Chautauqua Institution today announced headliners Plena Libre on July 17 and Sonia De Los Santos on July 28, bringing bi-lingual programming to Chautauqua Institution’s Amphitheater during its sesquicentennial celebration. Plena Libre’s performance and master class are programmed on Education Wednesday and Sonia De Los Santos’ performance has been programmed on a free Sunday as part of Chautauqua’s Family Entertainment series.  

“I am thrilled to invite these wonderful performers to Chautauqua this summer,” shared Vice President of Visual and Performing Arts Laura Savia. “These concerts will be a joyous opportunity to hear great music and to celebrate the rich Latin American musical influence that informs both Plena Libre and Sonia De Los Santos’ work. We look forward to welcoming people of all ages to these two concerts and invite further engagement with these artists, whether through Sonia De Los Santos’s post-show meet and greet or Plena Libre’s master class. By engaging these artists on “Free Sunday” and “Education Wednesday,” respectively, we hope to foster a merry gathering of community and to underscore the notion that art belongs to everyone.”  

Plena Libre, renowned for its hard-hitting horns and masterful hand drummers, delivers soulful music from Puerto Rico that resonates deeply with its audience. The Boston Herald describes their sound as “a mad weave of polyrhythms that simply sizzle.” This dynamic group combines traditional Plena and Bomba rhythms with other Afro-Caribbean styles and jazz, creating a contagious dance music that honors their rich indigenous musical traditions while embracing modern sounds. 

De Los Santos has been nominated for a Latin Grammy® and hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know” and “Best Latin Children’s Music.” She and her band have performed at renowned venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, The Getty Museum, The National Gallery of Art, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and many more. In 2020, Sonia launched “En Casa con Sonia,” an online musical series recorded from her home. In 2021, she debuted “¿Qué Pasa, Sonia?” a radio segment featuring some of her favorite songs at Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live. In March, she debuted her empowering new live show, “Música,” honoring women in music; it premiered at New York City’s iconic New Victory Theater. 

Plena Libre 

Chautauqua’s Amphitheater 
Wednesday, July 17 at 8:15 p.m. 
$49 – $69; free for those who qualify for the Education Wednesday program (see below) 
Fun for all ages. 

The trailblazing Plena Libre has been thrilling international audiences for nearly three decades. Masters of the traditional Puerto Rican plena and bomba styles, Plena Libre fuses well-loved traditions with modern Afro-Caribbean influences, putting a new and always electrifying spin on this scintillating music. With mesmerizing hand drumming, raucous horns, and soaring three-part vocal harmonies, this multi-Grammy Award–nominated band always brings the heat. Take advantage of a unique opportunity to meet the band up close in a class earlier in the day (registration through Special Studies). 

Plena Libre’s music is performed primarily in Spanish. 

Plena and Bomba Rhythms with Plena Libre 

Master Class at Fletcher Hall  
Wednesday, July 17 at 1:00 p.m. 
Ages 16+ 
$49 

Plena Libre combines traditional Plena and Bomba rhythms with other Afro–Caribbean styles and jazz to create contagious dance music that honors the group’s deep sense of unique indigenous musical traditions while embracing modern sounds. Meet the band up close in this fun class for all audiences before their evening performance in the Amphitheater. 

Tickets for Plena Libre’s Masterclass will go on sale May 30. 

Education Wednesdays at Chautauqua offer current students, teachers and staff from Chautauqua County schools (K–12) a free gate pass (7 a.m. to midnight) each Wednesday throughout the summer season. Upon arriving at the grounds, qualifying guests must visit the Ticket Office and show a valid school/issued ID. report card or homeschooling approval paperwork to receive free entry to the grounds, which includes access to all events at the Amphitheater. 

Tickets for Plena Libre are now available at tickets.chq.org. 

Sonia De Los Santos 

Family Entertainment Series 

Chautauqua’s Amphitheater 
Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. 
Free Sunday event 

Join De Los Santos for a meet-and-greet after the show on the back porch of the Amphitheater. 
  

Sonia De Los Santos, born in Monterrey, Mexico, has been enchanting audiences with her infectious smile and bilingual melodies since 2007 when she embarked on her musical journey with Dan Zanes and Friends. Her solo career boasts three acclaimed family music albums, filled with songs inspired by Latin American rhythms and North American folk traditions, alongside heartwarming tales of her Mexican upbringing and dreams realized in New York. With nominations for a Latin Grammy® and accolades from Billboard, Sonia’s uplifting performances have graced prestigious venues and festivals worldwide. 

De Los Santos’s concert will feature music in both Spanish and English. 

ABOUT CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION    
Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State where approximately 7,500 people are in residence on any day during a nine-week summer season. More than 100,000 attend scheduled public events each year and even more engage online via the streaming channel CHQ Assembly. Chautauqua is dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life through a program that explores the important religious, social and political issues of our times; stimulates provocative, thoughtful involvement of individuals and families in creative response to such issues; and promotes excellence and creativity in the appreciation, performance and teaching of the arts. The Institution celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2024. 

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