Casals Festival

About

The Casals Festival is a classical music event celebrated every year in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in honor of classical musician Pablo Casals. When the festival first started, the majority of the musicians contracted by the festival orchestra for the event came from the United States. Some of the exceptions to this practice were Jesús María Sanromá, Henry Hutchinson Sr., Fernando Valenti and Narciso Figueroa and his brothers. Plays by authors like Mahler, Strauss, Prokofiev, Hidensmith, Debussy, De Falla, Stravinsky, Bartok, Ginastera, Chávez, Copland and Ravel were feature during the first 12 years under Castro and Tevah. By 1970, the majority of the members of the festival's orchestra were Puerto Ricans.