The University of Kansas is set to host its second Latin American Art Music Festival, celebrating Latin American classical music.
The festival, set for Sunday through Tuesday, will highlight musical traditions from Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
“While Latin American popular music has achieved global acclaim, its art music which is equally dynamic and expressive, remains underrepresented and less widely known,” according to the event page.
The Jopara Ensemble, musicians that combine traditional elements of Paraguayan music and classical with contemporary elements, will kick off the festival on Sunday, March 1. In addition, KU faculty and guests will perform “Peru Negro” by Peruvian composer Jimmy Lopez.
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Jopara Ensemble will give a pre-concert talk starting at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. concert in Swarthout Recital Hall on KU’s campus, 1530 Naismith Drive.
Shows on the following two nights will start at 7:30 p.m. in the same location.
Kansas Virtuosi, a group of KU faculty musicians, on Monday will perform pieces by Latin American composers from Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Peru and the United States.
KU School of Music students will hold a celebration of Latin American composers on Tuesday. It will feature performances of works from more than 10 additional Latin American composers.
All events are free to attend and open to everyone.
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Logan Pierson (he/him), reporting intern with The Lawrence Times since December 2025, is a senior journalism and photography student at the University of Kansas. He previously contributed to the University Daily Kansan as a senior reporter and beat reporter.
Read his work for the Times here.
