Enigma Variations: A Concert for Friendship
Jotaro Nakano, Music Director
Karla Donehew Perez, Violin
Paul Laraia, Viola
featuring project step students
Molly Joyce: Side by Side
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante
Karla Donehew Perez, violin
Paul Laraia, viola
Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations
About the Community Partner
Since 1982, Project STEP (String Training Education Program) has provided talented young musicians that identify with historically underrepresented groups in classical music with comprehensive music instruction. Project STEP envisions a world in which the classical music profession reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of our communities. 100% of Project STEP graduates have gone on to college or conservatory.
About the Soloists
Karla Donehew Perez, violin
Praised for her “luscious melodies” (New York Concert Review) and insightful artistry, violinist Karla Donehew Perez is a founding member of the GRAMMY Award-winning Catalyst Quartet. She is also an acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, educator, and advocate for equity in classical music. Currently, she serves as Professor of Violin at the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
With the Catalyst Quartet, she has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and London’s Wigmore Hall, and collaborated with major ensembles such as the Cincinnati and Bogotá Philharmonics, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. The group’s Uncovered series, which highlights historically significant works by Black composers, has been widely celebrated, alongside their GRAMMY-winning collaboration with jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dreams and Daggers. The quartet is currently Ensemble-in-Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As a soloist, Donehew Perez has appeared with the Berkeley Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Puerto Rico Symphony, and New World Symphony, among others. She is a frequent chamber collaborator with artists such as Joshua Bell, Anthony McGill, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Takács quartets.
Her festival appearances include Chamber Music Northwest, Aspen, Vail International Dance Festival, and Mainly Mozart. A passionate educator, she has led residencies at institutions including Cornell University, the San Francisco Conservatory, and the Kennedy Center, and she recorded the violin solos for Mosaic, a method anthology focused on underrepresented communities.
Born in Puerto Rico, Donehew Perez made her solo debut with the Puerto Rico Symphony at age nine. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and performs on a modern Greiner violin, supported in part by a Sphinx MPower Artist Grant.
Paul Laraia, Viola
Paul Laraia is an acclaimed violist praised by The Strad for his "eloquent" and "vibrant" playing. A first-prize winner of both the 13th Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 14th National Sphinx Competition, he has also received the Gold Medal with High Distinction at the 5th Manhattan International Music Competition. Laraia’s versatility as a soloist has taken him to stages worldwide, performing with major orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and Filharmonica de Bogotá, as well as in prestigious venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the 40th International Viola Congress. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Strad, NPR, and WQXR.
In 2023, Paul joined the faculty of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music, where he shares his belief in music’s transformative power and its ability to heal and connect people. He is also the recipient of the Sphinx Organization’s MPower artist grants in 2019 and 2024, the latter of which supports his A ZARABANDA project.
Throughout his career, Paul has collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists of our time, including Gil Shaham, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, and Khatia Buniatishvili, and has worked closely with composers like Jessie Montgomery, David Ludwig, and Shiuan Chang. His passion for new music has led to collaborations with composers across genres, from classical luminaries to cutting-edge contemporary voices.
A ZARABANDA marks his most ambitious project yet, drawing on his extensive training and years of performing, composing, and recording. The album reimagines the sarabande—rooted in colonial history and musical tradition—through the viola’s voice, interweaving themes of identity, cultural memory, and artistic resistance. Laraia’s work continues to challenge the boundaries of classical music, while embracing the diverse influences that shape his musical identity.
Explore the Program
Exchanges and ticket donations can be made up to 24 hours in advance of the originally ticketed concert date by emailing info@longwoodsymphony.org or calling 617-987-0100. We cannot guarantee the same seats will be available for the exchanged concert. Refunds will be offered if you are unable to exchange or donate. Subject to availability.
Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available. Please contact info@longwoodsymphony.org or call 617-987-0100 to arrange.
All programs are subject to change.