Working in a genre rife with tradition, San Antonio chamber music ensemble Agarita has always forged its own path. In 2021, the group provided musical homologs to the “American Impressionism” show at the San Antonio Museum of Art; in 2022, they took the experience underwater at a concert amplified through speakers submerged in the Alamo Heights Pool.

Now, the quartet of Daniel Anastasio, Marisa Bushman, Ignacio Gallego, and Sarah Silver Manzke is set to bring its unique brand of storytelling to even more local venues during its sixth season. The series begins with a September 2 collaboration with Grammy Award-winning group Parker Quartet members at the University of the Incarnate Word’s Diane Bennack Concert Hall.

Other 2023-2024 calendar highlights include an intimate recital at the San Antonio Botanical Garden with renowned Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas and a Carver Community Cultural concert featuring Columbian cellist Santiago Cañón Valencia.
The performances are only a small part of Agarita’s busy schedule. Aided by a new annual operations grant from the San Antonio Area Foundation, the ensemble will continue its community outreach through dynamic programs.

Among them is Humble Hall, a sequence of open-air concerts held in all 10 San Antonio council districts. The effort hopes to eliminate the time and expense of traveling to a formal venue. As always, the shows will be bilingual and free to all ages.

The group will also visit more than 35 area schools and institutions like the San Antonio Children’s Hospital, Haven for Hope, and juvenile detention centers as part of Agarita Inspires! The initiative brings music education to thousands of Bexar County youth.

“It is our dream to continue to have Agarita impact the lives of the community through inspiring music and art for the next five years,” said Bushman in a release. “Thanks to the community’s support, we have exceeded all of our expectations."

Details and dates on the 2023-2024 season and future Humble Hall sessions can be found at agarita.org.