Yucatán Symphony to Revive Daniel Ayala at Bellas Artes

Daniel Ayala Pérez grew up speaking Maya, and his music never strayed far from those roots. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra brings one of his major works back to the stage where it was heard more than 70 years ago: Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes.

The orchestra, known by its Spanish initials, OSY, will perform Ayala’s “Sinfonía de las Américas” (“Symphony of the Americas”). The work premiered in Mérida in 1948 and was performed at Bellas Artes on Aug. 19, 1955. This year marks 120 years since the composer was born.

Born in Yucatán in 1906, Ayala became a leading figure in musical indigenism, a branch of Mexican nationalist music that drew on Indigenous traditions. In 1934, he joined fellow composers José Pablo Moncayo, Salvador Contreras and Blas Galindo to form the “Group of Four.” He later returned home, where he conducted Mérida’s reorganized symphony orchestra and directed the Yucatán Conservatory. He died in 1975.

“This is the modern-era premiere of Ayala’s symphony, a fascinating work written in four very different movements that reflects a powerful vision with a very clear reference to Maya culture,” says Alfonso Scarano, the orchestra’s artistic director, who will conduct.

A Canadian star’s Mexican debut

The program also marks the Mexican debut of Canadian violinist Kerson Leong. He will play Niccolò Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with Émile Sauret’s cadenza in the first movement, a solo passage known for its technical difficulty.

Leong, born in Ottawa in 1997, won the Grand Prize at the Canadian Music Competition five years running, from 2005 to 2009. In 2010, he took first prize in the junior category of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition. He has appeared with the Royal, Oslo and Brussels philharmonics and the Seattle, Singapore and Montreal symphonies, among others.

He plays a 1741 Guarneri del Gesù violin on loan from Canimex Inc. of Drummondville, Quebec. His 2026–2027 season includes debuts at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and in South Korea. Canada’s public broadcaster has profiled the violinist as one of the country’s busiest young classical musicians.

The evening closes with selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” Suites Nos. 1 and 2, drawn from his ballet on Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Only the 3rd visit in 22 years

Founded in 2004, the OSY is marking 22 years. It is funded by the state government with support from a civil-society trust, the Patronato para la Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán.

Despite its age, the orchestra has rarely played Bellas Artes, Mexico’s most prominent concert hall. This will be its third appearance, following the opera “Yuzuru” in 2005 and a concert on May 28, 2015.

At home, the OSY performs at Mérida’s Palacio de la Música. It previously played at the Teatro José Peón Contreras, which suffered fire damage in 2022 and remains under restoration.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at the Bellas Artes box office. Prices range from MX100(aboutUS6) in the upper gallery to MX465(aboutUS27) for the best orchestra seats. The Bellas Artes listing says the concert is for ages 8 and older.

For Yucatecans in Mexico City, and for visitors already planning a trip to the capital, it is a rare chance to hear the state’s orchestra on a national stage, playing music that grew from Yucatán’s own soil.

Fast Facts

• What: Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán with violinist Kerson Leong
• When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24
• Where: Sala Principal, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
• Conductor: Alfonso Scarano
• Program: Paganini, Ayala’s “Sinfonía de las Américas,” Prokofiev
• Tickets: MX100toMX465 (about US6toUS27)
• Where to buy: Ticketmaster or the Bellas Artes box office
• Age: 8 and older

With reporting from Líneas Emergentes, La Jornada Maya and the Palacio de Bellas Artes