FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2025
Discover “A New World” when Guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas Joins José-Luis Novo and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for a Two-Night Event at Maryland Hall
Annapolis, MD — The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) presents an evening of vibrant contrasts between the rhythm of contemporary compositions and the sweeping sounds of classical music, conducted by Artistic Director José-Luis Novo on Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 7:30 PM at Maryland Hall. The program pairs a newly-penned guitar concerto, “Mistico y Profano (Mystical and Profane”) by renowned Mexican composer Arturo Márquez crafted with and for Spanish guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas, the guest artist for the two evening concerts. The performance includes Antonín Dvořák’s emotional and beloved Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” The concert opens with Reinaldo Moya’s Polo Romanesco.
Pablo Sainz-Villegas has been acclaimed by the international press as the successor of Andrés Segovia and an ambassador of Spanish culture to the world. Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos at the Lincoln Center, he has played in more than 40 countries and invited to play with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philharmonic of Israel, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Orchestra of Spain, making him a benchmark for the symphonic guitar.
“It is a joy and an honor to join the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra to share this new concerto written especially for me by Arturo Márquez,” Sainz-Villegas said. “His music carries the heartbeat of Mexico—its colors, rhythms, and spirit—and through the guitar it becomes an intimate dialogue with the orchestra and the audience. Every performance feels like an act of celebration, and I cannot wait to experience that energy together in Annapolis.”
“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome international guitar virtuoso Pablo Sáinz Villegas to our Annapolis audiences,” said Novo, a fellow Spaniard. “He is one of the brightest stars of a new generation of Spanish masters of the instrument. The guitar is perhaps the most profound expression of Spain’s soul, carrying the history and spirit of its people for centuries. In Arturo Márquez’s Concierto Místico y Profano—a work he personally commissioned—Pablo brings those magical traditions across the Atlantic, weaving old and new worlds together in a uniquely poetic way.”
MUSIC PROGRAM
The music program for the two performances at Maryland Hall includes:
- Reinaldo Moya — Polo Romanesco
- Arturo Márquez — Guitar Concerto, “Místico y Profano” (with Pablo Sainz-Villegas, guitar)
- Dvořák — Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
Reinaldo Moya’s Polo Romanesco opens the evening with a contemporary reflection on heritage and innovation, setting an evocative tone for the virtuosic and emotional Márquez concerto written specifically for and in collaboration with Pablo Sainz-Villegas. It is presented in three movements: Encounter, featuring Caribbean rhythms such as son and danzón; Pious Serenade, a prayer that focuses solely on a spiritual experience; and Differences on the Romanesque, a series of variations on a genre created in the 14th and 15th centuries and transported to Mexico and Latin America. The piece is a virtuosic and emotional work that won’t disappoint. The program culminates with Dvořák’s sweeping “New World” Symphony — a work steeped in both longing and expansive optimism and one of classical music’s most enduring tributes to cultural exchange.
Written by Antonin Dvořák in 1893 while on assignment with National Conservatory of Music of America to document, discover, and promote distinctly “American” music, “New World” Symphony is inspired by African American spirituals and Indigenous melodies. Dvořák’s timeless masterpiece captures his impressions of the boundless nature of America’s spirit of discovery and cultural exchange. From soaring melodies to poignant longing, the “New World” Symphony stands as a testament to music’s power to transcend borders and generations.
“New World” Symphony is one of those works that speaks directly to the heart of community — it borrows, learns, and celebrates,” reflects Maestro José-Luis Novo. “Programming Márquez’s new concerto alongside Dvořák and Moya creates a conversation across continents and centuries: Spanish imagination, Mexican contemporary voice, and a European composer inspired by American sounds. That conversation is exactly what our audiences in Annapolis come to hear.”
A pre-concert lecture by WBJC’s Jonathan Palevsky will begin at 6:30 PM in the Maryland Hall Main Auditorium, and is free to ticketholders.
TICKETING
Tickets are available through the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra Box Office and online at annapolissymphony.org. Single tickets and subscription packages can be purchased by phone at (410) 263-0907 or by emailing info@annapolissymphony.org. Evening and weekend box office hours, accessibility accommodations, and student/military discounts are available.
Tickets start at $25. Student tickets are $10, available by calling the Box Office. Military/Law Enforcement/First Responder discounts are also available by calling the Box Office.
This performance is made possible in part with support from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) and the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County (ACAAC).
Press Contact:
Diana Love, Director of Marketing & Communications
DLove@AnnapolisSymphony.org
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