There’s a new orchestra in town, and its debut last week at the National Theater in San José broadened the scope of Central American musical heritage by introducing composers and reviving works.

The National University (UNA) orchestra was born out of an interdisciplinary project begun by UNA’s Scool of Music. A group of professors and students at UNA set up the Interdisciplinary Doctorate in Central American Arts and Literature program, (DILAAC) to hunt up unknown Central American composers and their works.

They contacted other universities throughout Central America and were “surprised by the amount of works from new composers, but also from dead ones. We had no idea there was such a treasure,” said Carmen Mendez, a professor of the School of Music and part of the doctorate program.. They decided to revive this treasure by performing and sharing it with the public.

Composed of UNA students, professors and alumni, as well as a few guest players, the orchestra has no set director, which could be potentially debilitating to an emerging symphony, but for one such as this, whose character is, according to Mendez, “open, as we would like to offer what other orchestras don’t, to be complimentary to them,” it should prove to be a blessing to have changing directors who will bring different knowledge and experiences.

Guatemalan Dieter Lehnhoff was invited to be guest conductor for last week’s inaugural performance because the production highlighted Guatemalans, and his specialty as a musicologist is in Guatemalan music. Also, the composer has a unique relationship with UNA; two years ago, as a guest professor, he was so impressed with the ability of piano students that he wrote a concert for them, which Costa Rica heard for the first time Thursday night, in addition to Guatamalan José Eulalio Samayoa’s Symphony Number 7 and Costa Rican Mario Alfagüell’s Piano Concierto for the Left Hand.

For its first performance, the orchestra played remarkably cohesively. As a whole, the three pieces complemented each other well, each offering something distinctly different.

Samayoa’s “Symphony Number Seven,” written in 1834—the Guatemalan was one of Central America’s first symphony composers—was notable because it had never before been performed publically. The mostly string piece is light and skips along, establishing two themes in the first movement, which the clarinets pick up and maintain while the orchestra develops layers and depth.

Lehnhoff’s darker Piano Concerto has a slippery, almost mischievous feel. The orchestra continually builds suspension which José Pablo Quesada broke with his emotionally played piano solos.

Finally, Alfagüell, a professor at UNA, debuted his “Piano Concierto for the Left Hand.” This symphony is more of a dialogue; the piano plays off of the conductor, and the orchestra interacting with the pianist.

Though no schedule has been set as of yet, the UNA orchestra intends to perform three to four times a year, continuing its mission to showcase Central American composers and music. After all, as Mendez says, “Music comes to life when it is heard.”

To keep up with them, go to http://www.una.ac.cr/index.html