Bach Collegium San Diego (BCSD), the city’s only early music performance ensemble, opens its eighth season with a “Latin American Connections: A Bridge Across the Atlantic” on Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. The second of these is the first official concert to be held at the historic Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside in more than 10 years. The concert will be led by guest director Rodolfo Richter, one of the most sought-after concertmasters and leaders of Baroque concerts in Europe today.
“It’s been a dream of mine to perform a concert at the Mission San Luis Rey for some time, so when we approached them and they said they’d like a concert featuring Latin American music, we knew this would be a perfect match,” said Music Director Ruben Val-enzuela. “We knew Rodolfo Richter through the Academy of Ancient Music in England, whose directors are also associated with our ensemble. We’re very fortunate to have Rodolfo bring this program he developed to the United States for the very first time.”
This year, “Latin American Connections” is the kickoff event to the Mission San Luis Rey’s famous Día de los Muertos Festival, the largest and most authentic Day of the Dead festival in California. The festival features a Mercado, great food, dancers, music, children’s activity area, free chalk cemetery and ofrendas (altars) made with thousands of flowers, as well as a wall of blessings.
A portion of the proceeds from this concert of 18th-century music will go toward the upcoming retrofitting of the historic mission, one of San Diego’s cultural treasures, founded in 1798 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, successor to Padre Junipero Serra, and named after St. Louis IX, King of France.
Tickets are $25 or $35. Senior/Student Discount: $15. Student rush tickets may be purchased at the door for $10 if any seats are still available (Student ID required). For more information and to purchase tickets please visit the BCSD website: http://www.bachcollegiumsd.org/web/home.aspx.