Aldo López-Gavilán Premieres Original Score for Favorite Son at Festival Napa Valley

Havana, June 3, 2025

Renowned Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán continues to build his international career as a versatile creator and interdisciplinary collaborator, this time contributing to the world of contemporary dance. His latest original composition, written expressly for the world premiere of Favorite Son, will be featured at the prestigious Festival Napa Valley 2025 during its highly anticipated Dance Gala.

Under the artistic direction of Adrian Blake Mitchell, the event brings together some of today’s most captivating dance artists, including Tiler Peck, Roman Mejia, Sasha De Sola, Joe Walsh, and Fabrice Calmels, in an evening celebrating both masterworks and bold new creations.

The premiere of Favorite Son, with original music by López-Gavilán, was conceived as an exclusive piece for the talented Cuban triplets Marcos, César, and Ángel Ramírez, who will bring Mitchell’s choreography to life in a performance rich in emotional and artistic depth. Aldo’s score adds a lyrical and rhythmically charged dimension to the piece, which explores identity, heritage, and brotherhood through movement.

The gala program also includes classics such as Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, a lyrical tribute to the music of Chopin, and Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, an iconic Joffrey Ballet work pulsing with energy. Acclaimed dancer Constance Stamatiou of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform an excerpt from Cry, in honor of the legendary Judith Jamison.

This new project reaffirms Aldo López-Gavilán’s commitment to art as a universal language and highlights his growing presence on international stages where music, dance, and emotion converge with a contemporary vision.