The concert begins with well-known favorite, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet. Our second piece is a World Premier of Variations on Ravel’s “Piece en Forme de Habanera” by local composer, Joseph Lorini. Inspired by the virtuosic melodic lines in the sultry character of the Spanish dance, the habanera, from Ravel’s work for mezzo soprano and piano, Lorini brings the rich emotion of the melody to life in a work for full orchestra. The second half features three dances from the ballet, El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) by Spanish composer, Manuel De Falla, along with Maria Prieto’s symphonic poem inspired by Mexico’s most visited archeological site, Chichen Itza, once a large Mayan city. The concert concludes with Rhapsodie Espagnole by Maurice Ravel. The Rapsodie is one of Ravel’s first major works for orchestra and draws on the composer’s Spanish heritage.