SOLI Chamber Ensemble’s final concert of the 2021-2022 season was Prisms on April 11 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, featuring the world premiere of Holbein Dances by Puerto-Rican American composer Armando Bayolo. Works by Jessie Montgomery and Edna Alejandra Longoria framed Bayolo’s new composition, complemented by musical tributes in memory of Louis Andriessen (1939 – 2021) and George Crumb (1929 – 2022), presented with guest artist mezzo-soprano Jacquelyn Matava.
Puerto-Rican American composer Armando Bayolo wrote Holbein Dances in late 2021 for SOLI Chamber Ensemble as a “Little Requiem for Louis Andriessen,” his idol and friend. The title references Hans Holbein the Younger’s treatment of death and its intransigence in his masterpiece The Dance of Death. The movements variously represent the passing of time, bones, omens, the “danse macabre,” and – in the final benediction – a meditation on the fragility of life. SOLI presented the work to a near sold-out crowd on April 11th who received the performance with enthusiasm. From the composer: “The premiere of Holbein Dances was an extraordinary event. Any composer would be lucky to have a performance like that given this piece by SOLI Chamber Ensemble and in a context as beautiful and moving as the San Antonio Botanical Garden.”
Armando Bayolo
Before the world premiere, Bayolo spent several days engaging with San Antonio’s local university music students. “I was particularly thrilled to work with students at Trinity University and the University of Texas, San Antonio. Composition can be a lonely profession, so I’m constantly impressed and amazed that young people continue to discover our tradition.” Sharing insight and passion on and off the stage, Bayolo “considers it an important responsibility to help these young composers navigate the rough waters of a career in the arts. It was a great honor to speak to students at these two terrific programs.”