Caminantes, for wind symphony

Commissioned by the Wind Ensembles at Vanderbilt University, Thomas Verrier, Director, along with 31 other co-commissioners assisted by the College Band Directors National Association. Premiered on November 03, 2019 at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Approx. duration: 8:30 minutes. Instrumentation: 3 (picc) 2 4 (Bass cl) 2 - 4 sax- 43312 - timp, 3 perc., pn. **

King Mangoberry: Five Allegories for Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Commissioned by The University of South Carolina.  Premiered at the 2018 CBDNA Southeastern Conference held in Tampa, FL by the University of South Carolina Symphonic Winds under the direction of Cormac Cannon, February 24, 2018. Approx. duration: 23 minutes. Instrumentation: 3 (picc) 3 (E.H) 4 (Eb & Bass cl) 3 (C bn) - 4 sax - 43321-timp, 3 perc., harp, pn, double bass. ** Buy Now

Catálogo Fantástico, for symphony orchestra

Commissioned by The University of Chicago with funds provided by the Leona Bachrach Gerard Endowment Funs for     Music.  Premiered at The University of Chicago Mandel Hall by the University of          Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barbara Schubert, June 2, 2016. Approx. duration: 28 minutes. Instrumentation: 3343-4331-timp, 4 perc., harp, pn - strings 

Cacerola Soul, for choir and chamber ensemble

Work for SATB choir and mixed ensemble inspired by pot banging protests common in South America.  Text by Alfredo Pérez.  Commissioned by The Iberian and Latin American Music Society (ILAMS) and premiered on May 3, 2012 at the Purcell Room, South Bank Center, London, UK. Approx. duration: 11 minutes 1010-0110- 4 perc., pn, SATB (optional rapper), vln, D.B.

Canciones de Jara (Jara Songs): Concerto for viola and Orchestra

Composed for and premiered by violist Roberto Díaz through a Michigan State University Intramural Grant (IRGP) from the Vice-President’s Office for Research.  Premiered on October 22, 2010 by R. Díaz and the Michigan State University Symphony Orchestra, Leon Gregorian, conductor.  East Coast premiere in Camden, NJ on October 15, 2011 by R. Díaz and Symphony in C, Rossen Milanov, conductor. Approx. duration:  30 minutes....

El Muro (The Wall), for symphonic wind ensemble

Commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association and The University of Florida for premiere by the University of Florida Wind Symphony conducted by David Waybright,  October 1st, 2009.   The Michigan State University Wind Symphony previewed the work at the CBDNA Conference held at The University of Texas-Austin, March 28, 2008. Approx. duration: 10 minutes. Instrumentation: 4343 - 4 sax- 6431(2 Euph.) – timp, 4 perc.,...

Rumba Sinfónica, for Latin band and symphony orchestra

Composed in collaboration with Jorge Gómez for Tiempo Libre. Commissioned by Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Ravinia Festival, and Festival of the Art BOCA.   Premiered by Tiempo Libre and the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Sarah Hicks on November 16-17, 2008, and subsequently performed by Tiempo Libre and the Lynn University Symphony Orchestra at the Festival of the Arts Boca, the Detroit Symphony, and the Chicago Youth Symphony...

Al Otro Lado del Rio, for guitar and string quartet

Fantasy on a tune by Jorge Drexler for guitar and string quartet.  Commissioned by Music in The Loft and generously funded by the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund.  Premiered at Music in The Loft by guitarist Rami Vamos and Pacifica String Quartet on November 18, 2006.  The original tune by Jorge Drexler won the 2004 Academy Award for best soundtrack. Approx. duration: 12 minutes.

Compass Points (Puntos en la Brújula), for Bb Clarinet, Violin and piano

Commissioned by Trio Verdehr and Michigan State University. Premiered by Trio Verdehr on April 2, 2006 at the MSU School of Music Auditorium.  Performed extensively by Trio Verdehr throughout the US and South America.  The New Juilliard Ensemble did the New York premiere of the work at MoMa's Summergarden Festival, July 19, 2008. Approx. duration: 15 minutes.

Salsa Inglesa, for solo piano

Premiered by Elena Riu at the Rhythm Sticks International Festival, Purcell Room, London, July 17, 2004. Published in 2005 by Boosey & Hawkes under a collection of piano works titled Salsa Nueva: vibrant salsa beats meet contemporary classical piano music. Approx. duration: 5 minutes.

Konex-Konex, for folk ensemble and orchestra

Orchestral variations on a Mayan tune. Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and premiered jointly with Los Folkloristas on April 7-8, 2000 under the baton of William Eddins. Subsequently performed by the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México on September 16-17, 2000, Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor.  Approx. duration: 7 minutes. 3333 - 4331 - timp, 2 perc, harp - strings and folk ensemble.

Concerto for Recorder

Commissioned by Concert Artists Guild for recorder artist Aldo Abreu. In three movements. Premiered by the Billings Symphony (Montana) on November 7, 1998, under the baton of Uri Barnea. Approx. duration: 20 minutes. Instrumentation: 0000 - 2000 - timp, 2 perc, harpsichord (cel), solo rec. - strings. **

Zamuro tumbó Mirage, for alto saxophone, bass clarinet, piano, and percussion

Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition for the Minneapolis-based ensemble Zeitgeist. In four movements. Last movement requires a tape playback. Premiered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, byZeitgeist, at the Guthrie Theater on May 19, 1994. Performed the following year by Chicago's Contemporary Chamber Players, at Mandel Hall, University of Chicago. Approx. duration: 16 minutes.

Entrada Triunfal del Rey Mangoberry

Commissioned by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (Ohio) to open its 60th anniversary season. Premiered under the baton of Isaiah Jackson on September 22, 1993. Later performed by the Stockholms Blåsarsymfoniker (Sweden), The University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Youngstown Symphony. Approx. duration: 4 minutes. ** Instrumentation: 1(picc)333 - 4331 - timp, perc, pn.

Concerto for Orchestra

Commissioned by Dennis Russell Davies and the Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn. Premiered in Bonn, Germany, under the baton of Dennis Russell Davies; April 2, 1993. The North American premiere took place in New York's Carnegie Hall, by the American Composers Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies; December 4, 1994. Approx. duration: 17 minutes. Instrumentation: 3333 - 4431 - timp, perc, pn (cel), harp - strings.

Confabulaciones del Alma (Three Symphonic Etudes)

Jointly commissioned by Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. and Spain's Centro para la Difusión de la Música Contemporanea. Premiered in Alicante, Spain, by the Orquesta Nacional de España under the baton of Josep Pons, on September 22, 1992, during Alicante's VIII International Festival of Contemporary Music. It was performed later that year in Caracas, Venezuela, by the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolivar, under the baton of Alfredo Rugeles,...

Sit Still, for narrator, mixed chorus, and chamber orchestra

Commissioned by author Robert Fulghum and the Newhouse Foundation. Text by Robert Fulghum. Premiered at the World Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony and the Oratorio Society of Minnesota, conducted by Jere Lantz and narrated by Robert Fulghum; September 12, 1991. Approx. duration: 13 minutes. Instrumentation: 2222 - 2200 - timp, perc, harp - strings.

Violin Concerto

Commissioned by Pittsburgh Symphony's Concertmaster Andrés Cárdenes. In three movements. Premiered by the San Antonio Symphony (Texas) conducted by Carl Saint Clair; October 4, 1990. Also performed by the New World Symphony (Miami) under the baton of Eduardo Mata; March 27, 1993. Approx. duration: 27 minutes. **Instrumentation: 1021 - 0211 - timp, 3 perc, pn (cel), solo vln - strings.

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

Commissioned by the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela in celebration of its 60th anniversary season. In three movements. Premiered in Caracas by pianist Anthony de Mare, with the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela conducted by Carmen Helena Téllez; July 15, 1990. Subsequently recorded by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Lara (Venezuela) under the direction of Leonardo Panigada and Anthony de Mare as soloist.  Approx. duration: 35...

Mar Acá, for flute, ideophones (maracas, chéquere, rain stick) and chamber orchestra

Commissioned by Patty and Gustavo Cisneros for Sinfonietta Caracas. Premiered in Caracas at the 1989 gathering of the Society of the Americas, February 16; Luis Julio Toro, soloist; Sinfonietta Caracas conducted by Eduardo Marturet. The European premiere took place in Barcelona, Spain, by the Orquestra de Cambra Teatre Lliure under the baton of Josep Pons; October 25, 1990. It was recently performed at New York's Weill Recital Hall by Luis...

Canciones de Amor e Irreverencia, for tenor and twelve instruments

Text by Manuel Losada. Original version for tenor and piano (1983) orchestrated by request of conductor Juan Felipe Orrego, who premiered it at the Monday Evening Concerts Series (Los Angeles); February 27, 1989. 1) No nos hacen caso las estrellas, 2) Aura Malenka, 3) Arte, 4) Moraleja. Approx. duration: 16 minutes. **Instrumentation: 1011 - 0110 - perc, pn - string quintet.

Sinfonietta Concertante, for woodwind quintet and string orchestra

Commissioned by Fundación Ricardo Zuloaga to commemorate Heitor Villa-Lobos' 100th anniversary. Premiered in Caracas by Sinfonietta Caracas under the baton of Eduardo Marturet; August 9, 1987. It was performed immediately afterwards in New York City at the Washington Square Music Festival conducted by Tania León, and several years later at Town Hall by the Cosmopolitan Symphony. Approx. duration: 18 minutes.

La Historia Tropical, for narrator and seven instruments

Commissioned by Teatro Teresa Carreño as a parallel work to Igor Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat. Based on the story El Pobre Cucarachero by Venezuelan author Antonio Arraiz. Premiered in Caracas at the Teatro CANTV on April 30, 1986; Alberto Rowinsky, narrator; Macarena Solórzano, ballerina; Carmen Helena Téllez, conductor. Since then, the work has been performed in Venezuela on many occasions by different...

Lascia Ch’io Pianga, for string quartet

In three movements. Based on the famous aria from the opera "Rinaldo" by George F. Handel. Premiered at Indiana University's Recital Hall on January 31, 1986 by a student quartet: Darren Lowe and Beth Miller, violins; Stacia Spencer, viola; Suzana Stefanovich, cello. It was performed again in 1988 by the Cuarteto Latinoamericano during the X Foro Internacional de Música Nueva. Approx. duration: 16 minutes.

Triántico, for recorder, guitar, and harpsichord

Written for Aldo and Abraham Abreu. Premiered at Indiana University's Recital Hall on January 31, 1986; Luca Pelligrini, recorder; Feliu Gasull, guitar; Larry Hamberlin, harpsichord. Second performance took place at the Musical Arts Center in Bloomington, Indiana on December 1st, 1988; Aldo Abreu, recorder; Feliu Gasull, guitar; Ricardo Lorenz; harpsichord. Approx. duration: 10 minutes.

Bachangó, for solo piano

Premiered by Ricardo Lorenz at Indiana University's Recital Hall; April 25, 1984. The work was revised immediately thereafter and has been performed since then by a dozen pianists all throughout Europe, North and South America. It was performed for the first time in its revised version by Manuel Losada and soon afterwards by Anthony de Mare at Bargemusic Hall during the First New York International Festival of the Arts; June 23, 1988....

Delirio y Descanso, overture for mixed chorus and orchestra.

Commissioned by Consejo Nacional de la Cultura (CONAC) to commemorate the 154th anniversary of Simón Bolivar's death. Premiered in Caracas at the Sala Rios Reyna by the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela together with the Teatro Teresa Carreño Chorus conducted by Eduardo Marturet; December 17, 1984. Approx. duration: 8 minutes. Instrumentation: 3233 - 4331 - timp, perc, pn, harp - strings.

Variaciones Aldana, for flute and string quartet

Premiered by Ricardo Lorenz at Indiana University's Recital Hall; April 25, 1984. The work was revised immediately thereafter and has been performed since then by a dozen pianists all throughout Europe, North and South America. It was performed for the first time in its revised version by Manuel Losada and soon afterwards by Anthony de Mare at Bargemusic Hall during the First New York International Festival of the Arts; June 23, 1988....

Concertino for Timpani and Percussion

Written for timpanist Stuart Marrs who premiered it at Indiana University's Recital Hall accompanied by a student ensemble conducted by Carmen Helena Téllez; April 25, 1984. The Concertino has been performed by several groups and soloists including the Maelstrom Ensemble, percussionists Jan Williams and Rolando Morales, among others. Approx. duration: 15 minutes.