Aldo López-Gavilán - Emporium (Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra)

Information

Composer: Aldo López-Gavilán

• Emporium for Piano and Orchestra
• Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra
• Hechizos for Piano

Aldo López-Gavilán, piano

Ricardo Morales, clarinet

Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra

Michael Butterman, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Reference Recordings

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This album features the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Butterman performing music by Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán. It presents world premiere recordings of Emporium for piano and orchestra, the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, and Hechizos (Spells) for solo piano. The soloists are López-Gavilán on piano and Ricardo Morales on clarinet. Recorded live by Reference Recordings’ Grammy Award-winning engineering team with producer Donald J. McKinney, the album offers high-quality audiophile sound. Celebrated for his dazzling technique and rhythmic vitality, López-Gavilán bridges classical and jazz traditions, and his music reflects a natural, fluid creativity. The concerto Emporium in particular showcases his expressive energy, virtuosity, and imaginative musical voice.

Aldo López-Gavilán (born 1979) is a Cuban pianist and composer acclaimed for his versatility across classical and jazz traditions. A prodigy from a distinguished musical family in Havana—his father a conductor and composer and his mother a concert pianist—he began studying piano at seven and made his professional debut at twelve with the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra. He later continued his studies at conservatories in Havana and at Trinity College of Music in London. López-Gavilán has performed internationally in major concert halls across Europe and the Americas and collaborated with leading musicians, including conductor Claudio Abbado and jazz legend Chucho Valdés. His award-winning recordings and compositions reflect a dynamic blend of classical technique, improvisation, and Afro-Cuban musical influences.

Founded in 1957, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the leading regional orchestras in the United States, noted for imaginative programming and strong ties to its local community. The orchestra reaches more than 30,000 listeners each year and presents its main concert series at Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado campus, where this album was also recorded. Since 2007, Music Director Michael Butterman has guided the ensemble to increased national recognition through innovative artistic leadership. This success led to invitations such as opening the Kennedy Center’s inaugural SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras in 2017. Butterman has also held leadership positions with the Shreveport Symphony and, since 2022, the Williamsburg and Lancaster Symphony orchestras.

High Resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz