Salón Cubano

Afro-Cuban composer Lico Jiménez comes into focus through a combination of live performance and historical commentary at Newman Recital Hall. Salón Cubano takes place Thursday, February 25 as part of the Frost School of Music’s 2026-2027 season, with pianist Inesa Gegprifti, mezzo-soprano Jade Espina and musicologist Isidro Betancourt Benítez. The program pairs Jiménez’s art songs and piano works with contextual discussion examining the life and music of a composer whose contributions to classical music have often been overlooked. Betancourt Benítez guides the historical narrative while Gegprifti and Espina bring Jiménez’s music into the recital setting, connecting scholarship with live interpretation. The evening highlights both the expressive character of his vocal writing and the intricacy of his works for piano. The program is co-sponsored by the Amigos of the Cuban Heritage Collection, the Zambrana Music Foundation, the Frost School of Music and its Department of Musicology. Admission is free with RSVP.