It was a standing-room only crowd at the first-ever Triton Friday performance on June 6. The evening’s performace was Mission Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Emily Ray, featuring Portuguese guitar soloist Ruben Bettencourt.
The orchestra performed selections from its annual Portuguese-themed concert, ranging from the classical – Portuguese composer Marcos Portugal’s (1762-1830) Overture to his opera Il Duca di Foix – to the contemporary – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco‘s Guitar Concerto No. 1 in D (1895-1968), one of the foremost 20th century composers for the guitar. The evening concluded with excerpts from Joly Braga Santos’ (1924 -1988) Symphony No. 3 in C whose works connect the Renaissance – the golden age of Portuguese music – with contemporary sound.
“The Triton Museum of Art was a perfect venue for us to introduce Portuguese and Italian classical music to audience members,” said Mission Chamber Orchestra Director Emily Ray. “Over 200 people were able to sit up close to the orchestra and hear a little background information about the music we performed.”
“The hall was amazing,” added Bettencourt.
The performance was produced by the Santa Clara Performing Arts Foundation with help from the Santa Clara Sister Cities Association and the Triton Museum of Art. The event was sponsored by Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews and former Mayor Larry Fargher, in memory of his good friend John Vierra.
The next Triton Friday performance evening is Sept. 5 when Shri Krupa Dance will share a performance of classical Indian dance, with truly breathtaking costumes, and accompaniment by a live music ensemble from India.