Join for a spectacular family concert featuring Orchestra Unidos under the brilliant baton of Venezuelan conductor Jorge Soto! This thrilling evening will spotlight the extraordinary talents of American-Mexican pianist Raquel Fisk, performing Mozart's Concerto, alongside legendary classical guitarist Eliot Fisk, his disciple Adam Levin Mexican classical guitarist Zaira Meneses.
From the elegance of Classical masterpieces to the vibrant rhythms of Latin American traditions, "Concerto Navideño" promises an exhilarating program for all. The concert will include everything from Mozart and Vivaldi to the energetic Son Jarocho, recently performed at the BSO Pops!
🎉 To wrap up the night, join us for a festive party with Karen Villalobos Mariachi and Zaira Meneses Son JarochoBoston music—bringing Mexican traditions' warmth, joy, and energy to the stage!
Zaira Meneses, a featured artist from the BSO Pops, will perform some of this incredible music.
JORGE SOTO, CONDUCTOR
Jorge Soto is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist with an active and diverse career in North and South America. He is the Principal Conductor of the New Philharmonia Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and the Music Director of the Sistema Side-by-Side Orchestra at Longy School of Music.
GUEST ARTISTS :
RAQUEL FISK, PIANIST
By age 13, Raquel Fisk had completed her first concert tour in China, performing in cities such as Hangzhou, Taicang, and Shanghai. She made her Carnegie Hall at the age of 14. At 16, she made her debut in Xalapa, Mexico as a soloist with Camille Saint-Saëns' demanding Concerto No. 2 in G minor under the baton of Maestro LanFranco Marcelletti.
In addition to her frequent performances in the Boston area, Raquel garnered critical acclaim at the renowned Bethlehem Bach Festival. In 2017, she secured first place at the NEPTA Ruth Davidson Competition, the MTNA, and the Extravaganza Competition.
Raquel returned to Xalapa in 2018 to perform at the beautiful hall of ISMEV. That same year, she won first place in the MMTA Annual Bay State Contest and second place at the NEPTA Alice Hamlet Senior Scholarship Competition.
Raquel was invited at 18 to continue her studies in Florence under one of Italy’s most celebrated concert pianists, Maestro Andrea Lucchesini. After a year in Florence, she moved to Boston to study under Gila Goldstein before pursuing her undergraduate studies in San Francisco under the guidance of Jon Nakamatsu. In 2024, she won the state division of the MTNA competition with Schumann and Beethoven under Professor Nakamatsu’s tutelage.
Public speaking background
In her formative teenage years, Raquel demonstrated extraordinary prowess in Speech and Debate, where she distinguished herself with a series of notable accolades. Her oratorical brilliance and interpretive skills garnered the coveted 1st Prize at the prestigious Lincoln-Sudbury and Columbia Invitational Declamation events. Her exceptional talent was acknowledged with 2nd Prizes at the Holly Tournament and Newton South High School Declamation competitions.
Her versatility was evident in Play Reading, where she achieved a commendable 3rd Prize at Lincoln-Sudbury. Her recognition marked Raquel's promising debut as Top Novice at the Lincoln-Sudbury, Gracia Tournament, and the National Catholic Forensic League, showcasing her burgeoning potential and remarkable achievements in competitive speech.
ZAIRA MENESES, GUITAR
She presents her Boston Pops Debut on November 1st, 2024; she is the first female classical guitarist ever to perform with the BSO; Zaira Meneses was born in Xalapa Veracruz; she has been highly acclaimed by international media for her work, The New York Times wrote, [she is] “an arresting performer full of colorful touches.” The Providence Journal referred to her as the “Mexican classical dynamo,” and The Boston Globe called her [an] “eminent classical guitarist.” Since moving to the USA in 2001, Meneses has built a stellar reputation for her warm sound, limpid technique, and superb natural musicality, performing in many of the great concert halls of the world, including Boston’s Jordan Hall, New York City’s Alice Tully Hall, 92nd St. YHMA and Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Pick – Staiger Auditorium and in Salzburg’s Wiener Saal. Meneses became the first female classical guitarist ambassador of the Son Jarocho dancer, singer, Jarana, and requinto player in Boston thanks to the support of a grant from The Boston Foundation in 2018. Meneses is the founder and president of non-profit organization Latin American Music Festival, founder and executive director of orchestra "Unidos", founder of Eliot Fisk Guitar Academy (EFGA), and has been co-director of the Boston Guitar Festival for the past twenty years. In 2019, Leo Brouwer composed six preludes for Meneses to be recorded in 2025, together with Brouwer's latest composition: "Danza Macabra," dedicated to Meneses to perform with the Boston Pops. The Eileen L. McDonagh & Robert E. Davoli Charitable Foundation, the Latin American Music Festival, and the Augustine Foundation commissioned the music.
KAREN VILLALOBOS, SINGER
Known professionally as Karen Villa, she is a Mexican-American singer celebrated for performing in traditional mariachi, norteño, and ranchera music. Born in Mexico City, Karen moved to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She was raised in a working-class family in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of singer, musician, and recording artist Jorge Villalobos.
At 18, Karen and her father performed with their mariachi band, Mariachi Azteca 2000, at numerous multicultural events, restaurants, and private gatherings across New England. Inspired by her father, Karen pursued a career in traditional Mexican music, drawing influence from iconic artists such as Rocio Durcal, Lucha Villa, Linda Ronstadt, Alicia Villareal, Selena, and Aida Cuevas.
Karen’s versatile voice has led her down various musical paths. She has contributed to many other genres of music, including jazz, cumbia, pop, bachata, and bolero, in addition to her mariachi performances. She was invited to perform a tribute to Shakira, singing songs from the album Pies Descalzos at a Colombian festival in Rhode Island. The Colombian American Cultural Society and America News RI calls her “Todo un Hit”. Her debut album, a bachata duet titled Amarte es mi talento with Carlo Manny, received significant airplay on New England radio, giving her considerable exposure.
Despite her growing popularity, Karen decided to take a hiatus from singing to focus on starting her family. Although she was relatively unknown outside of Massachusetts then, she performed on several occasions at the Mexican Consulate in Boston and for the New England Patriots.
Karen has also performed at the Lighthouse ArtSpace in Boston for Women’s History Month, at the Frida Kahlo exhibit, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology for Day of the Dead events.
Karen is a phenomenal singer and a kind and gracious person. Her music accompanies people through various life events, providing a soundtrack to their celebrations, milestones, and moments of heartbreak. Her ability to evoke a full range of emotions through her music makes her a beloved performer.
ELIOT FISK, GUITAR
In addition to his extensive solo career, Eliot has premiered major works by Robert Beaser, Luciano Berio, Nicholas Maw, Xavier Montsalvatge, Kurt Schwertsik, and George Rochberg, among others. He has further enriched the guitar repertoire through numerous transcriptions of works by composers ranging from Bach and D. Scarlatti to Paganini (he is the first guitarist to record all 24 Capricci from Paganini’s Op. 1), Mendelssohn, Albeniz, and de Falla. Fisk is virtually the last direct disciple of Andrés Segovia and, as such, seeks to combine the great romantic tradition with the best of modernity.
ADAM LEVIN, GUITAR
Praised for his “visceral and imaginative performances” by the Washington Post, prize-winning and Billboard top-charting classical guitarist and recording artist Adam Levin has performed on four continents across the globe. Levin has performed extensively across the United States at renowned venues such as Chicago’s Pick Staiger, Nichols, and Mayne Stage concert halls as well as at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago; Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Jordan Hall; Spivey Hall in Atlanta; repeat appearances at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City; and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In Europe, Levin has performed in some of the finest venues across Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, China, Brazil, and Columbia. Adam Levin’s live performances have been featured nationally numerous times on NPR’s Performance Today, the nationally syndicated Classical Guitar Alive, and studio performances on top radio stations, including WFMT Chicago, WCRB Boston, and RIPR Rhode Island.
SON JAROCHOBOSTON
Zaira Meneses, founder and leader of Son Jarocho Boston since 2018. The band is formed by Zaira Meneses, singer, requinto dancer and jarana player, Kristen Graser, jarana, Akili Jamal, percussion, Froylan Hernandez,singer, jarana, Hector Zavala, singer jarana, Angel Armas Violin, dancer, Patricia Arellano, dancer, quijada de burro, Guillermo Ortiz, jarana.