The BYU Museum of Art hosted a traditional Spanish music performance given by the Woodsmith Quartet on April 1.
With Alex and Aubrey Woods on the violin and Rex Woods on the piano, guests were treated to a concert exploring centuries of Spanish musical heritage.
From college students to families, attendees came together to appreciate music and art. The MOA frequently hosts free concerts open to the public throughout the year.
The performance, held outside the exhibition Spain and the Hispanic World, offered attendees the opportunity to immerse themselves in both Spanish music and artwork simultaneously.
According to the museum website, the exhibition, which is being held for the first time in Utah, was put on by the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York, which is home to the largest collection of Spanish art outside of Spain.
Aliza Keller, a BYU student and part of the MOA staff said negotiating to get the Spain and the Hispanic World exhibit has been years in the making.
“They normally never lend it out to people but the building that it normally lives in is getting renovations,” she said.
The exhibit has two stops before going back to the Hispanic Society Museum, one being here in Provo.
The repertoire of the concert showcased works by renowned Spanish composers such as Manuel de Falla and Pablo de Sarasate.
Particularly notable was “Seven Spanish Folksongs,” a set of traditional Spanish songs arranged for soprano and piano meant to engage listeners with its emotional depth and expressiveness.
The evening ended with Sarasate’s “Navarra, Op. 33,” a piece originally composed for the violin. The quartet’s rendition earned them a standing ovation.
Among the attendees was Rosalie Wacker, a BYU freshman who attended the performance as part of her UNIV 101 Foundations for Student Success class.
“It was really beautiful. I think it’s always fun to hear classical music from different places around the world because it can be so similar yet so different,” she said.
The Spain and the Hispanic World exhibit will be available at the MOA until June 15.
