Connecting Peru and Texas through the work of Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Since being hired in 2000 as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Miguel Harth-Bedoya has steered the ensemble toward recordings and greater visibility for Latin American composers. The orchestra, already known for its work with the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, expanded largely through its own label and focused heavily on music from the region, including Peru. The article highlights Harth-Bedoya’s collaborations with Lima-born Jimmy Lopez, whose work “Fiesta” was encored when the orchestra played Carnegie Hall in 2008. It also notes his alliance with tenor Juan Diego Flórez, including performances at the Met and Flórez’s “En mi Viejo San Juan,” tied to Puerto Rico’s history and the 65th Infantry during World War II.