This lecture examines the reconstruction of La Esclava (1921) by José Mauri Esteve as a key work in the development of a national operatic tradition in Cuba. It explores the fragmented state of its surviving materials, the methods used to restore its musical and dramatic structure, and the role of archival collections in this process, while reflecting on its significance for Cuban lyric theatre and contemporary performance. 

Diaz Ayala Travel Grant Recipient Javier Soriano is a Cuban-born musicologist and cornettist. He holds degrees from the Universidad de las Artes (Cuba) and the Pôle Supérieur Aliénor de Poitiers in musicology, musicianship training, and early music performance.