Music Festival made its debut on the campus of Texas Christian University, the event returns April 24-29. It is a unique opportunity for Texas audiences to see and hear composers and talent from South America and the Caribbean, performing classical music rarely heard in the United States.

Concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at 3 p.m. Saturday in TCU School of Music facilities, while lectures and recitals are scheduled for the afternoons. Tickets to the major concerts are $10 each, while all other events are free. Children under 12 and students with ID are admitted free to all events.

Colombian-born Maestro Germán Gutiérrez, conductor of the TCU Symphony Orchestra and director of the University's Center for Latin American Music, is the founder and driving force behind the Latin American Music Festival. His goal for the festival, originated in 1998, is to reach new audiences with serious music for orchestras, chamber groups and choirs.

Highlights of this year's Latin American Music Festival include:

Monday, April 24 - TCU Jazz Ensemble, Curt Wilson directing, with Fort Worth saxophonist Rene Ozuna and Pablo Benavides Latin Jazz Ensemble, Ed Landreth Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., FREE

Tuesday, April 25 - Percussion Ensemble with Jorge Bermudez from Nicaragua and Walfredo Reyes Jr. from Cuba, conducted by Brian West, Ed Landreth Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., FREE

Wednesday, April 26 - TCU Wind Symphony concert, conducted by Bobby Francis, Ed Landreth Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., FREE

Thursday, April 27 - Chamber music concert coordinated by Gerald Gavel, featuring TCU music faculty performing the works of Caribbean composers. Performers are John Owings, Karen Adrian, Curt Thompson, Harold Martina, Chip Christ, Gary Whitman and Misha Galaganov, PepsiCo Recital Hall, 7: 30 p.m., $10 admission

Friday, April 28 - Premiere of Mexican composer Samuel Zyman's "Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano" with TCU School of Music faculty Curt Thompson (violin), Jesús Castro-Balbi (cello) and José Feghali (piano) as soloists. Germán Gutiérrez will conduct the TCU Symphony Orchestra. TCU combined choirs will perform Glenn McClure's "St. Francis in the Americas: A Caribbean Mass" for voices, steel band ensemble and percussion, Ed Landreth Auditorium, 7:30 p.m., $10 admission

Saturday, April 29 - The TCU Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Gutiérrez, will perform "Kabbalah" by Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre. The TCU Symphony Orchestra, with Uruguayan harpist virtuoso Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, will perform "The South American Suite for Harp and Orchestra". Ed Landreth Auditorium, 3 p.m., $10 admission

For more information on the TCU Latin American Music Festival, visit the Web site at http://www.latinarts.tcu.edu/ or phone 817-257-7143.

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To hear the TCU Symphony Orchestra performing "Sones de Mariachi" click here.