José Lezcano’s (BM ’81, Guitar) Concierto Hispanomericano, a double concerto for two double-basses, obligato harp, and strings, had its world premiere May 5 and 6, 2023, by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maestra JoAnn Falletta. The piece was dedicated to her and the two double-bass principals, Dan Pendley and Brett Shurtliffe. The score, published by Cayambis, is now available and is soon to be released with a piano reduction. The same weekend, the Keene Chamber Orchestra under Eric Thomas performed Lezcano’s Tango-Overture for chamber orchestra; and May 25, the Brattleboro Music Center performed Tango-Overture in its version for string quartet on a program entitled “Undreamed Shores,” part of the EOS project described as “a direct response to questions about social justice as it pertains to the world of classical music…to actively seek out and perform music by composers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.” Lezcano serves as Artist Lecturer in Guitar at the University of Southern Maine, Gorham; Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Arkansas; and Professor Emeritus at Keene State College, where he retired in 2021 but continues as Adjunct Professor and Coordinator of Guitar Studies.
