At the beginning of the twentieth century, Colombian composers faced a dichotomy: the search for a distinctly national musical language while also striving to align themselves with the Western musical tradition. Among them, Guillermo Uribe Holguín stood out as a leading figure, forging a path that shaped Colombia’s musical idiom.

In his extensive body of work, he combined the compositional techniques and styles of his time with subtle references to the Andean elements of Colombia’s diverse folk music. Guest artists Drs. Ana Maria Orduz and Ana Maria Trujillo, both alumni of the University of Memphis, return to their alma mater to present music of their native country of Colombia, featuring in particular works of Uribe Holguin for violin and piano. As colleagues at the University of Antioqiua in Medellín, Colombia, Drs. Orduz and Trujillo initiated a project to revive works of key composers of Colombia who have fallen into relative obscurity. This evening’s concert is an outgrowth of their project of performing and recording the complete cycle of Uribe Holguín’s seven Sonatas for Violin and Piano, of which a selection will be represented in tonight's perfomance.