Laredo Phil Brings Awareness to Organ Donations at Season Final April 5 Concert

The Laredo Phil’s closing concert for the “Shared Borders” season will recognize National Organ Donor Month and feature the winner of the 5th Annual Concerto Competition. “Eternal Rest” will be performed at the Texas A&M International University Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.

General admission is $20, $15 for senior citizens and free for students with a valid ID.

“The Laredo Phil will honor the courage and passion of those who have donated and received organs, as well as those conducting the surgery with a performance of Linda Tutas Haugen's ‘Transformations of Darkness and Light,’ ” said Brendan Townsend, music director and conductor for the Laredo Phil.

He explained that Haugen’s piece was commissioned by the National Kidney Foundation in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of organ transplantation.

“In doing background research into organ transplantation the composer listened to many stories of lives lost and lives saved through the surgery, and used those emotional stories to inspire her composition. She incorporated some of John Donne's quotations, including ‘Never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee,’ ” Townsend added.

The composer commissioned a series of tuned bells to be rung out in honor of those who have had the courage to donate their organs.

With the cooperation of Laredo Medical Center and Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, the Laredo Phil was able to bring this work and the bells to Laredo.

This is the first time that the work will be performed outside of the state of Minnesota because of the logistics of transporting the bells.

The Laredo Phil invited organ transplant recipients and donor families, as well as nephrologists and other transplant doctors to ring the bells at the end of the concert.

Prior to the concert, volunteers from the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and Laredo Medical Center will distribute information on the importance of organ donation and the need for young people on the donor list Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the TAMIU Student Center.

As the winner of the 5th Annual Concerto Competition, Osvaldo Ibarra, TAMIU student cellist, will perform his concerto as a soloist. Ibarra played the Schumann Cello Concerto in a Minor. 

Ibarra began his cello career as a student at Lamar Middle School under the direction of Bea Balli. He went on to play in the orchestra at J. W. Nixon High School and attended the Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communications. Ibarra currently studies cello with Townsend.

Purchase tickets online at http://laredophil.instantencore.com/web/home.aspx or in person at Cantú Interiors or prior to the concert.

For more information on organ donation, contact the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance at 210.614.7030.

For more information, contact Townsend at 956.326.3039 or btownsend@tamiu.edu

Additional information is available at http://laredophil.instantencore.com/web/home.aspx

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu