Was the pandemic the greatest opportunity for unemployed musicians to dig in to new repertoire and set up more intense practice schedules, in the wake of lost gigs? Could be!

The duo of local musicians Mark Dudrow on cello and me, Martha Shepp, on piano are excited to present the first in a series of three “open rehearsal” concerts of Latin (Argentina and Brazil, mostly) music, ranging from total vernacular to high art. Composers are H. Villa-Lobos, J. Guerre Vicente, Henrique Oswald, E. Granados, Guarnieri, Ginastera, Astor Piazzola, and more. The pieces are so heartfelt and working on them was a labor of love and also a lot of fun for us, having honed and (maybe even) perfected them over the past year of COVID isolation.

Part of the flavor of the event includes a salon reception with Latin-themed hors d’oeuvres and desserts. You must register to attend, as seating is limited.

This concert is made possible with grants from New Mexico Arts*, The Taos Foundation, and Yoga Sala’s program. Founder, Gaea McGahee, says, “Art and music are essential to our well-being and, with joy, Yoga Sala and Sala Reach are happy to host these two local musicians this month.”

The last concert that the Questa Chamber Music Series presented was a hybrid concert, also held at Yoga Sala, about a year ago, with poetry and dance accompanying the live piano quartet.

See videos on our YouTube channel. This in-person event will follow all New Mexico health orders as they arise. COVID-safe practices will be in place. Please make sure you follow them, too. Contact Project Director Martha Shepp for more information. (575) 776-7579; sheppmartha@gmail.com

This event is funded and supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. Further support comes from the Taos Community Foundation.