Sarah Willis, horn player of the Berliner Philharmoniker, fell in love with Cuba the moment she arrived. This album combines traditional Cuban music with the music of Mozart – who, she was told in Havana, “would have been a good Cuban”. Willis is the soloist, playing with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, conductor José Antonio Méndez Padrón and numerous Cuban musicians.
Featuring
José Antonio Méndez Padrón
Sarah Willis
Yuniet Lombida Prieto
Harold Madrigal Frías
Jorge Aragón
Havana Lyceum Orchestra
Havana Horns
The Sarahbanda
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dámaso Pérez Prado
Edgar Olivero
Isolina Carrillo
Moisés Simons
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
José Antonio Méndez Padrón, the conductor of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, is known for his bread-making skills and is also Sarah Willis's favorite salsa dancing partner in Havana.
Performer Biography
The Havana Lyceum Orchestra, founded by conductor Pepe Méndez, has a condition for playing concerts: there must be a big salsa party afterwards.
Recording & Production
During a late-night recording session for a cadenza, the church cat ruined the first perfect take by yowling for its dinner.
Recording & Production
The album was recorded in Havana, Cuba, in January 2020, for Alpha Classics.
Recording & Production
Recording sessions for the album in San Felipe Neri, a church in Old Havana, could not begin before 10 PM due to street noise from old cars, bicycle rickshaws, and children playing.
Cultural Impact
Part of the proceeds from this album will go towards buying instruments for the musicians of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, a chamber orchestra of young Cuban musicians.
Album & Artwork
The album was inspired by a local musician in Havana telling Sarah Willis, the horn player, that "Mozart would have been a good Cuban" during her first visit in 2017.
