On November 14, Maximiano Valdés led the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico (OSPR) in a landmark debut at the Boston Symphony Hall. The concert was part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One initiative, celebrating the diverse musical voices that shape the nation’s cultural landscape.
A special highlight of the evening was the presence of Luis Sanz, a leading performer of the Puerto Rican cuatro. The cuatro is a traditional Latin American string instrument of the lute family—distinctive for its ten strings in five courses and rich, resonant sound—and holds a central place in Puerto Rico’s musical identity.
The program showcased works by Puerto Rican composers that bridge classical and popular traditions, including selections by Angélica Negrón, Roberto Sierra, Alfonso Fuentes, and Ernesto Cordero’s Concierto Criollo, in which Sanz’s cuatro featured prominently. The evening also included beloved cultural favorites such as En mi Viejo San Juan, connecting audiences with Puerto Rico’s deep musical heritage.
With Valdés’s vast international experience—spanning the United States, Europe, and Latin America—and Sanz’s mastery of the cuatro, the concert embodied the lasting cultural dialogue between the U.S. and Latin America. Audiences responded with enthusiasm and warmth, celebrating a night in which Puerto Rico’s music heritage took centre stage in one of the world’s great concert halls.
Here is an excerpt from the rave review:
“Conductor Valdés, who has been leading the OSPR since 2008 … knows his Orquesta well, shows them off to great effect, and provided helpful introductions to each work.
… cuatro star Luis Sanz was a show unto himself, not only playing the descarga movement from Ernesto Cordero’s Concierto Criollo para cuatro y orquesta sinfonia beautifully … He also displayed some spectacular showmanship as he performed on his instrument, a small guitar with 10 steel strings, over his head, à la Jimi Hendrix.”
The Arts Fuse, Steve Elman