Carnegie Hall

¡Azúcar! The musical richness of Latin culture will once again make the walls of Carnegie Hall vibrate with its melodies. Starting this fall, music lovers can immerse themselves in the diversity of Latin genres during the Hall’s electrifying 2024–2025 season-long Nuestros sonidos (Our Sounds) festival, celebrating the heritage and influence of Latin culture in the US, including vital contributions from the Caribbean. Through a diverse musical palette that includes classical, pop, salsa, and reggaeton, New York City audiences can dive into the melodies and rhythms that are deeply rooted in Latin music heritage.

History of Latin Music at Carnegie Hall

Throughout its history, Carnegie Hall has been a welcoming home for Latin artists. In 1897, it opened its doors to renowned Venezuelan pianist Teresa Carreño, the first Latin artist to perform at the venue. Since then, the Hall has hosted dozens of artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a melting pot of genres.

Although Latinos are now a permanent fixture on the US charts and Spanish-speaking artists can now be heard on Top 40 radio stations, Latin music has been part of and has permeated the American cultural fabric since the mid-20th century. In 1958, Ritchie Valens caused a sensation with “La Bamba.” The song—a folksy son jarocho originally from Veracruz, Mexico—was first performed by Álvaro Hernández Ortiz in the late 1930s. Valens’s version became the first Spanish-language song to top the American charts and was perhaps one of the first songs that inspired non-Latino Americans to sing in Spanish. Since then, singers like José Feliciano have captivated the entire continent with the holiday staple “Feliz Navidad,” a song that ranks as one of the most played during annual end-of-year festivities.

From “Guantanamera” in the voice of the “Queen of Salsa”—the incomparable Celia Cruz (one of the most iconic performers to take the Carnegie Hall stage)—to “Macarena” by Spanish group Los del Río and “Despacito” by Puerto Rican Luis Fonsi, Latin music is more alive than ever in the United States and around the world. The rise of streaming has globalized its sound and taken genres and artists to countries beyond imagination.

At a Glance

In the season ahead, Carnegie Hall takes pride in celebrating Latin culture through a superb cultural showcase, hosting some of Latin America’s most iconic artists while turning the spotlight on a prolific new generation of musicians.

Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel opens the season with three masterful presentations of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including performances with Venezuelan baritone Gustavo Castillo, a New York premiere by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, and a special appearance by Mexican star Natalia Lafourcade, who makes a triumphant return to the Hall after her debut in 2022.

Opera lovers will delight in two spectacular performances by two sopranos of Cuban descent, Lisette Oropesa and Elena Villalón.

The showcase of Latin America’s diverse musical spectrum continues with Quetzal and La Santa Cecilia, two Grammy-winning bands that bring their captivating blend of Los Angeles Chicano rock to the Hall. Through their music, they voice Latin stories, bridging the social, cultural, political, and musical divide.

World Premieres and Debuts

The Carnegie Hall debut of la potra, la caballota Ivy Queen this November is another not-to- be-missed milestone. The iconic “Queen of Reggaeton” is one of the pioneers of the urban genre, bursting onto the scene in her native Puerto Rico in the 1990s. With her powerful voice, she was the first woman to face men in freestyle battles and paved the way for other women reggaeton artists.

The new year begins with a world premiere by Ortiz for Roomful of Teeth, a category-defying vocal ensemble, in a unique double-bill concert that also features Mexico’s groundbreaking Tambuco Percussion Ensemble in works by leading Latin American composers.

Jazz takes over Nuestros sonidos in February with prodigious Chilean singer Claudia Acuña, who performs classics that form part of the Latin American musical soundtrack and—as she notes—“have lived from generation through generation beyond language and borders.”

Later that month, two-time Latin Grammy winner Monsieur Periné debuts in Zankel Hall. One of Latin America’s most vibrant bands, its concerts offer a unique experience where freedom, love, and eclectic sounds transport audiences on unparalleled journeys led by vocalist Catalina García.

March begins with the American Composers Orchestra and a presentation titled Hello, America: Transatlantic with virtuoso Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda, Brazilian artist Clarice Assad, and the Brazilian rhythms of Harlem Samba, all under the baton of Tito Muñoz, celebrating the impact of Latin culture in the US.

The following month, the multi-Grammy–winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, led by renowned Mexican jazz star Arturo O’Farrill, takes audiences on a journey through Latin American traditions. Three extraordinary voices from Latin music enrich that voyage: the incomparable Daymé Arocena from Cuba; acclaimed singer and dancer Emeline Michel from Haiti; and the talented Telmary, a rapper and poet from Cuba.

You can’t talk about New York without talking about salsa! That’s why Carnegie Hall welcomes Grupo Niche—one of the genre’s legends in Colombia and across the American continent—later this spring. For 45 years, the group has been the sound of parties, loves, and heartbreaks in Latin America.

Gabriella Reyes, a Nicaraguan American soprano, makes her Carnegie Hall debut to close out April. The singer will arrive in Weill Recital Hall with thoughtfully chosen repertoire that includes some of the most prominent Latin composers of the 20th century with Mexican pianist Andrés Sarre.

At the Hall, Nuestros sonidos closes with Cimafunk’s eclectic and mesmerizing stage presence in a performance of Cuba’s vast urban musical heritage.

Different Ways to Celebrate Latin Culture

In addition to salsa, pop, reggaeton, Latin jazz, hip-hop, bachata, classical, and música mexicana, Carnegie Hall offers unique opportunities to celebrate Latin culture throughout the Nuestros sonidos festival. Alongside concerts at the Hall, the festival extends to other organizations across the city this spring with art exhibitions, dance, and film screenings.

Photography: Fiesto tempo by Sol Cotti, Dudamel by Danny Clinch, Lafourcade by Sonia Sieff, Castillo by Alejandro Rosales, Oropesa by Jiyang Chen, Villalón by Jiyang Chen, Quetzal by Rafa Cardenas, La Santa Cecilia by Humberto Howard, Monsieur Periné by Raul Higuera, O’Farrill by Laura Mariet, Reyes by Dario Acosta, Cimafunk by Michael Weintrob.