The Sarahbanda

Spawned by Berlin Philharmonic hornist Sarah Willis' popular "Mozart y Mambo" recordings, the chamber ensemble The Sarahbanda offers further explorations of Cuban dance rhythms in a Cuban context influenced by classical music. The ensemble still includes Willis on the French horn, joining forces with a sextet of leading Cuban musicians. The Sarahbanda's repertory combines popular Cuban melodies with original compositions by members of the ensemble. The Sarahbanda released its self-titled debut album on the Alpha label in 2024.The genesis of The Sarahbanda lay in the work of hornist Willis, who was born in Maryland and has been a member of the horn section of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra since 2001. Her varied activities have included solo appearances, stints as a presenter on the Deutsche Welle radio network, and trips to Cuba that resulted in the 2020 Alpha recording Mozart y Mambo, which combined works by Mozart and Cuban mambo compositions, sometimes fusing the two styles. Ultimately, three "Mozart y Mambo" albums were released, all featuring mixtures of Mozart compositions (including three horn concertos) with Cuban music. Those albums featured the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, a group of young Cuban musicians who collectively broadened Willis' exposure to the Cuban music scene.These efforts led to the creation of The Sarahbanda, which Willis defines as "the Cuban band with a difference." It grew out of efforts on the three "Mozart y Mambo" albums to incorporate the horn into a traditional Cuban ensemble. The repertory of The Sarahbanda consists of music in Cuban forms, although some pieces are based on compositions by Mozart and Bizet. The members of The Sarahbanda, in addition to Willis, are saxophonist Yuniet Lombida, violinist Aylín Pino, pianist Jorge Aragón, bassist Carlos García, and percussionists Alejandro Aguiar and Adel González. The Sarahbanda released its self-titled debut album on Alpha in September of 2024; the album was recorded at Berlin's Traumton Studio.
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