Alejandro Falcón celebrates Antonio María Romeu at Casa de las Tejas Verdes

150 Years of Antonio María Romeu: Piano, Danzón and the Memory of Cuba is the title of the tribute concert that virtuoso pianist and composer Alejandro Falcón will present this Friday, September 11, at 3:30 p.m. at Casa de las Tejas Verdes.

That afternoon, the venue will pull out all the stops to pay a well-deserved tribute to maestro Antonio María Romeu, one of the most important musicians in the history of Cuba and the world.

On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Romeu’s legacy remains very much alive, and what better way to celebrate it than with a unique concert devoted to his work and his profound influence? So says the acclaimed musician, who is directing the evening’s program.

The concert promises a fascinating journey through Romeu’s musical universe, says Falcón, who will be joined by maestro Javier Zalba on flute, violinist Brenda Chávez, double bassist Pedro Pablo Gutiérrez, percussionist Yandy Chang, and the Alma Strings Quartet, led by Amaya Justiz. A string quartet will add an exquisite, intimate and deeply Cuban sonic texture to the program.

The evening will feature some of the cornerstone danzones of Antonio María Romeu’s repertoire, selected from among his most important works, as well as compositions by Falcón inspired by Romeu’s legacy, including Canción para Romeu, arranged for string quartet and piano. The program will also include the danzón Romeu el Grande, along with other contemporary compositions that engage in dialogue with the danzón tradition and with the influence of the musician who revolutionized Cuban music by introducing the piano into the charanga-style orchestra for the first time in the early 20th century.

“It is a bridge between tradition and contemporary music, between the history of the danzón and today’s sensibility,” Alejandro Falcón adds. “Above all, it is a heartfelt tribute—with strings, winds, percussion and piano—to an immortal creator.”

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez