Stephen F. Austin State University

A Costa Rican pianist, composer and producer will perform his work “Simbiosis” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Turner Auditorium. “Simbiosis” combines music composed by Manuel Obregón in the Costa Rican rainforest with video by José Cortez.

“Obregón worked closely with the famous filmmaker José Cortez to capture the sights and sounds that inspired his music,” said Dr. Jeana Paul Ureña, associate professor of modern languages at SFA.

Obregón has recorded more than 20 compact discs as a soloist, and many others as an invited musician or producer. He studied piano at the Music Conservatory in the University of Costa Rica; the School of Modern Music and Jazz in Barcelona, Spain; and the Swiss Jazz School in Berne, Switzerland.

Cortez has made more than 300 documentary films for the Discovery Planet and National Geographic.

“The result of their collaboration is a breathtaking film of the Costa Rican rainforest and protected areas, combined with Obregón's piano compositions,” Ureña said. “Together, the piano and film form a beautiful and complex dialogue between man and nature.”

The presentation is funded in part by a U.S. Department of Education grant to SFA to enhance its Latin American Studies program. Ureña said the free concert is the first in the program’s visiting artist series, which will bring a performer every semester.