As the conductor of an orchestra charged with exposing Latino communities to classical music, Sonia Marie De León de Vega lectures on “Transforming Lives Through Music” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 in Garrison Theater of the Scripps College Performing Arts Center, 231 E. 10th St. This event is free and open to the public.
De León de Vega discusses the mission of the Los Angeles-based Santa Cecilia Orchestra, the only orchestra in the nation with the specific purpose of sharing the beauty of classical music with Latinos. De León de Vega, an acclaimed symphony and opera conductor, is the founding member and conductor of Santa Cecilia Orchestra. She is also the orchestra’s music director.
As the first woman invited by the Vatican to conduct a symphony at a Papal Mass, De León de Vega was the recipient of the Univision and Target Outstanding Latina of the Year Award in 2000. Hispanic Business Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States. In 2006, she became the first classical artist featured on Univision’s “Orgullo Hispano,” an honor reserved for only the most revered Hispanic artists.
This event is part of the Scripps College Humanities Institute’s spring lecture series, “Music, Dance, Ritual and Belief: Transforming Societies.” Distinguished artists will examine the interplay of music and dance in ritual customs and beliefs. For more information, please call (909) 621-8237 or visit scripps-staging.skybox0.com/hi.