Syracuse University’s La Casita Cultural Center, in collaboration with Symphoria and Signature Music are partnering up to present Música del Corazón or Music of the Heart, a string-quartet recital featuring classical compositions, rhythms and melodies of Latin America. The event, scheduled for Friday, February 21, will also mark the announcement of La Casita’s newest offering, Mi Música, a music program debuting this spring that will teach local youths how to play the piano and/or the violin. 

“It’s an exciting time here at La Casita,” said Tere Paniagua, executive director of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community in SU’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Not only are our programs more popular than ever, our events are drawing record crowds from the SU community as well as the Central New York community as a whole. I am so proud of the events we’re hosting, the caliber of artists we’re attracting and the impact our programming is having on SU students and the residents of local neighborhoods.”

Scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m., the first half of the hour-long recital features the classical portion of the program in the work of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos, String Quartet #1, which is the first of his 17 string quartets, written in 1915. The exotic nature of Brazilian folk music evolves through Villa Lobos’ profound knowledge of the classic European style and tradition of composition. Villa Lobos is considered the most significant figure in 20^th century Brazilian music.

The second half of the recital will feature more popular Latin American tunes including boleros, tango and music from the plains of Colombia and Bossa Nova from Brazil. 

“February 21 will be a special evening for anyone who chooses to attend this culturally vibrant musical experience,” said Paniagua. “Each country has its own unique culture and characteristic, providing Latin-America a widely diverse universe of wonderful music.”

The event is free and open to the public. La Casita welcomes donations, gifts and general support for the upcoming music education program that begins in April. For more information, please call 315.443.1879 or email lacasita@syr.edu.

La Casita is a vibrant cultural, artistic, and educational center, serving as the bridge between the Hispanic communities of Central New York and SU’s faculty, students and staff.  The Center is committed to promoting and documenting the arts and culture of Central New York's Hispanic community through collaborative programming in the visual and expressive arts, education and community activism. By offering the space and resources necessary for the development of collaborative sustainable programs, La Casita strives to enhance the local communities’ capacity for social change and civic participation.