new CD featuring music of Latin American composers. The name of the duo pays homage to the Brazilian painter Cândido Portinari.

Soledad Yaya attended the Cordoba Conservatory of Music, continuing her studies in Buenos Aires with Oscar do Campo, and later in Paris under the tutelage of Marielle Nordmann. She formerly held a position with the São Paulo Experimental Orchestra of the Municipal Theater of São Paulo and currently serves as a Professor of Harp at the Baccarelli Institute in São Paulo.

Peter Pas attended Indiana University, where he studied with Atar Arad. He later received the prestigious Performer's Certificate for his Senior Recital from that institution. He concluded his studies at Yale University with Jesse Levine. In addition to his position as Viola Soloist of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Peter Pas also serves as violist of the OSESP Quartet, a chamber ensemble formed by the principal players of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra Academy. Peter Pas is sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld and Bam Cases.

Born in Brazil and educated in the United States, Rafael Torralvo holds a BM and a MM degree in violin performance from James Madison University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania, respectively. He is an alumnus from the Frost School of Music, at the University of Miami, where he received a MM degree in musicology. Rafael also holds a MA in Arts from Cornell University where he currently is a PhD Candidate in Music and Sound Studies. Rafael has an active career as a violinist and chamber musician, appearing in concert engagements throughout Europe, the United States, and South America. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the "Encontro Internacional de Cordas." In recognition of his efforts to enhance the cultural life of his community, Rafael received the Fumagalli Trophy, the most prestigious award bequeathed by the city of Limeira, his hometown.

The concert will take place on Wednesday, April 12 at 5 pm in the Common Room of Alice Cook House, on West Campus. The event is free and open to the public.