 When Raven Chacon debuts Tiguex (Score for the City of Albuquerque) on September 27, 2025, echoes of John Donald Robb and the Robb Musical Trust will be heard in the ambitious composition that will be performed in 20 movements across the city from sunrise to sunset. Tiguex’s third movement, “The Greeters,” features three songs from Robb’s field recordings, and Trust Chair Robert Lucero’s UNM mariachi students perform in the tenth movement, “The Balladeers.” Chacon, who earned a BA in music from UNM, acknowledges decades of interest in Robb’s music and UNM archives and the Robb Trust Composers’ Symposium. The day-long composition will be live-streamed on KUNM and scores of UNM music students and faculty will be among the participants. Details and locations. Chacon (spiderwebinthesky.com) will be receiving the 2025 Robb Award during the Trust’s annual ¡Música del Corazón! celebration of New Mexico music on November16 at Keller Hall. Learn more about the UNM CSWR Robb Musical Archives. Below a video clip of the UNM Mariachi performing in Raven Chacon's Tiguex, recorded by their Director, Robert Lucero, Jr. Chacon shares, "The transcriptive work of John Donald Robb has been influential to my practice, and my understanding of the extended musical traditions of our home. Robb's own electronic music has also been a fascinating source for me, and the work of the Robb Trust, particularly the Composers' Symposiums, have been an important part of my life (I first attended in 1989 when John Cage was the guest)." Experience a groundbreaking sonic journey with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, MacArthur fellow, and UNM Music Composition Alumnus Raven Chacon as he premieres Tiguex (Score for the City of Albuquerque) on September 27, 2025. This large-scale composition unfolds across the city in twenty overlapping movements, each performed in a location mapped by Chacon’s lithographic score done at Tamarind Institute. Inspired by the landscapes and histories of the central Rio Grande valley, Tiguex invites you to hear Albuquerque in a whole new way—from volcanoes to railroads, pueblos to Route 66. Don’t miss this one-day-only event that transforms the city into a living, breathing concert hall. The UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust is a proud sponsor of Tiguex. Below are photos of several movements from Chacon's Tiguex by Robb Trust board member Nancy Harbert. 2024 ¡Música del Corazón!9/2/2025 Sacred Choral Music and Ritual Dance on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro: 1598-1821 ~ 11th Annual John Donald Robb, Jr. Memorial Concert Sunday 24 November 2024 FREE family-friendly community event 2pm round table 3pm concert UNM Keller Hall | directions FREE City of ABQ street & meter parking. FREE UNM surface lot parking at Central between Girard and Princeton | directions. Convenient paid parking at UNM Cornell Parking Structure | directions. View, download, print a complimentary 2024 Commemorative Program. Schedule Visit the John Donald Robb information table and meet members of the Robb Trust Board in the Keller Hall lobby. 2pm Preconcert round table (45 minutes)
3pm Concert (approx. 100 minutes)
Co-Curator Statement During Spanish colonial times, the church was the patron of the visual, musical, and dramatic arts. The Counter-Reformation generously financed artists and composers to lend their talents to inspire Catholics with the spectacles of their faith. Sacred music echoed daily, resonating from the great stone cathedrals of New Spain to the humble adobe churches of New Mexico. During the great Pueblo Revolt of 1680, churches and sacred art were destroyed in the northlands, along with all traces of the repertory of sacred music. However, evidence found along the Camino Real shows that music played a daily, vibrant role in the liturgical calendar, spanning from Advent to Pentecost. It flourished particularly during Christmas and Holy Week seasons, as well as in Marian feasts and celebrations of particular saints like St. Francis or Santiago. UNM Concert Chorus and Música Antigua de Albuquerque draw from the music of the Camino Real from Mexico City north, as well as from the 18th century California missions. The calendar also featured seasonal autos sacramentales or sacramental plays, especially the Pastorela or Christmas shepherd's plays and La Pasión, the Passion of the Christ. Numerous other plays celebrated everything from Adam and Eve to the Virgin of Guadalupe. All had their own distinctive music that offered a reprieve from the solemnity of the Mass. Sixty days after Easter, Corpus Christi provided an opportunity for even more celebration. Villancicos or carols were sung in Spanish and Native languages. On such special occasions, costumed dancers appeared in the Tocotín, a ritual dance of Mexican origin. Its cousin, the Matachines dance, dramatizes the spiritual Conquest of Mexico and celebrates the emergence of a new Indo-Hispano culture. It was performed in and out of church from Mexico City to Santa Fe, spilling onto plazas and streets. The sones that still accompany the masked dance in New Mexico are the most ancient instrumental music in the land. Our program honors dancers and musicians from La Merced del Cañón de Carnué, the land grant in the mountains east of Albuquerque, especially since John Donald Robb visited there and recorded the songs on many occasions. ~ Dr. Javier Marín-López, Sacred Choral Music Curator ~ Dr. Enrique Lamadrid, Ritual Dance Curator Educational Outreach Each year ¡Música del Corazón! delivers 'eduformaces' lasting approximately 30 to 90 minutes. Events feature artists performing in the annual November ¡Música del Corazón! concert. Educational Outreach presentations incorporate Northern New Mexico Spanish cultural history, dance, and music. All educational outreach events are free admission and the public is cordially invited to attend. Tentative 2024 Educational Outreach Events Friday 22 November 10:00am-11:00am Artist: Matachines de la Merced del Cañón de Carnué Location: National Hispanic Cultural Center ~ theatre to be announced Program: Matachines lecture-demonstration with student interaction Friday 22 November 1:00pm-2:00pm Artist: Matachines de la Merced del Cañón de Carnué Location: National Hispanic Cultural Center ~ theatre to be announced Program: Matachines lecture-demonstration with student interaction Friday 22 November 3:00pm-5:00pm Artists: UNM Concert Choir + Música Antigua de Albuquerque Location: University of New Mexico ~ Keller Hall Program: Open rehearsal + tour of Keller Hall / Center for the Arts (CFA) Additional education/outreach event to be announced. Production Guest Curators
Keller Hall
John Donald Robb Musical Trust
Sponsors
2023 ¡Música del Corazón!4/11/2024 ¡Música del Corazón! Tenth Anniversary Celebration John Donald Robb, Jr. Memorial Concert Sunday 19 November 2023 3pm show, 2:45pm preconcert roundtable National Hispanic Cultural Center Albuquerque Journal Theatre FREE family-friendly community event Commemorative Program View or download (PDF 36.4 MB 44 pages) the 2023 ¡Música del Corazón! commemorative program. View on Heyzine. Schedule 2:00pm ABQ Journal Theatre lobby
2:30pm ABQ Journal Theatre house opens ~ general seating 2:45pm ABQ Journal Theatre stage
I. Nuevoméxico
II. Jarocho
Intermission III. Robb Award for Excellence
IV. Mariachi
About Música del Corazón celebrates its tenth anniversary with our favorite performers in the Nuevoméxicano tradition with Nueva Luna, a conjunto featuring Lara Manzanares, Rob Martínez, and Felix "Gato" Peralta, with special guest Jordan Wax, the founder of Lone Piñón. Two emerging ensembles join us: A new mix of Jarocho musicians under the leadership of the renowned Laura Rebolloso, and UNM's Mariachi Lobo directed by Robert Lucero, Jr., with ethnomusicologist Adolfo Estrada. We have explored foundational genres of the romancero and cancionero, from Medieval ballads to Revolutionary corridos, Baroque and contemporary fandangos. We remember the music of our hybrid Indo-Hispano rituals and that of Sephardic, Moorish, and Christian spiritualities. We revel with the beloved musical "stepchildren" of New Mexico – Flamenco, Mariachi, Jarocho and Afro-Caribeño. It is so hard to sit still as we indulge ourselves, that we stand up for dance, the embodiment of music, in all its forms. We also honor musical families and the revivals facilitated by teachers and scholars. We have included groups of every size, from soloists to duos and tríos, to conjuntos and even coros. The annual Música del Corazón concert is a showcase of the living legacy of John Donald Robb. He carefully recorded and transcribed more than 3000 Hispano folk songs all over New Mexico, the Southwest, Mexico, and Spain. Like romantic and modernist composers before him, he looked to the songs of everyday folk to inspire and inform his own compositions and scholarship. He also provided a living record to us, the musicians, scholars, and teachers of the future. Over the past decade, we have marveled at the persistence and genius of traditional music as it recalls the past, adapts to the present, and shapes the future. Robb’s extensive field recordings are archived at UNM's Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections. Educational Outreach Each year ¡Música del Corazón! delivers several 'eduformaces' lasting approximately 30 to 90 minutes. 2023 ed/outreach events will feature artists performing in the free Sunday 19 November concert at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Albuquerque Journal Theatre. Educational Outreach presentations typically incorporate Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado Spanish cultural history, dance, and music, as well as folk traditions from Mexico. All 2023 educational outreach events are free admission and the public is cordially invited to attend: Wednesday 15 November 2023 2:30p La colectiva de Son Jarocho ~ Jarocho Longfellow Elementary Thursday 16 November 2023 12p Mariachi Lobo ~ Mariachi Barelas Senior Center Thursday 16 November 2023 7p Mariachi Lobo ~ Mariachi National Hispanic Cultural Center Bank of America Theatre Featuring:
Friday 17 November 2023 10a Felix "Gato" Peralta ~ Nuevoméxicano National Hispanic Cultural Center Bank of America Theatre Reserve seats: my.nmculture.org/27584/27586 Friday 17 November 2023 1p Felix "Gato" Peralta ~ Nuevoméxicano National Hispanic Cultural Center Bank of America Theatre Reserve seats: my.nmculture.org/27584/27587 ¡Música del Corazón! Committee National Hispanic Cultural Center
UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust
Media Press Release Click here to read the ¡Música del Corazón! Tenth Anniversary Celebration press release (PDF) Here is the National Hispanic Cultural Center's ¡Música del Corazón! listing: nhccnm.org/event/musica-del-corazon Video Teaser Interview Laura Rebolloso sits down with the Robb Trust's Grad Assistant Chris Orphal to discuss the history and sounds of the son jarocho musical tradition. by Melissa Rios  Representation is one of the most powerful displays for marginalized communities. Gathering in numbers in celebration of culture is the acknowledgement that people need to feel represented. The celebration of Música del Corazón’s tenth anniversary as well as the substantial number in attendance are testaments to the importance of this event. Additionally, including local New Mexican singer songwriters as headliners made this event one of great significance in the preservation of New Mexican music. The pre-concert program consisted of a performance by a high school mariachi group and an interactive folklórico dance lesson. The concert began with an educational roundtable, which was essential in establishing the connection between the music being celebrated and the deeper meaning it carries for the community (see figure 1). Curator of the event and Distinguished UNM Professor Emeritus Dr. Enrique Lamadrid introduced the musical genre of son jarocho and addressed its reemergence as a popular musical style. The significance of the 1987 film, La Bamba in catapulting Los Lobos and their hybridized son jarocho musical style is a testament to the value of representation in media. UNM Musicology Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Adolfo Estrada introduced mariachi as a pedagogical tool within public schools and higher education institutions and highlighted the importance of representation within school programs. His statement of social empowerment of marginalized groups through mariachi ensembles cemented my feelings of purpose within my own program of study, also centered in mariachi culture. The remarks by Dr. Carmella Scorcia Pacheco (Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati) were a fitting introduction to the group Nueva Luna. Learning about Nina Otero-Warren and her contribution to New Mexican women’s right to vote along with an explanation and translation of “El corrido de la votación” piqued my interest since I was unaware that Nina Otero-Warren was recently featured on U.S. currency.  Figure 1: Educational roundtable (L-R) Carmella Scorcia Pacheco, Adolfo Estrada, Enrique Lamadrid Hearing Lara Manzanares sing “La finada Pablita Ángel” and “El corrido de la votación” was a treat since she is an incredibly talented singer songwriter, New Mexican music champion, and friend. The inclusion of this group of local musicians whom I have had the honor of sharing stages with and who delight at the most popular locations throughout Albuquerque and surrounding areas was a true demonstration of the concert organizers’ knowledge of current trends within the community (see figure 2). The significance of this cannot be overstated. Oftentimes the world of higher academia can feel distinct from the one lived by community members, especially those in poorer neighborhoods like Barelas. It is for this reason that making the concert free of charge was imperative.  Figure 2: Two Nuevo Méxicano groups, Nueva Luna and Lone Piñon, perform together. (L-R) Jordan Wax, Rob Martinez, Lara Manzanares, Félix “Gato” Peralta, Santiago Romero. Nueva Luna is Rob, Laura, and Felix. Lone Piñon is Jordan and Santiago. Laura Rebolloso and her son jarocho group provided a musically delightful and educational experience (see figure 3). It is always a wonder to witness people presenting themselves in the areas they are experts in. Feelings of joy and awe tangibly wafting in the air never fail to make me smile as the rest of the audience realizes they are experiencing and actively participating in a once in a lifetime occurrence (see figure 4).  Figure 3: Son jarocho ensemble (L-R) Leila Flores-Duenas, John Welch, Laura Rebolloso, Raymundo Pavón, Claudio Vega  Figure 5: La colectiva de Son Jarocho I was also elated that John Truitt was the recipient of the Robb award this year. Mr. Truitt is truly a gem of a human being, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him as an educator and mentor here in Albuquerque. In my conversations with him he has always been generous with his time and wisdom. When I was fortunate enough to play in a guitar ensemble that he composed and conducted the music for, the advice and many anecdotes that he shared are still some of my most treasured and most quoted memories. His touching speech was as inspiring as it was educational, which is precisely how I would describe him. It was also an unexpected gift getting to hear Mr. Truitt play as well as getting to see the impromptu flamenco dance that Eva Encinias and family performed as a tribute to him. To me, that was the highlight of the show (see figure 5).  Figure 5: Impromptu flamenco dance in honor of John Truitt by Eva Encinias and company Concluding the concert with Mariachi Lobo from UNM was a fitting way to close the celebratory evening. The establishment of a mariachi group at the university level also cannot be overstated since it is immensely necessary for representation of the community in which UNM belongs to (see figure 6). The mentorship and engagement with said community is what I am looking forward to being a part of in the next semester when I join the ensemble. Música del Corazón 2023 was a celebration of transnational cultures, cementing that the musical genres included in the program do not simply exist in Mexico and Spain, but are intrinsically intertwined within the fabric of New Mexico. I am enormously grateful to have attended an event that showcased the musical traditions that have been a part of this community for centuries.  Figure 6: UNM Mariachi Lobo, UNM Folklórico, and son jarocho guests About the author  Melissa Rios is a singer, songwriter, and teacher originally from Las Cruces, NM. She has twenty years of performance experience in mariachi and various music genres, and recently released her third studio album of all original songs, Sunlight (2023). She is currently pursuing a master’s in musicology at the University of New Mexico.
Visit Melissa at melissariosmusic.com. ¡Música del Corazón!
Baroque Fandangos of New Spain and Historic Fandangos of New Mexico! Sunday 13 November 2022 2:30pm National Hispanic Cultural Center ~ Albuquerque Journal Theatre FREE Admission Download 2022 Commemorative Program Featured Artists Schedule of Events 2:00pm
2:30pm
3:00pm
Guest Curator Statement Fandangos are an intercultural tradition of intertwined music, lyric, and dance that spread to the most remote corners of the colonies of Spain by the year 1700. Over the next three centuries, they evolved into venues of resistance, empowerment, and liberation. Fandangos are also celebrations for special occasions and saints' day feasts. In colonial New Spain, all social sectors participated, from village fiestas to royal courts. Baroque and Classical Spanish composers like Santiago de Murcia reintroduced these Mexican musical traditions back to Spain. The first nineteenth century American visitors to California and New Mexico danced in and wrote about fandangos with great enthusiasm. What were New Mexican fandangos like and how did they evolve into the bailes still enjoyed today? ~ Enrique Lamadrid, Ph.D. 2022 Production Committee National Hispanic Cultural Center
UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust
2020 ¡Música del Corazón! Sun Nov 3p11/11/2020 |
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