Quinteto Latino
Quinteto Latino is a San Francisco Bay Area wind quintet that advocates for classical music by Latin American and Latino composers through performance and education. Founded in 2004 by French horn player Armando Castellano, this unique ensemble aims to expand the boundaries of a classical music tradition commonly perceived as predominantly Euro-American. Through our varied and innovative work in venues both traditional and non-traditional, we strive to make that music available, relevant, and inspiring to audiences across cultural, class, and ethnic lines.
Our members trained in the nation’s top conservatories, and work regularly with ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet. We have presented hundreds of school assemblies through Young Audiences of Northern California and the SF Symphony’s Adventures in Music Program. The quintet has performed at respected area chamber music series such as Berkeley Chamber Performances, Kohl Mansion, and Old First Concerts; we also regularly engage culturally and economically diverse audiences in community centers from Sacramento to East San Jose.
Our debut CD, 100 Years of Mexican Music for Wind Quintet, was released by Con Brio Recordings in 2011. In 2012, we developed and premiered Voces del Desierto, an ambitious collaborative project with composer Guillermo Galindo. This multi-media performance piece, incorporating invented instruments made from found objects abandoned by migrants attempting to cross the United States – Mexico border, was funded by a prestigious commission from the Gerbode and Hewlett Foundations. We have recently been awarded a grant from the Creative Work Fund, with which we are embarking on a major collaborative venture with renowned Peruvian-American composer Gabriela Lena Frank.
