SPANISH EXTRAVAGANZA

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Miami, a multicultural city where the eternal summer invites you to the beach,
nightlife, or family BBQs, is also a hub where culture is constantly being
developed. There are so many presentation options for lovers of classic art that
you may not have yet attended any of the concerts the Florida Chamber Orchestra
has presented over the past 27 years. Marlene Urbay founded the Orchestra; an
entrepreneurial woman awarded at the Gregorz Fitelberg International
Conductors Competition in Poland in 1987, as well as a former conductor of the
National Ballet of Cuba (1981-1991).

Marlene Urbay began to make her presence known in Miami in November 1991 by
looking for the opportunity to conduct an orchestra again, a career she had
pursued with great success in her native Cuba, where she had conducted all the
country's symphony orchestras.

At only 23 years old, Urbay graduated from the Higher Institute of Art in Orchestral
conducting, was invited to conduct in Spain, Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Japan, and
conducted opera and ballet presentations at the Gran Teatro Garcia Lorca in
Havana.
Upon her arrival in Miami,
she had to study again,
where she was awarded a
full scholarship at the
University of Miami,
graduating with a Master's
in Orchestral Conducting in
1995, the year in which she
began the difficult path of
company director when
founding the Florida
Florida Chamber Orchestra with its director,
Maestra Marlene Urbay. Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to being in charge of programming, producing, and directing the annual

concert season and establishing known artists, Marlene Urbay has continued to
develop her career as an orchestra conductor, where she has been invited to
conduct the Ballet Season at Bellas Artes Theater, Mexico, Ballet Concerto in
Puerto Rico; and the San Jose Ballet, San Francisco. She has also led the
symphonic orchestras of Lima, Peru, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

During all this time, the FCO has collaborated with different institutions, arts
organizations, and foundations such as Voices for Children, Make a Wish
Foundation, UM Festival of Music of Miami, the Latin Builders Association,
Sociedad Pro-Arte Grateli, International Ballet Festival, Hispanic Lyric Theater,
Marti Production Inc., the GRASP-Guantanamo Refugee Relief, and others.

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Marlene was always inspired by the influence of Spanish music in her life, which
was passed down to her by her father, Maestro Jose R. Urbay, also an orchestra
conductor, and her grandfather, Roberto Urbay, band director. The Zarzuela, to be
specific, was such a well-known and admired genre in Cuba. It was also the first
genre Marlene had the opportunity to direct in performance when she asked for
political asylum in Spain. The Zarzuela accompanied her in most of the
presentations throughout these 27 years, but never before in production as big as
Spanish Extravaganza, the one that will be presented Sunday, October 9 at 5 pm at
the Miami Dade County Auditorium celebrating Hispanic Heritage.

With a selection of the best of the Spanish

Zarzuela, the Florida Chamber Orchestra
has as special guest the Choir Orfeón
Complutense de Alcalá de Henares with
50 voices and a repertoire that will cover
the great hits in the history of the
Zarzuela. This includes La Verbena de la
Paloma, Gigantes and Cabezudos, El
Barberillo de Lavapiés, Doña
Francisquita, El Barbero de Sevilla, Las
Leandras, El Rey que Rabio, El Gato Marlene Urbay accompanied by
Montes, and many others. members of the Orfeón
Complutense and its President,
Fernando Calleja.

This presentation is joined by the internationally known soprano, Eglise Gutierrez,

who has sung on the best stages in the world such as Coven Garden London, Teatro
Colón, Buenos Aires, Teatro Dell'Opera di Roma, Carnegie Hall, New York, Liceu de
Barcelona and Teatro Real de Madrid, Spain, and many others.

The presentation is also joined by Uruguayan tenor Martin Nusspaumer, who

recently triumphed in Madrid with the presentation at the Teatro de la Zarzuela of
Cecilia Valdes in the role of Leonardo and also with invitations to sing to the
Charleston Symphony, the Ankara's Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the Odessa
Philharmonic, the Orchestra Firenze, the Philharmonic of Montevideo and the
Istanbul Symphony Orchestra.

Urbay, who has recently returned from rehearsing with the choir in Madrid, could
not miss the chance to present the Segovia Spanish Ballet directed and
choreographed by Marisol Moreno, where advanced students of the Conchita
Espinosa Conservatory stand out.

On Sunday, October 9, 2022, the Miami Dade County Auditorium will present
Spanish Extravaganza, a Gala with the immortal music of Chueca, Chapí, Pablo
Luna, Breton, Giménez, Nieto and many more. This will be perfect way to pay
homage to this wonderful genre by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

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CHAMBER OF
MEET SPAIN,
COMMERCE MEET US.
TRENDING NOW

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