The Cedar Cultural Center presents the ninth annual Cedar Commissions on February 21st & 22nd, 2020, featuring new works by ilan Blanck, Tensae Fayise, Freaque, Rebecca Nichloson, Dua Saleh and Anat Spiegel.

Guitarist and composer Ilan Blanck performs La Primera Vez Que Me Siento Seguro, a song cycle exploring the experiences of his great-grandparents; growing up in Eastern Europe, surviving the Holocaust as refugees in Soviet Russia, and finally, beginning a new life in Mexico City. Scored for almost a dozen musicians and written in Spanish, English, and Yiddish, the piece is an exploration of his family’s history in its own languages.

Natalia is thrilled to be performing as one of the singers for this commission. This work is timely, powerful and deeply moving.