Musical Americas: ¡Celebramos!
Week of June 7, 2025
Presenting a diverse musical heritage of the Americas with an exploration of sounds and traditions in two concerts and two musical lectures
Concerts
- Echoes of the Americas! A concert of sparking light classics
Light favorites of the Americas and beyond! Music of Jacob Gade, Aaron Copland, Simon Tapia-Coleman, Robert Russell-Bennett, Manuel de Falla and more.
- Rhythms of the Americas: A song and dance journey
Music of Arturo Marquez, Paul Schoenfeld, Maurice Ravel, Arthur Foote, Manuel Ponce, Aaron Copland, Joaquin Nin, Manuel de Falla, Alexandre Levy and more
Lectures with musical examples:
- From Huehuetl to Acordión: Mexican Musical Treasures
- Son, Santería, Salsa y Mucho Más: Powers of Cuban Music
Lauded by the New York Times as “dramatic, emotional and evocative,” and by ABC of Madrid as “a musician of extraordinary emotive power” violinist/violist Laura Klugherz appears nationally and internationally as a soloist, concertmaster and chamber artist. Laura has been the recipient of many awards and prizes, including a student Fulbright Award (Germany), and a Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research Award (Spain), and the Premio Juan Morales (Madrid) for Spanish music interpretation. After earning an Artists Diploma from the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Munich and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from University of Texas (Austin), she was appointed concertmaster of the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Munich Bach Soloists. As specialist in music of Spain and the Americas and sponsored by the USIS and the Fundación Andes, she has regularly concertized and with concerts and workshops throughout Central and South America. Laura is the author of A Performer’s Guide to Spanish Music (Greenwood Press) and has recorded regularly on Centaur and Capstone Records. Her recording The Violin/Viola Music of Amy Beach was selected as soundtrack for Ken Burns’ PBS series The War. Her recording Echoes of the Americas features premieres from throughout the continent for viola and piano. From 2010-2016, Laura was acting violist with the Cuarteto Carlos Chávez of Mexico. Trained in yoga and Feldenkrais, Laura is also a specialist in somatic education for musicians.
Hailed by The New York Times as “a pianist who plays with startling power, clarity and variety,” Christine Diwyk enjoys a diversified career as a solo artist, chamber musician and teacher. As Artistic Ambassador for the United States Information Agency (USIA), Ms. Diwyk has given recitals and master classes in Spain, Israel, Algeria and Jordan. She has also performed at the Kennedy Center, under the aegis of the La Gesse Foundation, and at festivals in France and Switzerland. Ms. Diwyk made her former New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall as winner of Artist International’s Young Musician Auditions. Christine received her B.M. and M.M. from the Indiana University School of Music, and has studied with Marion Hall, Claude Frank and Nadia Boulanger. She is co-founder of Musicians for Peace, an organization dedicated to raising funds for humanitarian causes. Christine teaches privately and at the Spence School. She has also served on the faculty of the Music Advancement Program at The Juilliard School and as a visiting Artist-in-Residence at Colgate University.
Laura and Chris have collaborated extensively since 1996 in festivals and concerts, showcasing repertoire from the traditional to the novel, including light classics to music from regions less known. They are delighted to share the richness of Spanish, US and Latin American traditions with guests of the Ranch.