BUFFALO, N.Y. — Hispanic Heritage Month is here and there are more than 20 activities planned throughout Western New York, and a concert at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra this week is one of the first.
For the first time ever, the orchestra will be led by a Latina conductor. Fernanda Lastra of Argentina will make her debut with the BPO at the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration concert.
Lastra said she wanted to bring the amount of music that represents all the countries in Latin America, but said is nearly impossible because there's so much music out there.
So she had to narrowed it down to eight pieces. The orchestra will play music from countries all over Latin America, including places like Argentina, Mexico and Columbia.
"The first piece actually, I put it in the beginning. It's called 'Sin Fronteras' which means without borders. I hope one day we can be just all brothers, of course preserving our own identity, culture and food, of course, and colors and dresses and everything. But just treat ourselves as brothers because we are, so this is the wish behind the concert," she said.
This will be Lastra's first concert in Western New York.
If you would like to see her in action and learn and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the concert is free and it starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo.
This concert is in collaboration with the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York.