Ethel and Robert Mirabal: ‘The Red Willow’
Robert Mirabal, the award-winning flutist from the Pueblo of Taos, is embarking on a short tour with long-time collaborators Ethel, a string quartet from New York City.
Mirabal and Ethel kick off “The Red Willow Tour” on Thursday with a show at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The journey continues with two more dates in Colorado: Saturday at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood and Monday at The Lincoln Center in Fort Collins.
“‘The Red Willow’ is a breathtaking, ambitious program of music and storytelling that explores the magnificence and rich history of northern New Mexico before extending the story worldwide,” a news release states.
The project pays tribute to Mirabal’s home at Taos Pueblo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the United States. The tribal community is also known as the Red Willow People, with the name coming from the Red Willow Creek, a primary source of water for the village.
“In honor of Mirabal’s Native American Taos community, Ethel and Mirabal together offer a concert-meditation full of original music, movement, and wisdom, built around a work commissioned by Taos Chamber Music Society in the summer of 2023,” the release states.
Mirabal and Ethel have been collaborating for 13 years, according to the release. They performed earlier this year in New York City, during the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference.
Ethel and Robert Mirabal: ‘Rio Grande Suite’