Opera

Chamber opera, for soprano, mezzo, 2 tenors, baritone and ensemble (b-cl/vc/perc/pno)

Ever since I first heard Benjamin Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," I've been inspired to create an opera based on a Shakespearean play. I spent years deliberating whether or not to pursue this endeavor. Then, one day, I was taken aback to discover only two operatic adaptations of Macbeth: Verdi's and Bloch's. While they both pushed the boundaries of their respective eras, significant advancements have since occurred in the realm of musical expression. I concede that instilling terror through music is a formidable challenge, but I believe there's uncharted territory to explore in a modern, darker rendition of Macbeth.

Duration: c.a. 70' 30''

Operatic scene for work for soprano, clarinet and piano

I remember when we all found out what had happened in Chernobyl. I was in my freshman year of high school and the news surprised us all. However, we were completely unaware of the magnitude of the tragedy. It took us a few years to discover the horror and the tragedy. So when Maritza told me that she had a poem dedicated to them that she wanted me to put to music, I didn't hesitate to accept her offer. Hologramas (Holograms) takes the apparent form of a children's tale, while at the same time revealing the shocking facts about what happens when the most vulnerable suffer the consequences of man's neglect.

Duration: c.a. 12'

Chamber opera in one act with a libretto by Maritza Núñez

Maritza and I have known each other since 2010. For years we've tried to work on a project, but we never seemed to be able to make our busy schedules fit together.  In 2020, finally, our first opportunity came. Encouraged by Maritza, 15 Peruvian composers, including myself, embarked on the joint composition of an opera with a libretto by her. A few weeks after the premiere, Maritza handed me the libretto of Ídolos, which she had written in 2015. I loved it from the moment I read it and accepted the challenge immediately.

Duration: c.a. 36'

Operatic scene for soprano and ensemble (sop & cl/perc/pno/vln.vlc)

Maritza and I have known each other since 2010. For years we've tried to work on a project, but we never seemed to be able to make our busy schedules fit together. In 2020, finally, our first opportunity came. Encouraged by Maritza, 15 Peruvian composers, including myself, embarked on the joint composition of an opera with a libretto by her. The result of this collaboration was “Eclipses”, for 2 sopranos and four musicians, which was recorded and presented during the lockdown of the pandemic as a multimedia work.

Duration: c.a. 3' 25''

Today more than ever, the issues raised in Karel Capek’s 1920 play “RUR” are of crucial significance. Not only have people already been replaced by robots in many types of jobs, but scientists like Stephen Hawking have also repeatedly warned mankind of the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence. As well as being a work about the folly of ignoring the consequences of our own actions, R also deals with such universal themes as love, compassion and empathy. Finally, it raises some fundamental questions which the human race will certainly be forced to face in the years and decades to come: can intelligent machines develop consciousness? And, if so, do they deserve to have rights?

Duration: c.a. 110'