March has been a busy month for ArtesAméricas. On March 11, Mexico’s Onix Ensamble gave a moving performance at the University of Texas Performing Arts Center’s McCullough Theater. The program showcased the diversity of the group’s repertoire, which highlights contemporary composers from the Americas, with special emphasis on Mexico and Latin America. Of the pieces performed that night, my favorites were the “Paramel VI” and Miguel del Aguila’s “Salon de Buenos Aires”. The performance followed several days of engaging residency work, including an appearance at the Butler School of Music’s weekly Composers Forum and a brownbag talk on the state of contemporary classical music in Mexico at the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.

Having then presented Onix on our stage, I ventured to Mexico to see them perform on their home turf the following day. Their performance before an enthusiastic crowd in the Sala Miguel Covarrubias at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México was part of a multi-artist showcase during the 4th Encounter for the Performing Arts, which presented more 50 Mexican performing arts from all across the republic during several days of performances, seminars, and panel discussions.

In addition to networking with Mexican artists and their representatives, it was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from the US and around the world who share an interest in Mexican performing arts. I took in showcases with colleagues and friends from the Globalquerque Festival, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá.

The topic of the day among my American colleagues was programming to celebrate Mexico’s upcoming centennial and bicentennial celebrations in 2010. Stand-out performances were by some artists familiar to Austin audiences: Delfos Danza Contemporaria, Teatro Ciertos Habitantes, and Onix Ensamble. Paté de Fuá also turned in a fine performance, and while not showcasing, the Mexican dance spectacular Jarocho continues to intrigue me.

After four full days in Mexico City, I returned to Austin, with a few hours to catch my breath before delving headfirst into the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, where I am eager to take in dozens of Mexican and Latin American artists in the coming days!