Mexican Concert Flutist Horacio Franco Performing in Beijing

Flutist Horacio Franco, who describes himself as both a Mexican and a “citizen of the world,” promoted his idea of timeless music without borders at a performance in Beijing that combined the classic works of Vivaldi and Bach with the pop tunes of the Beatles.

“You do not have to understand music. Either you feel it or you don’t,” Franco told Efe.

Music is a “universal language, we have it from the time we are in the womb,” the musician said.

Franco cited the Beijing Opera, which he has watched perform in Mexico, as an example.

“I think they sing very artificially at times and I do not understand a word of what they are saying, but I really like the way they express their feelings, which are the same ones you and I have – love, hate, anger, spite, religious thoughts, lust … But they express it in a different way,” Franco said.

The Mexican musician, who began playing the flute in high school, trained at the Amsterdam Conservatory.

Franco is extremely active on the concert circuit, performing about 150 recitals annually and teaching classes around the world.

Published in Latino Daily News