The Bishop of Higüey together with Banco Popular presented its traditional Altagraciano Concert last night at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, in Higüey.  The concert, conducted by the musical director Julio De Windt, was performed by the National Symphonic Orchestra, which celebrates this year its sixty-third anniversary.  Dejan Kulenovic, oboist, acted as soloist.

 

The audience, which surpassed the thousand people, enjoyed a ninety minute program that included pieces by Dominican and European composers. 

 

The concert began with the opera "Italian in Algiers", a work emblematic of the Italian baroque movement and famous for its great musical quality in spite of having been composed by Rossini in less than thirty days.  

 

The concert continued with the adagio of the Concert in Re minor, for oboe and cords, by Alessandro Marcello.  Afterwards, the audience appreciated the musical talent of the soloist Dejan Kulenovic, presented in a piece written for him by Ante Grgin, a Croatian composer born in the last century.

 

The program of the concert included pieces from our Dominican culture such as the "Creole Fantasy", a work that covers three kinds of typical Dominican rhythms, known as la tonada, la criolla and the mangulina. The composer of this spectacular piece, Bienvenido Bustamante, awarded in 1980 for this work, was born in San Pedro de Macorís. 

 

This is the eighth presentation of a performance in honor to the Virgin of the Altagracia sponsored by Banco Popular and it is a key element of the annual musical program organized by the bishopric of Higüey in honor to its patron Saint.  The opening words were given by the Bishop of Higüey, Monseñor Nicanor Peña, thanking the audience as well as Banco Popular for its contributions to our country’s art and culture and most importantly to the traditional Altagraciana devotion.  

 

Attendees included outstanding personalities headed by Mr. Alejandro E. Grullón, (president of the Commission to Restore the Basilica and president of the Board of Directors of Grupo Popular) and his wife, Melba Segura de Grullón, civilian authorities and military members of the eastern region of the country and civil employees and clients of the financial institution, among others.  Before the concert, the Bishop of Higüey, Monseñor Nicanor Peña, offered a cocktail in the bishopric, which attended great part of the concert’s audience.