76TH SEASON OF CONCERTS

OCTOBER 15, 2017 / NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
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Program

Dalí Quartet

Domenic Salerni, violin

Carlos Rubio, violin

Adriana Linares, viola

Jesús Morales, cello

With

Orlando Cotto, percussion

Alex Weber, bass

OCTOBER 15, 2017 / 3:30 

WEST BUILDING, WEST GARDEN COURT

Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga 

(1806–1826)

String Quartet no. 3 in E-flat Major

Allegro

Pastorale, Andantino

Menuetto, Allegro

Presto agitato

Alberto Ginastera (1916–1983)

String Quartet no. 1, op. 20

Allegro violento ed agitato

Vivacissimo

Calmo e poetico

Allegramente rústico 

Intermission

Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992)

Four, for Tango

Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)

La oración del torero, op. 34

Ricardo Lorenz (b. 1961)

Puente Trans-Arábico

With Orlando Cotto, percussion

Guido López-Gavilán (b. 1944)

Camerata en Guaguancó*

With Orlando Cotto, percussion, 

and Alex Weber, bass

Jorge Mazón (b. 1923)

Rico Melao: Preludio, Danzón y Cha-cha-chá*

With Orlando Cotto, percussion, 

and Alex Weber, bass

Dalí Quartet, Photo by Vanessa Briceño-Scherzer

*Arranged by Ricardo Lorenz
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The Musicians

The Dalí Quartet brings its signature mix of Latin American, classical, and romantic 

repertoire to stages and audiences of all kinds. The musicians’ passionate energy is 

poured into everything they do, generating critical and audience acclaim. Their tours 

include appearances for distinguished chamber music and cultural center series in the 

United States, Canada, and South America. Recent engagements have been in New 

York, Philadelphia, Portland, Park City, and San Jose. The Dalí Quartet’s engaging 

style reaches across the footlights for an experience that “leaves the audience almost 

dancing in the aisles.” (Peninsula Reviews) 

In addition to works of the masters from Haydn to Brahms and Amaya to 

Piazzolla, the group’s adventurous and entertaining programming includes new 

works with percussionist Orlando Cotto and clarinetist Ricardo Morales, principal 

clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. 

The Dalí Quartet is devoted to audience development and to reaching communities of all kinds. The group’s Latin Fiesta Workshops and Family Concerts in both 

traditional and innovative settings move listeners—literally! The quartet is sought 

after for master classes and professional development workshops and opens musical 

vistas for younger students with its week-long “Any Given Child” program. In 

addition, the quartet’s International Music Festival is an admired chamber music 

and orchestral program founded in 2004, which develops the performance skills of 

young musicians up through the young professional level. 

Trained by world-renowned artists, members of the Dalí Quartet are from 

Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the United States and have studied at esteemed 

institutions such as the Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale University, Indiana 

University, and the Simón Bolivar Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela. The Dalí 

Quartet is based in Philadelphia. 

ORLANDO COTTO 

Raised in the traditions of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican music, Orlando Cotto 

learned to play the conga drums when he was just five years old. He has since 

developed a successful career as a marimbist and percussionist. According to the 

San Juan Star, Cotto is “an artist of musical sensitivity and accomplished technique.” 

As a solo marimbist, Cotto unites his solid classical training and Latin American 

background to create a powerful combination of rhythm and music previously 

uncharted in the marimba world. He regularly performs at international festivals, 

and conducts workshops and master classes in colleges and universities throughout 

the United States.

A sought-after performing and recording artist, Cotto has collaborated with 

music legends of this generation, including Darin Atwater, Giovanni Hidalgo, and 

Edwin Colón Zayas. Cotto has been the conguero of Panoramic, a fusion band led 

by steelpan virtuoso Liam Teague. Cotto also was the lead conguero of Rumba Club, 

one of the East Coast’s popular Latin jazz ensembles. These collaborations have led 

to performances at major venues in the United States, including the Telluride Jazz 

Celebration in Colorado, the Blue Room in Kansas City, Blue Note and Birdland in 

New York City, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. 

ALEX WEBER 

In 2007, Alex Weber enrolled in the jazz program at Towson University and was 

introduced to the acoustic bass, to which he quickly became attached. While at Towson, 

Weber studied bass under Jeff Reed and improvisation with Jim McFalls and Dave 

Ballou, while also studying with visiting artists such as Drew Gress, Ellery Eskelin, and 

Mark Dresser. Weber graduated in 2011 with a degree in jazz performance. While still 

a student, Weber had begun his career as a freelancing musician playing jazz in local 

bars and restaurants. His career has since grown, and he now performs many styles of 

music, including jazz, rock, funk, blues, bluegrass, and classical.
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Upcoming Events of the SeventySixth Season of The William

Nelson Cromwell and F. Lammot

Belin Concerts

Unless otherwise noted, all programs 

take place in the West Building, 

West Garden Court. —

Lina Bahn, violin, and 

Matt Haimovitz, cello

With Artichoke Dance Company

Voices of the Ocean

October 22, 3:30 —

Pomerium

Flemish Musical Mastery in the 

Age of Bosch and Bloemaert

Celebrating Bosch to Bloemaert: Early 

Netherlandish Drawings from the Museum 

Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

October 29, 3:30 —

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Octets by Jean Françaix 

and Franz Schubert

November 5, 3:30 —

The Crossing

With members of ICE

Music by Ted Hearne, David Lang, 

and Caroline Shaw

November 12, 3:30 —

Mantra Percussion

Michael Gordon, Timber

Celebrating Jackson Pollock’s Mural

November 19, 3:30

LACE (Living Art Collective Ensemble)

Salon-style concerts with music by 

Boccherini, Brillon, and Mozart

Celebrating Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

November 24–25, 2:00 & 4:00

West Building, East Garden Court —

New York Opera Society

The Three Lives of Rosina Almaviva

Celebrating Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

November 26, 3:30 —

Inna Faliks and Daniel Schlosberg 

Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 6, 

arranged for piano, four-hands, 

by Alexander von Zemlinsky

December 3, 3:30 —

Caroling in the Rotunda

December 9, 10, 16 & 17, 1:30 & 2:30 —

The Swiss-American Musical Society

Igor Stravinsky, The Soldier’s Tale

Christophe Sturzenegger,

The Snow Queen

Christophe Sturzenegger, conductor

Robert Baker, narrator

December 10, 3:30 —

Turtle Island Quartet

With special guest Liz Carroll

Winter’s Eve

December 17, 4:00 —

Eclipse Chamber Orchestra

Traditional Viennese

New Year Concert

January 5, 3:00

East Building Auditorium

Mary Heilman, Melody, 1998, National Gallery 

of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown
nga.gov/music

Admission to the National Gallery of Art 

and all of its programs is free of charge, 

except as noted.

The use of cameras or recording equipment during the performance is not 

allowed. Please be sure that all portable 

electronic devices are turned off.

The department of music produced 

these program notes. Copyright © 2017 

Board of Trustees, National Gallery of 

Art, Washington

Concerts are made possible in part 

through the generosity of donors to 

the National Gallery of Art through 

The Circle. Reserved seating is available 

in recognition of their support. Please 

contact the development office at 

(202) 842-6450 or circle@nga.gov for 

more information.