June 9th, 2026 — Angélica Negrón‘s (CRF 2022) new cello concerto, Mundillo, received its World Premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, featuring legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma as soloist on June 7th.
The premiere took place as part of Dudamel’s farewell season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, a landmark three-week celebration marking the conclusion of his 17-year tenure as Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The festival brought together concerts, opera, poetry, large-scale choral works, and world premieres by contemporary composers—with a particular emphasis on Latino artists—before culminating in a series of final performances. Critics described the celebration as both a retrospective of Dudamel’s artistic vision and a statement about the future of orchestral music.
Commissioned by the LA Phil, Mundillo—Spanish for “little world”—takes its name from the Puerto Rican tradition of handmade bobbin lace. Drawing inspiration from the intricate patterns of lace-making as well as coral reefs and other interconnected living systems, the concerto explores themes of collective care, patience, and interdependence. The collaboration between Angélica and Yo-Yo Ma grew out of a creative workshop with the Billion Oyster Project in New York City, and the work reflects their shared interest in environmental stewardship and community-building.
Reviewing the premiere, the Los Angeles Times described Mundillo as “a work of radical optimism,” praising its luminous orchestration, imaginative sound world, and celebration of domestic craft as a metaphor for connection and collective dreaming. The concerto surrounds the solo cello with an expansive palette of sounds—including seashells, water containers, music boxes, and electronics—creating what the reviewer called a vibrant “color wheel” of orchestral textures. Yo-Yo Ma’s performance highlighted the work’s lyricism and intimacy, reinforcing Angélica vision of the concerto not as a contest between soloist and orchestra, but as a partnership.
Congratulations again to Angélica on the premiere, especially at such a defining artistic event!