Lamar University’s Center for Resiliency will host Latin Grammy-winning flutist José Valentino, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Rothwell Recital Hall.
“(We) put together a research project about community resilience, how art and culture helps communities recover from disasters and mass trauma,” Stephan Malick, instructor of communication and media, said. “The idea was to bring a musician/composer to campus for a special project to make people aware of this, but also to highlight how culture can cross all kinds of social and cultural boundaries to bring people together.”
The Lamar flute ensemble will accompany Valentino, along with Brielle Frost, associate professor of flute.
“There will be about 12 students performing,” Frost said. “We commissioned two works by him. One is for the flute ensemble. Then another one is a duo piece that he composed that we’re going to perform together.”
Along with the concert, Valentino will hold four workshops for students on Thursday and Friday.
“It’s not just going to be music composition or workshopping,” Malick said. “He’s also a very accomplished artistic entrepreneur. You’ve always heard the anecdote about starving artists? How you turn your art into a sustainable career is one of the main focuses of it.”
Frost said Valentino’s workshops will appeal not only to musicians, but also to anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship.
“He’s just a wealth of knowledge, so I believe he’ll incorporate a little bit of everything,” Frost said. “He’s definitely created a great media presence and portfolio. He does everything from audio engineering and mixing, but then also he’s really great about self-promotion as well.”
Valentino won the award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition in the recent Latin Grammy awards.
“I’ve known him mainly as a flutist, but he’s also a jazz saxophonist and bass guitarist,” Frost said. “He composes more in the Latin pop fusion kind of range. He does a lot of international performing at different festivals, and a lot of performances at conventions.”
The Center for Resiliency’s aim is to continue holding events that promote diversity at Lamar, Malick said.
“We’re hoping this might turn into a regular, seasonal thing for the university,” Malick said. “The university is trying to reach Hispanic Serving Institution status, and this is a way to foster that aspect of it. The idea is that going forward, each time this is done, it’s going to be a different kind of cultural representation. This is just a way to showcase the cultural melting pot that is the United States.”
The concert and workshops are free and open to the public.
