After a successful inaugural concert in 2022, UnidosNow is bringing the second installment of its Noche Unidos event to the Van Wezel. This year's event fuses old- and new-world music by combining the dynamic exuberance of traditional mariachi with the emotional power of a classical symphony. More than 80 professional musicians will perform, including the globally recognized Mariachi Cobre group alongside the 72-piece Venice Symphony.

Mariachi Cobre, founded in 1971, has accompanied a wide range of mariachi and non-mariachi artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Lucha Villa, Lola Beltran, Ana Gabriel, Guadalupe Pineda, Julio Iglesias and Vikki Carr. The group has also performed with nearly 50 symphony orchestras across the U. S. and Mexico.

“After such overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, the board, staff and families of UnidosNow realized that this concert needs to be an annual event," says Kelly Kirschner, UnidosNow's co-founder and board chair. "It’s a metaphor for the work of UnidosNow—integrating our immigrant population into the fabric of the community—with a concert demonstrating that the fusion of seemingly disparate sounds is not only harmonious, but creates something new and beautiful.” 

The evening is part of UnidosNow’s flagship fundraising event. All funds raised will benefit the organization's mission to further empower the growing number of Hispanic/LatinX community members in our region through education, integration and civic engagement to achieve the American dream. To date, UnidosNow has served more than 3,000 low-income Hispanic/Latinx students and their families through its elementary, middle, and high school initiatives, and has assisted high school students in earning more than $14 million in scholarships and grants.

Noche Unidos begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. For more information, visit unidosnow.org, and for tickets visit vanwezel.org.