2022 Misa Azteca

Misa Azteca is a staged, concert piece for orchestra, choir, soloists and pre-Columbian percussion ensemble by composer Joseph Julian Gonzalez. It is based on the “ordinary” and “proper” of the Roman Catholic High Mass and verses from the Cantares Mexicanos, a collection of pre- and post-conquest verse of the Mexica (the Aztecs). Misa Azteca is sung in Latin, Spanish and Nahuatl, hybridizing two cultures and religions into a unique eight-movement, oratorio-style, musical celebration. This concert was presented in collaboration with the Carolyn Eynon Singers. In addition, Mexican-American dancers from Ballet Folklorico of the Ollin Yoliztli Dance Academy in Phoenix gave beautiful, energetic dance performances 45 minutes before the concerts, and visual artists from the Arizona Latino Arts & Culture Center displayed their artworks at the venues, putting everyone in the mood for the Mariachi-style music.

Performance times/venues:

April 2 at 7:00 pm at Barry Goldwater HS Performing Arts Center in Phoenix
April 3 at 3:30 pm at American Lutheran Church in Sun City

Click on one of the files below to hear that section of the piece, or on the “Play” arrow to here the entire composition.