Mexican music festival set

PACIFIC Symphony’s 2007 American Composers Festival, “Los Sonidos de Mexico,” will seek to prove that there is more to Mexican music than mariachi by focusing on the roots of Mexican classical music, the Orange County organization announced Wednesday.

The festival, April 15 to 29, to be held at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and the Orange County Performing Arts Center, will trace Mexico’s musical history and present some of the nation’s lesser-known composers along with pieces by Carlos Chavez and Silvestre Revueltas.

The festival, led by Pacific Symphony music director Carl St.Clair, was prepared with the participation of artistic advisor Joseph Horowitz; Gregorio Luke, director of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Leonora Saavedra, associate professor of music at UC Riverside; and Mexican composer Daniel Catan, from whom Pacific Symphony commissioned a work, “Caribbean Airs,” to be presented at the festival.

Mexican artists scheduled to appear include composer Ana Lara, guitarist Roberto Limon and conductor composer Enrique Diemecke. Spain will be represented by guitarist Pepe Romero and pianist Pedro Carbone. Local participants include Ballet Folklorico of the Orange County High School of the Arts and the Cal State Long Beach Chamber Choir.

The program includes works by composers Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (1605-73), Ricardo Castro (1864-1907), Juventino Rosas (1868-94) and Manuel Ponce (1882-1948).

For information, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.pacificsymphony.org.

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-- Diane Haithman