Houston kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month this weekend with a free concert pairing a hometown orchestra with an internationally touring trombone quartet from Costa Rica. Viva Latin America takes over Zilkha Hall inside the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Sept. 19, with no ticket price attached to walking in the door.
The Houston Latin American Philharmonic presents the show, according to thehobbycenter.org, which describes it as a complimentary concert with general-admission seating billed as “a vibrant concert celebrating the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month in Houston.” The venue's own event calendar lists a 7:30 p.m. start, per my.thehobbycenter.org, though a Houston Press community listing puts the concert from 8 to 9:30 p.m. — a discrepancy concertgoers may want to sort out before heading downtown.
Whichever time proves accurate, the venue is not in question: the show lands at Zilkha Hall, the Hobby Center's performance space, according to a Houston Press community event listing. As CW39 Houston notes, Zilkha Hall is the Hobby Center's roughly 500-seat theater designed for more intimate performances, one of two main stages at the venue alongside Sarofim Hall, located at 800 Bagby St. in downtown Houston's theater district.
A Touring Quartet With Three Decades on the Road
The evening's headline act is Trombones de Costa Rica, described by the Hobby Center as internationally acclaimed guest artists for the night. The quartet was founded in 1991 in San Jose, Costa Rica, according to houston.culturemap.com, and has spent decades building a repertoire that blends classical, jazz and Latin American music.
That same account notes the group has toured extensively across Central America, the Caribbean, North America, South America and Europe. The lineup taking the Zilkha Hall stage includes tenor trombonists Luis Fred, Martin Bonilla and Leonel Rodriguez, along with bass trombonist Cesar Fumero, according to the Houston Press community listing.
Free Admission and What to Know Before You Go
Admission to Viva Latin America is free, culturemap.com reports, a detail that fits the mission of the orchestra presenting the show. The Houston Latin American Philharmonic describes itself as the only full-size professional orchestra in the United States created specifically to promote and elevate Latin American music, musicians and composers, according to the Hobby Center. The orchestra was founded by American-Venezuelan maestro Glenn Garrido.
CW39 Houston reports that tickets remain available through the Hobby Center's ticketing site, and the venue recommends arriving early for parking and security. The Hobby Center garage has entrances from Rusk and Walker streets, per the same CW39 report, offering one option for anyone driving in for the free show.
