There are partnerships in music that feel predestined; forged not just by shared talent, but by shared trust and even fate. Tenor Raguel Gabriel and pianist Dr. Jeffrey Middleton have cultivated such a bond – one that began humbly over a decade ago at the Central Bank Auditorium in Trinidad and now returns to that very stage with the second edition of Night and Dreams – a recital that is as much about the music, as it is about their shared artistic voice.
In 2011, Gabriel was stepping into his first operatic role. Behind the piano was Middleton, already an accomplished American pianist with decades of experience performing around the world. Though the moment passed quickly, it laid the foundation for a creative relationship that would evolve across years, countries and careers.
In a poetic twist, they also discovered that they share the same birthday, a detail they uncovered later on in their collaboration. It’s a fitting symbol for the natural rhythm and synchronicity that defines their work.
“Jeff and I don’t just rehearse – we discover,” Gabriel shares. “He knows when to hold space for silence, when to breathe with me, when the story needs time. That trust only comes from years of shared music and mutual respect.”
Middleton, a graduate of Juilliard and Yale, has spent decades shaping voices and performances through his work as a vocal coach, chamber musician and recording artist. His collaborations span Carnegie Hall, the School of American Ballet, and concert tours across Europe, Africa and Asia. His long-standing partnership with Gabriel has evolved through mutual respect and an ongoing musical dialogue.
Their upcoming performance on May 31st at the Central Bank Auditorium is more than just a concert. It is the continuation of a musical conversation, refined by time and devotion.
The programme, a mix of German, French and English arias, was curated collaboratively. From Schubert and Mahler to Duparc and Faure, the music explores the stillness of night, the longing in dreams and unspoken emotions that lie in between. Audiences in New York were visibly moved during the debut edition in 2023 and this performance brings the music back to where the journey began.
As Gabriel reflects on what this performance means to him, he shares:
“…I kept the dream quietly inside me, listening and expecting the right time… and here it is. It’s time.”
Date: Saturday, May 31st, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM (Doors open at 5:00 PM)
Venue: Central Bank Auditorium
Tickets: $200 (available online at www.raguelgabriel.com and at the Central Bank Box Office on MAY 27TH)
The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network 