Fridays at Noon with Felix Contreras

Registration Note: This members-only free program requires registration.

Discover Fridays at Noon

Mark Fridays at Noon on your calendar to savor the liveliest and most interesting conversation you’ll hear all week. Designed exclusively for Smithsonian Associates members, this monthly video podcast series invites you to go behind the scenes and into the working lives of some of the most intriguing people from all across the Smithsonian and Washington’s worlds of culture, science, and education.

This Month's Featured Guest

Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin alternative music and world Latino culture since 2010. During Hispanic Heritage Month he joins Roberta to talk about the worldwide influence of Latin and Latin American music and culture from his viewpoint of 20 years behind the mic. 

In addition to his NPR post, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and hosts a weekly Instagram Live interview with a wide-ranging roster of guests. A knowledgeable international ambassador for Latino heritage and arts, “Tio Felix '' travels extensively in search of new talent and new music and captures important legacy performers in jazz and Latin genres. He often moderates and participates on panels focused on the contemporary influences of culture, music, and media.

Meet the Host

Led by Roberta Gasbarre, a multifaceted veteran arts educator and creator (and conversationalist extraordinaire), each informal 30-minute chat offers the perfect break to brighten your Friday and send you into the weekend with new insights from an array of engaging and thought-provoking guests.

“I love talking to people who are passionate about what they do, no matter the disciplines in which they work. It’s exciting to learn what makes them tick, where they find inspiration, and—especially now—how they remain innovative and imaginative when there’s a challenge to face. I always come away with something new and fascinating to spark my own thinking.” —Roberta Gasbarre

Upcoming Fridays at Noon Programs

• OCT 15: Elizabeth Beck, director, Smithsonian Women’s Committee
• NOV 5: Mandy Van Heuvelen, cultural interpreter manager at the National Museum of the American Indian, and Kelly Gardner, director of a film version of “Hear Me Say My Name,” an original multimedia performance created by the museum in collaboration with Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater

Patron Information

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