The San Antonio Philharmonic will perform a concert in celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day at a Diez y Seis concert on September 15, 4 to 6 p.m. The concert, which is free, will be at the Lanier High School Auditorium, 1514 W. Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Please visit saphil.org for updates on the concert.

The program will include both national anthems, classical music from renowned Mexican composers and other popular favorites. The concert was planned when the Philharmonic, entering its second season, was setting up its home in offices at 1314 Guadalupe Street, two blocks south of Lanier High School. “Upon the recommendation of Henry Cisneros, it was deemed fitting for the Philharmonic orchestra to create a historic event by performing at Lanier High School, which has stood for a century, in commemoration of the Diez y Seis celebration.” said Philharmonic executive director Roberto Treviño, “We are proud to declare our presence on the westside as collaborative partners and neighbors, working together to uplift the entire community through the power of tradition, music and art.”

Diez y seis commemorates the night of September 15, 1810, when Father Hidalgo shouted El Grito de Dolores, or the Cry of Dolores, calling for independence from Spain. The day and Father Hidalgo’s cry symbolize Mexico’s eventual victory. The Lanier concert will be the San Antonio Philharmonic’s second on the Westside in recent months. On May 5 it performed a Cinco de Mayo concert at Plaza Guadalupe to a packed house.