2nd December 2025
Large numbers of bookings for the Bardi Dvořák New World Symphony concert on Sunday 30th November gave rise to mounting excitement that the afternoon was going to be something special.
Conductor José Salazar was appearing for the first time in Leicester and conducting the Bardi for the first time too. During rehearsals, he had already established himself as a firm favourite with the players. The concert was an eclectic mix of the very familiar, including the New World Symphony and the Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland which was played with great panache by the brass of the Orchestra.
Also included was the suite from Copland’s ballet Appalachian Spring Suite which included the famous ‘Simple Gifts’ Shaker melody (Lord of the Dance) and a real showstopper by the less well-known (to the Leicester audience at least) Danzon No.2 by Arturo Marquez. This premiered in 1994 with catchy infectious rhythms that soon had the audience tapping their feet and giving warm applause to the Orchestra. This piece was played by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel on a European tour at the BBC Proms in 2007 and has gained a new level of popularity. Who better to conduct it than José who grew up in the famous El Sistema system, has served as an assistant to Dudamel and Christian Vasquez and has now worked internationally as a guest conductor.
José introduced the programme at the beginning of each half which was greeted with warm applause. The end of the concert saw loud appreciation and three curtain calls, with much enthusiastic chat in the foyers from the departing audience.
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