Arturo Márquez Brings His Musical Legacy to Life in El Centro

-Editorial

A enthusiastic applause filled the sold-out Jimmie Cannon Theater at Southwest High School on Oct. 10 as renowned Mexican composer Arturo Márquez walked onto the stage, greeted the audience, and took his place before the Imperial Valley Symphony Orchestra. With the audience awaiting the first notes, Márquez raised his baton to begin an evening celebrating his musical legacy and deep family ties to the Imperial Valley.

The evening was more than a celebration of orchestral music. For Márquez, whose works have been performed by orchestras around the world, it represented a personal homecoming to the Imperial Valley, where his parents spent more than half their lives and where his family’s history remains closely connected to the community.

The concert opened with his internationally recognized “Danzón No. 2” (1994), one of his most frequently performed works, followed by “Leyenda de Miliano” (2010) and selections from “Espejos en la Arena” (2000), including “Son de Tierra Candente” and “Lluvia en la Arena,” featuring cellist Sharon Taylor.

Following intermission, the orchestra continued with “Conga del Fuego Nuevo” (2000), “Danzón No. 7” (2001), and “Alas (a Malala)” (2013), a composition inspired by Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.

The concluding portion of the program featured the Imperial Valley Master Chorale, directed by George Scott, and Southwest High School’s SAVAPA Music program, directed by Stephen Spataro. 

For Márquez, the significance of the evening extended beyond the music.

“Oct. 10 is a very special day. It is my first concert in these desert lands, desert lands because of the climate and many other things, but filled with human warmth,” Márquez said in Spanish. “It is a special moment and a special place because this is the land of my parents. They lived here for more than half of their lives.”

The composer’s return to the region offered an opportunity to celebrate his family’s history while sharing the musical traditions that have shaped his artistic identity. His work also draws inspiration from social issues, cultural traditions and the experiences of individuals whose stories have influenced his creative process.

Despite his international accomplishments, Márquez traced much of his artistic inspiration to a familiar source, his father.

“My father was a mariachi musician who passed on his love of music to me, and I have cultivated that love for more than 60 years,” Márquez said.

That early exposure to traditional Mexican music eventually became one of the defining characteristics of his compositions.

“I make music that has to do with Mexican music, traditional music. Those are its roots, and I mix it with classical music, with academic music,” he said.

His work also draws inspiration from social issues, cultural traditions, and the experiences of individuals whose stories have influenced his creative process.

“I hope people take away something that I try to imprint on my works, and that is hope,” he said. “Although most of the music has no lyrics, it is always conveying hope. It is there in the notes.”

Among those celebrating Márquez’s appearance was his brother, Imperial County District Attorney George Márquez, who described the concert as the fulfillment of a longtime aspiration to bring his brother’s music to the community.

“Obviously, for me, this is a very special day, having my brother here and having his music heard by the community,” George Márquez said. “He is a great composer on a worldwide level, and bringing him here is a dream come true.”

The concert also brought back memories of another important family occasion involving Arturo Márquez’s musical career. Sixteen years earlier, on the same date, their parents attended an event at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles associated with the premiere of one of the composer’s works.

Arturo Márquez recalled that his parents walked the red carpet during an occasion involving internationally renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

“My parents were there with Gustavo Dudamel at Disney Hall. They were walking the red carpet because one of my works was going to premiere there in Los Angeles,” he said.

Rocío Vázquez Álvarez, head consul of the Mexican Consulate in Calexico, described Márquez as an important representative of Mexican culture whose visit offered educational and artistic opportunities for local youth.

“We are very excited to have someone of this caliber come here. As has been mentioned before, he is a great ambassador of Mexican art and culture worldwide,” Vázquez Álvarez said. 

The consul highlighted the composer’s willingness to participate in a performance involving the Imperial Valley Symphony Orchestra, young musicians, and children singing in the chorus.

She also emphasized his efforts to connect with students through educational discussions about music and artistic careers.

“He has also taken the time to speak with young people and share his love for music, inspiring them to continue on their paths,” Vázquez Álvarez said. “If they want to pursue a career in the arts, as he did, I think that is also very important.”

Vázquez Álvarez credited the Imperial Valley Symphony Orchestra with leading the effort to organize the event, while the Mexican Consulate assisted.

“This is mainly the effort of the Imperial Valley Symphony. We collaborate and provide support, but we are very excited,” she said.

While the performance was the focus of the evening, the event also provided a platform for students to display visual artwork inspired by Márquez’s compositions.

Among the participating artists was Dorian Wilson, a high school senior who presented a piece titled “On Water,” inspired by the composer’s “Danzón No. 7.”

“Well, I’m really honored to be here. This has been an incredible opportunity to get to see other artists in the valley, and to also see Arturo Márquez himself,” Wilson said. “The music so far I’ve heard has been incredible. All the art displayed here has been very beautiful.”

Wilson presented a mixed-media artwork titled “On Water,” inspired by Arturo Márquez’s “Danzón No. 7,” featuring an abstract depiction of water lilies with vibrant colors intended to convey the emotions of playing an instrument, contrasting warm tones with cool, pearlescent water.

“I’m very proud of all of my peers who have come here, of the people in the orchestra,” Wilson said. “I think everyone’s doing an incredible job, and seeing everyone coming together like this is just very beautiful, especially for the Imperial Valley.”

Throughout his career, Márquez has drawn inspiration not only from traditional Mexican music but also from social issues and individuals whose experiences reflect broader human struggles.

One of the evening’s compositions, “Alas (a Malala),” was dedicated to Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who became internationally recognized for advocating for girls’ education.

“The final work is dedicated to Malala, a young woman who has fought for education since she was a child,” Márquez said. “It is a work for choir and orchestra, and once again, hope is expressed in it.”

That approach, he explained, remains closely connected to the lessons he learned from his father.

“What my father left me as an inheritance, perhaps without realizing it, was a love for traditional music,” Márquez said. “That is what I try to do. It is a mixture of popular music and academic music, and that comes directly from my father.”