[music]

Matt Katz: This is All Of It. I'm Matt Katz, filling in for Alison Stewart today, and I just changed studios because we're going to listen to some music. In the world of classical music, Western European composers tend to dominate, led by one of my next guests, Walter Aparicio. The Foundation for Bolivian Artists aims to broaden the boundaries of classical music by sponsoring up-and-coming performers and composers from the South American nation of Bolivia. This Friday, the Foundation will host pianist Sergio Escalera Soria in a recital at the Kaufman Music Center as part of their Kantuta Concerts series, named after Bolivia's national flower. Sergio Escalera Soria joins me now live in Studio 5 at the piano.

Sergio Escalera Soria: Hello. Thank you.

Matt Katz: Along with Walter Aparicio to preview the event and talk about the Foundation's work. Sergio, Walter, welcome.

Walter Aparicio: Thank you. Thank you for having us.

Matt Katz: Walter, let me start with you. Tell me about the Foundation for Bolivian Artists. How did it get started? What's the reasoning behind it?

Walter Aparicio: I'm a classical pianist myself. I am from Bolivia. I was born in Bolivia, but I was actually raised here in the US. I came as a young child, and I've always been connected to my culture and my roots. Recently, I had been really promoting and playing Bolivian composers, and through my work, have really found so many other Bolivian musicians that I connected with, and I wanted to give them a platform to show their work, their artistry, their research, and this is really where the project started. What we're doing is we're going to promote these Bolivian musicians, discover them, and give them a platform to show their work.

Matt Katz: Is this Foundation relatively new, and are you traveling around the world to share this kind of music?

Walter Aparicio: It's very new. We just incorporated last year, and so this is our very first performance that's happening tomorrow. What we did was we had a selection application process, and we had applicants from all over the world. This year, we focused on piano, and we had pianists from really all corners of the world apply.

Matt Katz: Tell me about the Kantuta Concerts. Am I saying that correctly? That's the Bolivian national flower, right?

Walter Aparicio: It is the Bolivian national flower. We felt that it was important to include the idea of the Kantuta because it is a symbol for the Incas, of resilience, of harmony, and it's really attributes that musicians also have.

Matt Katz: Right. Beautiful. I love that. Let's bring Sergio into this. You'll be performing Friday as part of the inaugural. This is the first Kantuta Concert?

Sergio Escalera Soria: The first concert.

Matt Katz: Very good. How did you learn about this Foundation for Bolivian artists? How did you guys get connected?

Sergio Escalera Soria: Well, actually, what Walter says resonates within myself because it's true that Bolivian artists are underrepresented in the world. The Bolivian diaspora is big but is not very present in the media, or in the classical music scene, let's say. Actually, the moment Walter launched this competition to apply, to be able to have the opportunity to perform here, everybody knew about it.

Actually, not only the pianists in Bolivia, but other musicians abroad, and myself included, I recorded a couple of pieces. I had my material. I'm a professional musician traveling around the world, and of course, it was just a natural thing to apply and to be part of this group of people who want the opportunity to be here, and I'm thrilled to be here and to perform tomorrow at Merkin Hall.

Matt Katz: Excellent. Then Walter, why were you interested in having Sergio open this project for you?

Walter Aparicio: Well, luckily, I wasn't the one who had to choose him because there were so many talented musicians that applied. We had a panel of judges of three international, well-renowned pianists who were a jury for this competition, and they unanimously chose Sergio to play.

Matt Katz: Wow. Very good. Sergio, how has New York City been? Is this your first time here?

Sergio Escalera Soria: Well, actually, it's not my first time, but it's the first time I spent a few days here, focused on a great performance at The View concert for myself. I lived in Boston in the past, and it's the first time in the US after 10 years of having graduated from school in Boston. It's a great comeback and a great opportunity for me to be here. I'm really happy, and yes, I flew in a couple of days ago, and I'm nothing but over-excited about this performance tomorrow.

Matt Katz: Wonderful. I'm love to hear some music. What song would you like to play? Tell us about it.

Sergio Escalera Soria: Sure. I'll play a couple of compositions. The first one is by Bolivian composer from my homeland, from my hometown Cochabamba. The name of the composition is Yaravi, which is a Quechua word for a love lament. I'll play this, and after that piece, I'll play another composition, which is a dance rhythm from the south of Bolivia. It's a Chacarera, another word depicting the dance rhythm from Bolivia, so I'll play this couple of pieces for you.

Matt Katz: Yes, great. Play the first one, and then we'll come back and talk a little more, and then we'll play the second one.

Sergio Escalera Soria: Sure. Thank you.

Matt Katz: Excellent.

[MUSIC - Sergio Escalera Soria: Yaravi]

Matt Katz: Sergio Escalera Soria, that was moving and beautiful. Thank you for playing that for us. I appreciate it, and you will be playing this in the concert, yes?

Sergio Escalera Soria: Yes. It's one of the compositions in the second set, because the second set includes a lot of Latin American music, not only from Bolivian composers, but representing other parts of Latin America as well.

Matt Katz: Wonderful. Walter, the Foundation for Bolivian Artists philosophy is written out on the website as classical music historically dominated by Western Europe often overlooks the rich tapestry of musical traditions that exist beyond its borders. What are the Bolivian traditions as it relates to classical music?

Walter Aparicio: Well, like any composer or music from a particular nation, they are inspired by-- In particular, Bolivia is inspired by its Andean culture particularly, and Bolivia is a country that has a large Andean population still alive and thriving, and most Bolivian composers have been inspired by that, even if they don't write specifically about it. There's an essence about this Andean life and culture.

Matt Katz: Including the song that Sergio just played-

Walter Aparicio: Exactly, yes.

Matt Katz: -which is from a Bolivian composer.

Walter Aparicio: Exactly.

Matt Katz: Can you tell me about that composition and the person who wrote it?

Walter Aparicio: I actually had never heard that composition-

Matt Katz: Oh wow.

Walter Aparicio: -until Sergio had sent in his recital program as he proposed. He can tell you a little bit more about this composer because I think he has a special connection with him.

Sergio Escalera Soria: Yes, definitely. It's important for me to say and to point out that lots of Bolivian music have not been edited or published. Actually, this is the case of this composition. I have the handwritten manuscripts of this composition handed into me by the composer's daughters who are still alive and are at their home in Cochabamba, which is my hometown. I go there to visit them oftentimes when I'm in Bolivia.

Part of my work which also aligns to the work of the Foundation is to make this more visible and to support the publication and addition of Bolivian music so that more people can hear it and play it.

Matt Katz: Did you say this composition was handwritten? It was never published in any way?

Sergio Escalera Soria: Never. Never.

Matt Katz: Wow. When was it written? Was it written some time ago?

Sergio Escalera Soria: I think it was written about 30 years ago, or between 30 and 40 years ago before the death of this composer. The way I got to know this composer is because the composer's youngest son was my brother's first violin teacher. That's how I got connected to the family of Manuel Rodriguez. That's the name of the composer. I'm still connected to them, as I said, and not only because I go to their house often. Just also because their house hosted my first piano lessons on their piano with my first Russian teacher that taught me my first lessons, Nadia Lapitch. I cannot forget to say her name because I'm forever thankful to her as well.

Matt Katz: Yes, as are we. Shoutout to Nadia. Walter, it must be really fulfilling to hear a song that was created by a Bolivian composer that was never published now on the air in New York City and about to be performed live in New York City.

Walter Aparicio: It's pretty amazing. I couldn't be happier to have Bolivia highlighted and have a spotlight on it because it really has been overlooked in many ways, in many industries, not just music, and we're here to show everyone that there is talent in Bolivia, there is beautiful music, and we want to show it to the world.

Matt Katz: You're doing that. Sergio, tell us about the next piece that you're going to play for us.

Sergio Escalera Soria: As I anticipated, the next piece is much more alive, much more dance-like with very important rhythms that belong to the Bolivian dance traditions from a region in the South that, of course, this is not only Bolivian. I learned throughout my life that what was Bolivian was also perhaps a part of other country traditions as well, for example, Argentina or Paraguay. This is the case of this dance rhythm, which is called the Chacarera. It's supposed to be danced as a partner dance, as a couple dance.

I did my own arrangement of this music. I got to know the composer of this music through his great poetry and compositions. He's a great dreamer and inspired by the sounds of nature. This piece is inspired by the frogs in the Pantanal area of Bolivia. That's why we have low melodies and a frenzy of accompaniment and melodies depicting the evening of animal sounds in southern Bolivia.

Matt Katz: Beautiful. All right, let's hear it.

[MUSIC - Sergio Escalera Soria: Chacarera]

Matt Katz: Just gorgeous. That was pianist Sergio Escalera Soria. That was wonderful. The difference between those two compositions was so evident even in your face. Really special to be able to hear that. Walter, tell our listeners one more time before I let you guys go about the concert and how they can find out about the Foundation and see some of this music.

Walter Aparicio: Tomorrow at Merkin Hall at the Kauffman Music Center, Sergio will be playing a recital, Kantuta Concerts, Opus One. It will have traditional repertoire, some of the Latin American music you heard, and of course, Bolivian repertoire. They can go to bolivianartistfoundation.org to learn more about us.

Matt Katz: Very good. You plan to be in the States and doing more of these concerts.

Walter Aparicio: Oh, yes. Well, this is just the beginning.

Matt Katz: Excellent, very good. Walter Aparicio is from the Foundation for Bolivian Artists, and pianist Sergio Escalera Soria, thank you so much for coming into the studio and performing here on All Of It.

Sergio Escalera Soria: Thank you as well. Thanks to the radio, to Walter, the Foundation. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Matt Katz: Cheers.