Día de los Muertos (English)

In This Program

• The Concert
• Program Notes
• About the Artists
• El baile de la Catrina
• Día de los Muertos Concert Partners
• About San Francisco Symphony

Sábado, 7 de noviembre, 2026 a las 3:00pm
Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 3:00pm

José Luis Gómez conducting
Casa Círculo Cultural

Carlos Chávez

Toccata para orquesta (1947)

Evencio Castellanos

El río de las siete estrellas (1946)

Luis Farfán Carrillo

El baile de la Catrina (2026)

David Hernández Pozos soprano salterio
Claudio Israel Vázquez Herrera tenor salterio

San Francisco Symphony Commission and World Premiere

Arturo Márquez

“Folia Tropical” from Fandango (2021)

Francisco Fullana violin

Arturo Márquez

Danzón No. 2 (1994)

Carlos Chávez

Zarabanda from La hija de Cólquide (1934)

José Pablo Moncayo García

Huapango (1941)

Este concierto se presenta sin intermedio.
This program is presented without intermission.

This concert is presented in partnership with

Lights Along the Path:
Day of the Dead from Tlaxcala

Welcome to our Día de los Muertos celebration at the San Francisco Symphony!

Since 2008, we have celebrated this important Mexican tradition as an opportunity for reflection, remembrance, connection, and community through music and art. This year, our annual celebration is dedicated to Tlaxcala, a land of deep ancestral roots, extraordinary cultural richness, and a worldview in which life and death remain in constant dialogue.

The Mexican state of Tlaxcala is home to the archaeological site of Cacaxtla, known for one of the most remarkable and well-preserved collections of pre-Hispanic murals in Mexico. These murals reflect an ancient understanding of death not as an ending, but as a vital force in the cycle of renewal. They also reveal the profound respect that the ancient Tlaxcaltecas held for fallen warriors, honoring their lives and victories through powerful representations of deities and sacred figures associated with animals and the natural world.

Tlaxcala is also home to the Santuario de las Luciérnagas, the most important firefly sanctuary in Mexico and one of the most remarkable in the world. Each summer, thousands of tiny lights transform the darkness into a breathtaking display of wonder and beauty. The image of the firefly is at the heart of this year’s celebration: its intermittent lights evoke the spirits of our loved ones who have passed away, their presence continuing to guide us and illuminate our path.

This year’s program highlights the salterio, Tlaxcala’s most emblematic musical instrument, whose distinctive sound and tradition have been preserved by generations of musicians and artisans. The San Francisco Symphony will present the world premiere of El baile de la Catrina by Tlaxcalteca composer and arranger Luis Farfán Carrillo, for two salterios and orchestra, alongside important works by Latin American composers.

We hope that the music, as well as the Día de los Muertos installations, altars, and community activities and performances in the lobbies, will invite you to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of this magical celebration. Like the fireflies that illuminate the night skies of Tlaxcala, may the memories of our loved ones continue to accompany us and remind us to cherish life to its fullest.

—Martha Rodríguez-Salazar, Curator

José Luis Gómez

Venezuelan-born Spanish conductor José Luis Gómez was catapulted to international attention when he won first prize at the International Sir Georg Solti Conductors’ Competition in 2010 in Frankfurt. He quickly earned admiration among the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra’s musicians and their music director Paavo Järvi, launching his conducting career. Music director of the Tucson Symphony since 2016, Gómez has consistently crafted compelling programs, many of which are juxtaposed with lesser- known composers from South America whom he champions, expanding and enriching the orchestra’s repertoire. He has worked diligently to provide innovative and engaging outreach activities and education projects, as well as new commissions.

Recent and upcoming highlights include appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Houston Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Puerto Rico Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Perú. He makes his San Francisco Symphony debut with this performance.

Francisco Fullana

A native of Mallorca, Spain, Francisco Fullana is a distinguished performer, leader, and innovative educator. As a soloist he has appeared with the Bavarian Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, and Simón Bolívar Symphony under Gustavo Dudamel. 

Fullana is artist in residence of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and artistic advisor and curator at the Orchestra of San Antonio. Recent and upcoming highlights include appearances with the Tucson Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Jalisco Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and Las Vegas Symphony. He makes his San Francisco Symphony debut with this performance.

His recordings have been named album of the month by Apple Music and BBC Music Magazine, and a Top Ten Classical Album of the Year by the Times. His latest release, Cosmopolitan, was released in June 2025 on Berlin Classics.

Fullana received the 2023 Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize from Festival Napa Valley and first prizes at the Johannes Brahms, Julio Cardona, and Japan’s Munetsugu Angel competitions. A graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, the Juilliard School, and USC’s Thornton School of Music, he performs on the 1735 “Mary Portman” ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù violin, on loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

David Hernández Pozos

David Hernández Pozos is a salterio player, educator, and advocate for the traditional music of Tlaxcala, with more than 20 years of experience dedicated to preserving and promoting the instrument. Raised in Atltzayanca, he graduated from the Escuela de Música del Estado de Tlaxcala (EMET) as an instrumentalist. His work encompasses both salterio performance and the preservation of traditional salterio-making.

Hernández Pozos has worked with children in his community as a musical accompanist at the preschool level and as a teacher of music theory at the Escuela de Salterio. He is currently a member of the Ensamble Típico de la Escuela de Música del Estado de Tlaxcala and the group Salterios de Atltzayanca, through which he promotes salterio music and the transmission of its traditions to younger generations.

He has performed at national and international events, including at the Embassy of Mexico in Berlin, as well as festivals such as the Guelaguetza, Festival de las Almas, Festival Mikilis, and Festival de Música Raíz México. He has also accompanied folkloric dance groups from Tlaxcala at performances throughout Mexico. He makes his San Francisco Symphony debut with this performance.

Claudio Israel Vázquez Herrera

Claudio Israel Vázquez Herrera is a salterio player, educator, and advocate for the traditional music of Tlaxcala. Born in Tlaxcala and raised from an early age in Atltzayanca, where the salterio is part of a multigenerational musical tradition, he began studying the instrument at age 11 with Leonardo Sánchez Valencia. Since then, he has dedicated his career to performing, teaching, preserving, and developing the salterio tradition.

In 2021, he graduated with honors from the Escuela de Música del Estado de Tlaxcala (EMET), specializing in salterio. He has participated in concerts, festivals, and cultural projects in Mexico and the United States. His recordings include work with the salterio ensembles Ayer, Hoy y Siempre, and Huellas de Arte, as well as projects featuring traditional and contemporary music for salterio. In 2025, he participated in the International Salterio Festival of Tlaxcala, where he performed two world premieres of contemporary works for the instrument.

He is the founder of the Escuela Nacional de Salterio in Tlaxcala, dedicated to academic training in salterio, harp, vihuela, and guitarrón, and currently serves as deputy director of EMET. Through these institutions, he works to preserve, teach, and promote the salterio tradition while supporting new works and artistic approaches for the instrument. He is currently leading efforts to establish the first salterio-making workshop at EMET, scheduled to open in late 2026. He makes his San Francisco Symphony debut with this performance.

Ensamble Típico de Tlaxcala

Ensamble Típico del Estado de Tlaxcala is a faculty ensemble of Escuela de Música del Estado de Tlaxcala (EMET), an institution with more than 30 years of experience in professional music education. The ensemble is dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and promoting the traditional music of Tlaxcala and Mexico, creating new arrangements for traditional instruments that have gradually fallen out of common use but remain essential to the region’s musical and cultural identity. In its three years of activity, the ensemble has performed at important venues and festivals throughout Mexico, including the Centro Cultural Los Pinos in Mexico City, Teatro de la Ciudad in San Cristóbal de las Casas, the International Bolero Festival, and the International Book Festival in Xalapa.

Performers: David Hernández Pozos (salterio), Juan Carlos Zamora Contreras (guitar), Claudio Israel Vázquez Herrera (salterio), and
Cesar Fajardo (guest guitarrón)

Luis Farfán Carrillo

Luis Farfán Carrillo is a Mexican composer and arranger from Hueyotlipan, Tlaxcala. His music reflects the influence of regional and Mexican folk traditions, combining them with Western compositional techniques. This approach has led to works for traditional ensembles, chamber ensembles, and, more recently, symphonic forces.

His catalog is distinguished by its incorporation and elevation of traditional Mexican instruments, including the salterio and vihuela, in orchestral and chamber settings. 

Farfán Carrillo currently serves on the faculty of the Escuela de Música del Estado de Tlaxcala, where he has developed and presented his work in an academic environment while also exploring experimental and creative forms, including acousmatic sound works.

Martha Rodríguez-Salazar

Born in Mexico City and trained as a classical flutist and opera singer, Martha Rodríguez-Salazar is a curator, teacher, choir director, producer, and director of musical productions that celebrate Latin American Baroque, Classical, and folk culture in the Bay Area. She teaches flute, voice, choirs, and mariachi at the Community Music Center and through the mariachi program at the San Francisco Unified School District. She has curated the San Francisco Symphony’s Día de los Muertos Concert since 2008.

Casa Círculo Cultural

Casa Círculo Cultural, based in Redwood City, is a grassroots, multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to celebrating and preserving Mexican culture and the arts. Since its founding in May 2009, it has served as a vital bridge between Mexican traditions and the local community, offering diverse cultural programming that reflects the richness and experiences of Latino communities across the Bay Area.

With a strong record of hosting vibrant cultural celebrations, Casa Círculo Cultural produces theater, concerts, visual arts exhibitions, and music classes, and also operates a community radio station. Deeply committed to fostering creativity and opportunity, the organization provides after-school programs and adult classes that empower underserved Latino youth and adults to thrive and contribute to civic and economic life.

Gloria Aguirre

Working primarily in visual arts and public installations, Gloria Aguirre works with elders in the community to cocreate projects that uplift stories of human experience, resilience, and connection. In her role as artistic director for Creative Minds at the University of California, San Francisco, Aguirre has dedicated herself to building a nationally recognized arts-in-health program that promotes healthy cognitive aging across the lifespan through active participation in community arts. Aguirre is Cuban from Miami and is greatly inspired by quiet mornings spent waiting for the sun to rise and the enchanting possibilities that the cycles of light, life, and nature offer. She is collaborating on her project with Angelique Madriz, a visual artist studying community resilience and sustainable design.  

Cesar Argueta-Rodríguez 

Cesar Argueta-Rodríguez is a Latino artist and educator born and raised in Oakland. With a background in 3-D game design, he brings a creative and hands-on approach to designing experiences that connect art, culture, and community. He has also spent years working with children and families, including as an after-school mentor creating engaging enrichment activities for first- through third-grade students. For more than a decade, he has participated in his family’s Día de los Muertos traditions, including helping create and decorate sugar skulls.

For the San Francisco Symphony’s Día de los Muertos celebration, he is creating interactive family activities inspired by the holiday and this year’s theme. Through hands-on artmaking, he hopes to give families an opportunity to learn, create, and connect with the traditions that are passed down through generations.

Adrián Arias

Born in Peru, Adrián Arias is a US-based visual artist, poet, performer, and cultural organizer whose multidisciplinary practice bridges visual art, language, and community engagement. Working across murals, installations, and performance, his work explores memory, migration, and the poetic dimensions of urban space. 

His public art projects in the Bay Area—including large-scale murals and community installations—focus on visibility and remembrance, transforming everyday spaces into platforms for shared history and connection. Alongside his visual work, he curates and organizes collaborative gatherings that bring together poets, musicians, and visual artists in dynamic, multidisciplinary exchanges.

Arias has exhibited and performed internationally, with projects presented in Spain, France, Macedonia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Japan. His work has been shown at institutions including the Exploratorium, de Young Museum, Oakland Museum, California Museum, SOMArts, BAMPFA, Google, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and Burning Man.

He is the founder and an active member of the Mission Arts Performance Project, a long-running platform for site-specific and community-based art in San Francisco. Recent public art commissions include A Sweet Route: A Tribute to Paleteros, a temporary monument supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission and Recreation and Parks, and participation in Art on Market Street, a citywide SFAC exhibition program. 

Fernando Escartiz

Fernando Escartiz was born in Mexico City and became involved in the arts early in his childhood. An assistant and student of Enrique Miralda, Escartiz is also influenced by his late friend, Mexican sculptor Fernando Pereznieto. He enjoys traveling and encountering new textures, colors, forms, and feelings, all of which inspire his work as a sculptor, painter, and stage designer. In 2021, he founded Escartiz Studio, an artists’ collective that has quickly grown into a hub of creativity and cultural innovation. Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, Escartiz Studio has become known for its large-scale public art, cultural installations, and its commitment to connecting communities through creativity. Over the past five years, the studio has brought bold ideas to life, transforming public spaces and inspiring audiences with art that bridges tradition and contemporary expression. In addition to leading Escartiz Studio, Escartiz also contributes to the nonprofit Casa Círculo Cultural, where he shares his passion for art by teaching and supporting community events in Northern California.

Marigold Project

Deni Slehiman, Mara Lea Brown, and Danielle Revives are artists and educators whose practices center on community, cultural identity, ancestry, and our relationship to the natural world. Slehiman, from Saltillo, Mexico, creates art and heartfelt spaces inspired by Mexican folklore and cosmology by sharing a message of conscious connection to the land and each other. Brown, a bilingual visual arts teacher at Buena Vista Horace Mann Elementary, explores identity and belonging through expressive portraits and mixed media, weaving in motifs from nature to reflect the essence of the human experience. Revives, a San Francisco–born, Hawai’i-raised self-taught artist, builds contemporary altars rooted in Mesoamerican tradition and her mixed Persian, Hawaiian, and Filipino heritage, using flowers and reclaimed materials to create sacred spaces that bridge ancestors, earth, and community. 

Irma Ortiz 

Sugar-skull artist Irma Ortiz was born in the state of Querétaro, Mexico. She has been a Bay Area resident for more than 30 years. Her family has maintained traditional arts and crafts for many generations, and she learned from them the art of making sugar skulls and altars for Día de los Muertos. She enjoys demonstrating what she knows of her culture and has passed on her craft to her daughters and grandchildren. Ortiz has been showing her art at the San Francisco Symphony’s Día de los Muertos since 2011.

Stephanie Ortiz

Stephanie Ortiz is a Mexican American artist from Oakland whose creative practice is rooted in family, cultural tradition, and remembrance. Her parents and family are from Querétaro, Mexico, a region deeply connected to Otomí culture and traditions. Ortiz was raised with the tradition of creating a Día de los Muertos altar each year to welcome and remember loved ones who are no longer with us. For her family, the ofrenda honors those who have passed, preserves cultural traditions, and keeps their memories alive across generations. 

One of her most meaningful family traditions is making sugar skulls. From a young age, Ortiz learned the family tradition of making traditional calaveritas de azúcar from her mother, who learned the craft from a family member and passed it down to her daughters. To her, the sugar skull represents the bittersweet nature of death—the pain of loss alongside the sweetness of remembering a life well lived. Through her work, Ortiz honors those who have passed while celebrating the traditions, memories, and cultural heritage that continue to connect generations. Her practice reflects the belief that remembering those we have lost can be both an act of mourning and a celebration of the joy, love, and stories they leave behind.

Víctor-Mario Zaballa

The foundation of Víctor-Mario Zaballa’s work fuses contemporary arts and technology with the living elements of pre-Columbian folk art and the oral traditions of Mexico, where he grew up. Since 1971, Zaballa has explored different means of artistic expression through visual and performing arts. His work synthesizes his interest in science, history, and traditional elements with contemporary mediums such as photography, film, video, and electronic musical instruments. In his performances and exhibits, he blends traditional Mexican altar installations, mural painting, and pre-Columbian musical instruments with electronic music and projected images.

Although he reveres the Indigenous spiritual traditions he grew up with, Zaballa’s work moves beyond the purely folkloristic or anthropological. Through his art practice, he tries to achieve Toltecayolotl (heart citizenship), the Toltec synthesis of art, science, spirituality, and social consciousness. Through Toltecayolotl, the artist not only uses familiar experiences and traditions but also explores new venues as well. In this sense, he is a contemporary artist.

In 1982, Zaballa won the traditional Day of the Dead Altar award in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. His work has been exhibited at the Monterey Museum of Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, de Young Museum, San Francisco Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, Tucson Museum of Art, M.A.R.S. Artspace in Arizona, Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose, Triton Museum in Santa Clara, Euphrates Museum in Cupertino, and the American Indian Museum. His large-scale public artwork projects include the 16th St. Mission BART station and Visitation Valley Club House in San Francisco.

El baile de la Catrina is a three-part poem that uses the mysticism of Día de Muertos as its narrative thread. Luis Farfán Carrillo’s score portrays the journey of the iconic Catrina figure, incorporating musical and folkloric motifs from Tlaxcala. The introduction opens with a floating, mysterious atmosphere that prepares the ear for the transition between worlds.

Part A: The Arrival in the World of the Dead
The Catrina has just arrived in the world of the dead, sad and confused. The theme begins with the soprano salterio and is distinguished by its solemn character.

Part B: The Celebration in the World of the Dead
The Catrina accepts her new state and joins the great feast of the dead. This section is characterized by its waltz rhythm and the full ensemble.

Part C: The Return to Earth and the Offering
The Catrina happily returns to spend time with the living and partake of the foods from the offering. She is guided by the aroma and the dance of the bakers, in a section where the tenor and soprano salterio soloists once again take center stage.

Acción Latina / El Tecolote 
Gloria Aguirre
Adrián Arias
Cesar Argueta-Rodríguez 
Balloon Lady
Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School
Casa Círculo Cultural
Community Music Center
Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco
Ensamble Típico del Estado de Tlaxcala
Escartiz Studio
Gobierno de Tlaxcala
María Ángeles González Salazar 
KRZZ La Raza
Chelis López, KPOO 89.5 FM
Lupe Farms
Mexican Museum
Marigold Project
Irma Ortiz
Stephanie Ortiz
Martha Rodríguez-Salazar
Marco Salazar, La Voz KIQI 1010
San Francisco Arts Commission
San Francisco Symphony Volunteers
Secretaría de Cultura Tlaxcala
Secretaría de Turismo Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala Artists: Abel Salazar, María Dolores Martínez López,
and Juan Gerardo Carrillo Guzmán
Univision
Víctor-Mario Zaballa

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