This space serves as an example of Garza-Canales’ programming throughout two seasons as Music Director of the Poulsbo Community Orchestra. The work presented here, illustrates her leadership style, her community engagement efforts, her constant collaboration with artists from various disciplines, and her ability to adaptively and creatively integrate technology in order to bring her orchestra and community together at a time when live performances were not viable due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as coming back from this time period.
2021-2022 Season
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Remember The Sound
On June 12, 2022, Garza-Canales and the Poulsbo Community Orchestra will present their first in-person full ensemble concert since the start of the COVID pandemic. The audience is invited to enjoy classics by Beethoven, Bizet, Brahms, Rimsky-Korsakov, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Chaminade - woven together in a magnificent tapestry of 19th century music.
Garza-Canales has partnered with illustrator Maria Bozich for this concert. Bozich will be creating original illustrations of Mendelssohn and of Chaminade. The illustrations will be printed on stickers and will be inside the program given to the first 50 people to arrive to the concert.
Tickets are available now. To reserve your seats, please visit the PCO website.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Ever Forward
On March 20, 2022, Garza-Canales conducted the Poulsbo Community Orchestra in a concert of arrangements of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Andrée, The Mendelssohns, Bach, Brandon, and Kopetzki. This was an intimate concert featuring trios, quartets, quintets, and small ensembles, programed to show the audience a more approachable model of classical music.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Sleighs and Spirits
On December 5, 2021, Garza-Canales presented a holiday concert experience with some holiday favorites, as well as some new takes on old classics. She topped off the concert with a musical rendition of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”, complete with narration and illustrations.
For this concert, Garza-Canales partnered with illustrator Minna Lee to draw original illustrations which were projected above the orchestra for the audience’s enjoyment. Garza-Canales also collaborated with Beau Prichard who narrated segments of the story for an immersive musical experience.
Tickets to this concert sold out more than one week before the performance.
2020-2021 Season
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Latin American Celebration
On June 19, 2021, Garza-Canales hosted a live virtual event during which she and members of the orchestra presented PCO’s first commissioned piece. The commission consisted of a single-movement string quintet composition written by Mexican guest composer Jorge Blanco Montaño. During this event, Blanco and Garza-Canales held a brief pre-concert talk, where Blanco shared about the creative process behind the writing of this piece.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Spring Into New Beginnings
On April 24, 2021, Garza-Canales hosted a live virtual event where members of the PCO performed pieces that represented the closing of old cycles and the opening of new beginnings. The selected pieces were evocative of spring.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Three Musical Portraits of 20th Century Latin American Music
On March 30, 2021, Garza-Canales hosted a live virtual lecture with special guest Maestro Jorge Pérez-Gómez. During this lecture, Pérez-Gómez and Garza-Canales discussed and presented video performances of three masterpieces by 20th century Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Universal Love
On February 27, 2021, Garza-Canales hosted a live virtual event during which members of the PCO performed pieces that celebrate and render tribute to the concept of universal love.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: A Soprano’s World
On November 21, 2020, PCO Music Director, Garza-Canales, hosted a live virtual event with Israeli-Italian soprano, Nofar Yacobi. During this interactive event, Yacobi shared anecdotes and insights about her life as a professional singer and performer. Garza-Canales and Yacobi recorded arias to share with audience members and Yacobi also performed a live aria for participants. To conclude the event, Yacobi answered questions from attendees. Click on the video below to watch a recording of this event.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Music Macabre
On October 30, 2020, PCO Music Director, Garza-Canales, hosted a live virtual event with Seattle-based Indian composer, Sandesh Nagaraj. Nagaraj lead participants as they created their own spooky compositions using common household objects. Attendees were encouraged to submit videos of themselves performing their creative compositions, which were later shared on PCO’s Facebook page.
Poulsbo Community Orchestra Presents: Virtual Instrument Petting Zoo
On September 27, 2020, PCO Music Director, Garza-Canales, hosted a live virtual event featuring members of the orchestra. Musicians gave brief presentations on their instrument or instrument family and played short musical excerpts to demonstrate the qualities of their instrument.