<\/p>\n
For this week\u2019s new release, we visit Cuba for a Latin twist on some holiday favorites. It comes from British horn player Sarah Willis<\/a>, who in 2001 became the first woman to join the brass section of the Berlin Philharmonic<\/a>. <\/p>\n Since then, she\u2019s become one of the public faces of the orchestra, presenting concerts and hosting her own interview series, Horn Hangouts<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n This new album is the latest release in a project that began in 2017, when Willis visited Cuba for the first time. This gave rise to her Mozart y Mambo series<\/a>, which paired Mozart\u2019s horn concertos with Cuban dances, accompanied by a talented student orchestra from Havana.\u00a0 In 2024, Willis returned to Cuba and formed The Sarahbanda<\/a>, her own ensemble of Cuban musicians that blurs the lines between classical and Latin music. And for their second album, they\u2019re celebrating Christmas.<\/p>\n WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n The album includes a unique take on a Christmastime staple, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky\u2019s Nutcracker Suite, performed in a distinctive Cuban style:<\/p>\nNews with a little more humanity<\/h2>\n