Orchestra
This category lists all pieces that require a symphony orchestra, including those that feature a soloist and those that have vocal parts. I have excluded film works that require an orchestra, with the sole exception of Holy Popcorn, as it is the only soundtrack that was performed in public and also recorded by a real orchestra.
Flute Concerto "Heart and Mind"(2024)
Dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Melanie Wu. The first movement, "Look Inside," takes its title from one of her songs and reflects the journey of overcoming fear, pride, and guilt to find love and freedom. The second movement, "Breathe In Deep," aligns with the Chinese belief that good things come in pairs and relates to lyrics from Melanie's songs that talk about breathing and expanding love. The third movement, "Let Go," emphasizes trust and letting go to achieve true freedom.
Duration: c.a. 25' 21''
Atipanakuy (2024)
Fantasia for violin and orchestra
Commissioned by the esteemed Peruvian violinist María Elena Pacheco, the piece unfolds in distinct sections, mirroring the progression of the Scissors Dance of Peru. It commences with a solemn introduction, evoking the ceremonial offerings made to the spirits before the dance. Subsequently, the orchestra and violin engage in three "duels," each escalating in complexity and intensity, akin to the exchanges between the traditional dance's principal performers, the "danzaq" and "tusuq."
Duration: c.a. 10' 45''
Trumpet Concerto (2023)
Concerto for 4-valve trumpet in C and small orchestra
My trumpet concerto is the result of a commission from my dear friend Franco Carranza, first trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru. The concert is dedicated to General José de San Martín, Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru, within the framework of the celebrations for the bicentennial of the independence of Peru. It was premiered on August 19 at the Great Temple of Argentine Freemasonry, in Buenos Aires, where Franco was accompanied by the José de San Martín National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Agustín Montali.
Duration: c.a. 17' 14''
Piano Concerto "Remembrance" (2021)
4-movement concerto for piano and orchestra
As I embarked on my master's program at the University of Birmingham, in the wake of Kael Zollner's untimely departure, I felt an undeniable urge to pay tribute to him in a way that transcended traditional conventions. Kael's fondness for the piano echoed in my mind, guiding me towards the choice of a piano concerto, and his affection for Pablo Neruda's "20 Poems and a Song of Despair" played a pivotal role in shaping the piece, as each movement draws inspiration from a specific poem within the collection.
Duration: c.a. 28' 50''
The Garden of the Shadows (2016)
4-movement work for full orchestra
This piece is an orchestration of my woodwind octet of the same name, which draws inspiration from H.G. Wells' science fiction novel, "The Time Machine." The title of the composition, as well as the names of its four movements, allude to the novel's storyline in which a 19th-century scientist travels to the distant future, discovering two distinct species: the beautiful and peaceful Eloy and the grotesque, subterranean Morlocks who fear the light.
Duration: c.a. 9'
Holy Popcorn (2013)
Single-movement work for orchestra and children's choir
Holy Popcorn is a short film by Spanish director Ramón de Los Santos. It is a surreal film that uses fantasy and satire to offer a sharp critique of the human condition and society. Ramón commissioned the music from me in 2012 and liked it so much that he organized a screening of the film in Covilhã, Portugal, with the music played live by the orchestra of the Covilhã Professional School of Arts, EPABI and the choir of the Covilhã Regional Conservatory of Music, under the direction of Rogério Peixinho.
Duration: c.a. 25'
KOCMOC (Cosmos) (2013)
Single-movement work for full orchestra with optional choir
In 1997, I took master classes with Russian composer Vladislav Uspensky, a former student of Shostakovich. Under his guidance, I wrote a piece named "Kocmoc" (cosmos), inspired by a fantastic starry sky I witnessed at a local beach, south of Lima. After Professor Uspensky's passing, I reused the materials from that piece to create a new one in his memory. As the original had a choir, I included one as well, using an excerpt of the poem Urania, by Fyodor Tyutchev. Kocmoc premiered in 2013, by the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru and the National Choir of Peru, under the direction of Fernando Valcárcel.
Duration: c.a. 12'
Cinematic Overture (2013)
Single-movement work for full orchestra
This piece was intended to become the main theme of an animated film that unfortunately was never made. Then, in 2013, the organizers of the Lima Film Festival asked me to write an orchestral piece for the final gala. Since I had little time, I presented the music to them, and they liked it, so they asked me to orchestrate it. The music was then performed at the closing of the festival, by the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, under the direction of Fernando Valcárcel.
Duration: c.a. 4'
Shir (2006)
Single-movement work for vocal soloists, choir and orchestra
"Shir" is a cantata that I wrote in my student years, and which I initially called "A man and his god." However, I later changed the title to "Shir", which is the Sumerian word for song. The work is based on a very long Sumerian text known by the first title of the piece, from which I took specific parts that I adapted into a sequence of arias, choruses and instrumental interludes. A narrator intervenes three times to explain the plot and present a translation of the text, which is then sung in a transliteration of the cuneiform version.
Duration: c.a. 30'
Icarus (2003)
Single-movement work for orchestra
Icarus takes two main concepts from the Greek myth and fleshes them out musically: the childlike nature of the character and the wings his father makes for him. The first concept is represented by a series of animated motifs that resemble typical nursery rhymes; the second is represented in the structure of the work, divided into three moments: a) disorderly presentation of the materials (the parts that will make up the wings), b) presentation of materials in order (the wings are ready), and c) deconstruction of materials (the wings fall apart).
Duration: c.a. 6' 18''