By Paul Bodine

The concert began with Benavides’ string quartet, ‘El Correcaminos’ (roadrunner), the state bird of New Mexico. With atmospheric, creative writing (including body percussion), it thoroughly succeeded at its programmatic purpose: to use the roadrunner to evoke four periods in his home state’s history: the American phase, the Mexican/Spanish phase, the first-people’s phase, and pre-human phase. The quartet of San Diego Symphony musicians delivered a confident performance of personality and technical polish.

“At the grand old age of 33, Nicolas Lell Benavides seemed the most capable of the Frank Academy graduates. His “El Correcaminos” (“The Roadrunner”) explored his New Mexican heritage. The second movement, excitingly performed by the Calder Quartet, was inspired by the Mexican (and Spanish) settlers. Beginning with slapping the instruments, the accumulating rhythms became a gritty Spanish-tinged dance played on the strings.”

“Saluting his native state of New Mexico, Nicolas Lell Benavides captured the unique character of the roadrunner, the official state bird, in the second movement of his 2019 quartet El Correcaminos. The Calder Quartet gave a disciplined, knowing account well-crafted piece in which the strings relied on extensive pizzicato. Their performance made me wish SummerFest had programmed the entire quartet–maybe next year?”