The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra Celebrate the Music and Culture of America in November’s E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One Programs

Events at Symphony Hall during the first two weeks of November feature the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra performing music by composers and musicians from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.  

Part of E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One, a multi-season exploration of the plurality of American identity, the November concerts and humanities events probe how the crosscurrents of the art form reflect and parallel societal change in our nation and deepen our understanding of American identity and its historical, cultural, and intellectual landscapes through the many voices represented.  

E Pluribus Unum events in November include:  

• The Pops’ second annual Día de Muertos concert in tribute to the hugely successful Mexican pop star Juan Gabriel with conductor Keith Lockhart and guest soloists Veronica Robles, Ely Guerra, and La Marisoul (Nov.1).
• Guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk leading three BSO performances and a High School Open Rehearsal with a world premiere commission by acclaimed Cuban American composer Tania León and jazz great James Carter as soloist in Roberto Sierra’s Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra (Nov. 13-15).
• A free “What I Hear” program at New England Conservatory with composer León as guest (Nov. 13).
• The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra performing works by composers from the island with Maximiano Valdés conducting and cuatro star Luis Sanz as soloist in the orchestra’s Boston debut (Nov. 14).
• A “crash course” on Puerto Rican history told through the music of megastar Bad Bunny led by Yale University Professor Albert Laguna with Sanz and composer Angélica Negrón joining (Nov. 14).

More details about each November E Pluribus Unum program follow and are available in the press kit along with photos and bios of the guest artists. 

The E Pluribus Unum focus continues in January with a to-be-announced festival of humanities events supporting the BSO’s previously announced concert programs that feature music by American composers like Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Simon, John Williams, and others. 

Tickets for events on the dates below marked with an asterisk (*) are available at no charge to Boston students (grades K-12 and Boston Pre-K) and their families through the Boston Family Days program described in further detail at the end of this announcement. 

Quote from Josué González, Helaine B. Allen Vice President, Education and External Engagement:

"Through these exciting performances and insightful educational opportunities, the November E Pluribus Unum series invites our community to experience and learn about how Latino voices shape a collective understanding of our American identity and cultural life." 

"A través de estas emocionantes presentaciones y oportunidades educativas, la serie E Pluribus Unum en noviembre invita nuestra comunidad a conocer cómo las voces latinas dan forma a nuestra comprensión colectiva de la identidad y la vida cultural de los Estados Unidos."