The Asunción City Symphony Orchestra (OSCA) will present the fifth concert of its 2026 Official Season on Thursday, 3 September 2026. The free concert will take place at 20:00 in the Teatro Municipal Ignacio A. Pane. The concert will feature the acclaimed American guest conductor, Leon Burke III.
His appearance marks a continuation of a collaborative relationship with the orchestra that spans more than four decades. He will lead a programme including celebrated works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Edvard Grieg, and Leonard Leonard Bernstein.
A celebrated programme
Paraguayan pianist Nicole Kennedy López will join the orchestra as the principal soloist for the evening. Currently based in Germany, she is advancing her musical training at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. Kennedy López is set to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto, one of the most recognised pieces in the instrument’s repertoire.
The evening’s programme will also include the overture from Leonard Bernstein’s operetta Candide. In addition, the orchestra will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op. 67. This symphony remains one of the most popular and frequently performed compositions in the global symphonic repertoire.
Distinguished guest artists
Leon Burke III has an extensive career as both an orchestra conductor and a teacher. His connection with Paraguay began in 1989 through a cultural exchange programme between Kansas and the country. He later served as a Fulbright scholar in Paraguay. Currently, Burke directs the University City Symphony Orchestra and is active as a guest conductor, educator, and artistic director.
Nicole Kennedy López began her piano studies with her mother. She later trained with the Sonidos de la Tierra programme at the Mennonite Center for Theological Studies (CEMTA) and at the National Conservatory of Music. After moving to Germany, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Pedagogy. She is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Solo Piano at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, under the guidance of Professor Piotr Oczkowski.
The Paraguayan artist made her solo debut with the National Congress Symphony Orchestra (OSIC) in 2018. Since then, she has performed on numerous occasions with OSCA. Kennedy López has also given concerts across Latin America and Europe, receiving various international scholarships and awards for her talent.
The free concert is presented by the Itaú Foundation and Petrobras. It is organised by the Asunción Philharmonic Society and the General Directorate of Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Asunción.
Also read Asunción Symphony Orchestra: Music Made Accessible, or find OSCA on Instagram.
