Sonia Morales Matos to Premiere Divertimento Caribeño No. 7 at the 10th London Festival of American Music
Puerto Rican composer Sonia Morales Matos will make her UK debut this November at the 10th London Festival of American Music (LFAM), one of the United Kingdom’s most influential platforms for contemporary classical innovation. Her work, Divertimento Caribeño No. 7 (2025), will receive its UK premiere on November 9, 2026, during the festival’s opening night program, Latinos in America.
Founded in 2006 by the trailblazing Cuban-American conductor and composer Odaline de la Martínez, LFAM has become a landmark biennial celebration dedicated to showcasing the full breadth of American contemporary music — with a defining commitment to diversity and gender representation. Over half of all featured composers are women, and the festival has long championed Latino, African American, and displaced voices whose contributions have shaped the modern musical landscape.
Sonia joins an extraordinary lineup of Latin American and Latino‑American composers whose works will be presented by the Lontano Ensemble, conducted by award‑winning Singapore‑born maestro Tianhui Ng, celebrated for his advocacy of intercultural dialogue and contemporary repertoire. The evening features UK premieres by Johanny Navarro, Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Luis Quintana, Jorge Andrés Ballesteros, and Odaline de la Martínez herself.
With Divertimento Caribeño No. 7, Sonia brings the rhythmic vitality, emotional clarity, and Caribbean imagination that define her artistic voice to an international audience. Her participation in LFAM’s milestone 10th edition marks a significant moment for Puerto Rican contemporary music on the global stage — a celebration of heritage, innovation, and the expanding presence of Caribbean composers in major international festivals.
Sonia’s London debut promises to illuminate the festival’s mission: to expand the musical world by giving space to voices that deserve to be heard.