Nomad and Native

Cultural intersections, displacement, and identity

We explore the music of migration, memory, and belonging. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Elegía Andina honors her Andean roots with vibrant colors and lyricism. Prokofiev’s lyrical second violin concerto, written during his years abroad, reflects on Russia—old and new—through the lens of Western Europe. And Falla’s El Amor Brujo fuses flamenco, folklore, and ritual into a dramatic portrait of haunted love and release.

PROGRAM

Gabriela Lena Frank: Elegía Andina

Sergei Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Sunmi Chang, violin soloist

Manuel de Falla: El Amor Brujo
Agnes Vojtko, mezzo-soprano
Martita Santiago, flamenco dancer

ABOUT THE SOLOISTS

Sunmi Chang, Violin

Korean-born violinist Sunmi Chang, laureate of the 2007 International Markneukirchen and Sion-Valais International Violin Competitions, has earned wide acclaim across North America and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. At just 17, she toured with the Yehudi Menuhin School Orchestra, performing Bach’s Double Concerto for Two Violins under Lord Menuhin at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and Guildford Cathedral in England. She later appeared as soloist with the Yale Philharmonia on its tour to Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai, performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and returned to Yale to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with a performance of the Triple Concerto alongside Paul Watkins and Melvin Chen, conducted by Peter Oundjian.

An avid chamber musician, Chang has appeared at leading festivals including the Rising Stars Series at Caramoor, Vivace Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Music in the Vineyards, and Chamber Music Northwest. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Summit Chamber Music Series, dedicated to bringing world-class chamber music to West Virginia.

Her recent album, Mother Tales (Parma Recordings, 2023), created with pianist Clara Yang, pays tribute to four pioneering women composers—Florence Price, Gabriela Lena Frank, Liliya

Ugay, and Amy Beach. Chang holds a bachelor’s degree from the Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule in Berlin, Master’s and Artist Diploma degrees from the Yale School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan. Her principal teachers include Eberhard Feltz, Peter Oundjian, Soovin Kim, and Ani Kavafian. She is currently Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance and Director of the University of Oregon String Intensive Summer Camp.

“Hailed as an “earnest and grounded” (San Francisco Classical Voice) with a “heart-touching and plush sound” (Bay Area Reporter), Hungarian mezzo-soprano, Ágnes Vojtkó is known for her masterful presentation of early music repertoire. As a versatile and authentic artist equally at home on both the operatic and concert stage, Ágnes is excited to make her Carnegie Hall debut in Händel’s Messiah, her Eugene Opera debut as Flora in La Traviata and to return to American Bach Soloists for Bach’s St John Passion. 

Recent appearances include Bach’s Mass in B Minor and St Matthew Passion with American Bach Soloists, Mozart’s Requiem with Connecticut Early Music Festival, Händel’s Messiah, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Music Worcester and Concora.

An avid Bach interpreter, Ágnes has performed Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with American Bach Soloists, Mass in B Minor, St Matthew Passion and St John Passion with Dallas Bach Society. Other notable solo concert performances include Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle with Concora, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (Schoenberg- Riehn) at US Davis and Copland’s In the Beginning with Musica Sacra in Boston. Also, an accomplished ensemble singer, Ágnes has performed with Concora, Alchemy, Tactus and was a member of Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, CT.

On the operatic stage Ágnes sang with Austin Lyric Opera, Opera in the Heights (Houston), Ars Classica Chamber Opera and Budapest Chamber Opera. 

Ágnes has earned recognition at some of the most prestigious vocal competitions, including the Nyiregyhazi International Music Competition in Takasaki, Japan, the S. Mercadante International Singing Competition in Italy,the International Händel Competition in Hungary, the Händel Singing Competition in England, the Dallas Opera Guild, and the W. Stenhammar International Vocal Competition in Sweden. Her experience in Sweden led her to one of the highlights of her career, to sing on a Gala concert at the Cairo Opera House.

Ágnes brings a diversity of perspectives and experience from her international upbringing. Introduced to music through piano and the Kodály Method at an early age in her hometown of Siófok, Hungary, Ágnes went on to earn her BM at Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. As a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, she moved to the US and now holds an MM and DMA in Voice from the University of Texas at Austin. Ágnes served on the voice faculty of Collin College and Southwestern University, TX.

Martita Santiago is the founder and artistic director of Flamenco Chico, a visionary performer whose life has been steeped in the rhythms and spirit of Spanish dance. Born and raised in the vibrant heart of Spanish Harlem, New York City, Martita began performing in the streets at a young age to help support her family. Her undeniable talent caught the eye of legendary dancer Guillermo Del Oro—who once performed in the courts of Spain in the 1920s and 30s—and under his mentorship at the San Francisco Ballet Academy, Martita’s artistry flourished. 

In San Francisco, she became a sought-after performer, gracing countless clubs, fundraisers, and social events with her commanding presence. During the 1960s, Martita starred in the Red Cross USO Entertainment Branch and was invited to join Bob Hope on tour overseas. In 1961, she had the honor of being invited to perform for President John F. Kennedy at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. 

Martita’s deep love for Spanish and Caribbean dance led her to open three studios over the years, with Eugene Flamenco Artsin Eugene, Oregon being her most current. Her distinctive style blends fiery passion with playful humor—capturing the essence of flamenco while making it utterly her own.