Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez

A Cross-Cultural Journey in Rhythm and Imagination

The HOPE Center for the Arts proudly presents BEATrio an extraordinary collaboration featuring three of today’s most innovative musicians: banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda and Grammy-winning drummer Antonio Sánchez. Each a trailblazer in their own right these artists unite to create a sound that defies genre boundaries weaving together bluegrass jazz Latin rhythms and global traditions with stunning originality. Fittingly they perform in the HOPE Center’s newly unveiled theater-in-the-round where pristine spatial audio and intimate sightlines dissolve the distance between artist and audience creating an elevated experience for music lovers.

At the heart of BEATrio is an exploration of rhythm texture and improvisation. Fleck brings the banjo into uncharted territory with his unmatched technical brilliance and curiosity while Castañeda transforms the harp into a powerful percussive and lyrical instrument that transcends expectations. Sánchez—known for his explosive work with Pat Metheny and for composing the score to the Oscar-winning film Birdman—provides the heartbeat driving the trio with both fiery precision and subtle nuance. Together their interplay sparks moments of breathtaking virtuosity and deep musical dialogue—an energy heightened in the HOPE Theater where the stage itself becomes a living canvas.

This performance is more than a concert—it’s a meeting of minds across cultures and disciplines embodying the spirit of innovation that defines the HOPE Center’s opening season. Audiences will be immersed in music that is adventurous yet deeply accessible heightened by the theater’s considerable investment in experiential production. With its dynamic stagecraft advanced projection mapping and the region’s first spatial audio system the HOPE Center creates an atmosphere where artistry resonates with rare immediacy—drawing listeners into a shared space of presence and discovery.

You may also like the following events from HOPE Center for the Arts:

• This Saturday, 4th October, 07:00 pm, John Pizzarelli and The Swing 7 in Springfield
• Next Thursday, 9th October, 07:00 pm, Makaya McCraven at HOPE Center for the Arts in Springfield

Also check out other Concerts in Springfield.