Cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper To Appear As Soloist With Mexico City Philharmonic

Versatile cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper will join the Mexico City Philharmonic as soloist led by guest conductor Constantine Orbelian at Sala Silvestre Revueltas in Mexico City, Mexico, Saturday, March 22, 6 p.m. The concert consists of composer Lera Auerbach' Symphony No. 6 "Vessels of Light;" this performance marks the Latin American premiere of the work. The same program will be repeated on Sunday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m.

"Vessels of Light" was commissioned by Ms. Cooper under a consortium of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, and the American Society of Yad Vashem. Written for cello, chorus, and orchestra, the work commemorates the heroic deeds of Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara who, during World War II in Lithuania, issued between 2,100 and 3,500 life-saving transit visas to Jews. Owing to his courage by defying Japan's regulations and risking his own life, generations of visa recipient families are alive today, including Ms. Cooper's husband and three children.

The world premiere of "Vessels of Light," took place in Lithuania on November 5th, 2022, with Ms. Cooper performing as soloist with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Kaunas State Choir under the leadership of music director Constantine Orbelian. Kaunas, in addition to being the city where Sugihara was vice-consul and where he issued the visas that saved so many lives, was chosen as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2022 and the performance of this new work was one of the featured highlights of the celebration.

Also featured in this concert are Elizaveta Ulakhovich, soprano, Elba Flores, mezzosoprano, Ricardo Calderón, tenor, and Rodrigo Urrutia, bass-baritone.

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