PORT ANGELES — He was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and captivated early by a particular instrument: the cello. Gregorio Nieto, the soloist who now lives in New York City, first performed with the Port Angeles Symphony in December.
Jory Noble, the symphony’s concertmaster, recalls how dazzled she was during that concert.
“Gregorio has everything I love in a cellist,” Noble said. “His technique is so masterful that he can do anything he wants in terms of expression — and his choices are breathtaking. A truly beautiful player.”
Port Angeles Symphony Artistic Director Jonathan Pasternack conducted that concert.
“Gregorio made a sensational debut with us,” he said, and soon after, Pasternack invited Nieto back for the orchestra’s Saturday gala concert. He quickly accepted.
The cellist will rejoin the symphony for a 5:30 p.m. performance at Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St. Reserved seats are $25 and tickets are available via the Tickets heading at https://portangelessymphony.org.
The Port Angeles Symphony’s gala celebration will come right after the concert, with dinner upstairs in Field Hall’s Sunset Lounge.
A handful of tickets are available at pasymphony.ludus.com, while more information is at the symphony office at 360-457-5579.
The piece chosen for this event is Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, one of the most famous works for a solo instrument and orchestra.
The piece, which premiered 129 years ago, is known for its sensuous and lyrical qualities, Pasternack said.
“There is a beautiful section in the Dvorak where Gregorio and I get to play a duet, and I am especially looking forward to performing that part with him,” Noble said.
The concertmaster with the Port Angeles Symphony since 2020, she came to Port Angeles after serving in that role for six other orchestras across the continent.
Nieto, who recently released “Escencia: Latin American Masterpieces for Cello and Piano” on ARIA Classics, was a boy of 9 when he discovered the cello.
He went on to perform and travel with Venezuela’s National Children’s Orchestra of Venezuela.
As a young man, he moved to London to earn his diploma in cello performance from the Royal School of Music, graduating with distinction in 2012.
The following year, Nieto won first prize in the International Cello Competition in Rio de Janeiro.
Pasternack noted that Nieto studied with Natalia Gutmann, the Russian musician and teacher known as “the queen of the cello.”
“He is a protege,” Pasternack said, as well as an important artist with his own unique voice.”
As Nieto has since studied and performed with orchestras in Europe and North America, he’s come to see his art as a kind of compass, guiding him to varied places and people.
“Music, as a universal language, allows us to convey messages without borders,” he said.
________
Diane Urbani de la Paz is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Port Townsend.
