In 1941, Mexican percussionist, composer and conductor José Pablo Moncayo wrote Huapango at the request of Carlos Chávez for the Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. Based on the folk music and dance of the Veracruz area on the Gulf of Mexico, Moncayo wrote a work that has become somewhat of an unofficial national anthem in Mexico. Conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto on Friday, February 3, this piece was performed by the Minnesota Orchestra as an encore.