Concert by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cosette Justo Valdès, featuring works by Debussy, Ravel, Ortiz and Revueltas, with Pacho Flores on trumpet.
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra brings Venezuelan trumpeter Pacho Flores to the Belk Theater for two performances: Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17, 2027, both at 7:30 PM. Conductor Cosette Justo Valdès leads the orchestra through a program that pairs French Impressionism with Latin American voices.
The evening opens with Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, which evokes the dreamlike haze of a languid afternoon. From there, the program moves into Gabriela Ortiz's Altar de Bronce, followed by Ravel's Alborada del gracioso. The second half features Silvestre Revueltas' Tribute to Federico García Lorca and Ravel's La Valse, described as a whirlwind of dance and frenetic energy. The two Ravel pieces bookend the latter half of the night, and the contrast between Debussy's slow-burn opening and Ravel's high-energy finish gives the whole thing a clear arc.
Flores is a multi-award-winning trumpeter and a founding member of the Simón Bolívar Brass Quintet. He served as Principal Trumpet of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and is the founding director of the Latin-American Trumpet Academy in Venezuela. Trained in El Sistema, he records for Deutsche Grammophon and performs on Stomvi instruments. He made his BBC Proms debut in the summer of 2025 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Domingo Hindoyan, and the two were dubbed 'The Dream Team' after his 2022/23 residency.
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The Belk Theater, designed by Cesar Pelli and opened in 1992, features a contemporary European horseshoe arrangement and about 2,400 'points of light' in the audience chamber. A pre-concert talk runs at 6:30 PM in the Mezzanine Lobby for anyone who wants a bit of context before the music starts. Tickets start at $28.26.
