CHORAL AND VOCAL MUSIC, OPERA
Cantata del Pichinku
16 songs for choir and military band. Libretto, music and lyrics by the composer. Commissioned by Consejo Provincial de Pichincha, to commemorate the 200 years of the Pichincha Battle. To be premiered on 24 May 2022 in Quito. 80 minutes.
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Esther de Catacocha
Musical, for 13 soloists, choir and eight instrumentalists. Book, libretto, music and lyrics by the composer. Premiere date to be determined. 120 minutes, including intermission
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Sobre la naturaleza (About Nature)
Seven songs for middle voice and Guitar (I: Water, II: Waves, III: Sunflower, IV: Light, V: Ant, VI: Amosphere, VII: Alamos) . Lyrics by the composer. 2016. Commissioned by Southwestern University, Texas. Premiered by Bruce Cain and David Ausbury on April 21, 2016. 23 minutes
Listen III: Girasol (Sunflower)
El niño de los Andes (The Child of the Andes)
Semi-staged cantata for five soloists, choir and six instrumentalists (Andean instruments, percussion, guitar and bass). Libretto and lyrics by the composer. 2008. Commissioned by VocalEssence , Minneapolis. Premiere season: December 7 through 14, 2008 (VocalEssence, directed by Philip Brunelle). 40 minutes
Listen 9: De dónde salieron (Where did They Come from)
Read article about premiere in Quito (in Spanish)
Barrios Rebeldes (Rebel Neighborhoods)
Staged cantata for solo singers, choir and chamber orchestra, about the Quito Neighborhood Revolution at the beginning of the 19th century. Written in collaboration with composers Leonardo Cárdenas and Christian Mejía. Libreto by Galo Khalifé et alt. Premiered in Plaza de San Fransisco, Quito, on July 31, 2010, with stage direction of María Elena Mexía and conductor Christian Mejía
Manuela y Bolívar (Manuela and Bolivar)
Opera in 2 acts, for 5 soloists, choir, actors, dancers and symphony orchestra. Book, libretto, music and lyrics by the composer. 2006. Commissioned by Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre. Premiered on November 13, 2006, at the Sucre Theater (Javier Andrade, stage director; Alvaro Manzano, musical director). Two and a half hours, including intermission
Watch Vanessa Lamar singing aria Yo no lo sé
Watch the whole opera on Youtube
Un Nacimiento -Manito de Cera- (A Nativity Scene)
Christmas carol for choir and guitar. Winner of the Welcome Christmas Carol Contest . Lyrics by the composer. Premiered by the Minneapolis VocalEssence choral group, Philip Brunelle, director, December 3 through 10, 2007, at Plymouth Congregational Church. 4 minutes
Listen to recording from CD Behold
Quito Mitico
Cantata for choir, symphonic band, Andean instruments, and guitar ensemble. Libretto and lyrics by the composer. Premiered by 110 musicians from Coro Mixto Ciudad de Quito, Kantart Octet, Banda Sinfónica, Orquesta de Instrumentos Andinos, and Guitar Ensemble of Teatro Sucre, at the Teatro Nacional de la Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, on August 20, 2004, conducted by Medardo Caizabanda and Patricio Mantilla. 60 minutes
Canticum Canticorum
For choir and organ ad libitum. Based on biblical texts in Latin, from the Song of Songs. Written for the movie 1809-1810 Mientras llega el día. Recorded by Vozteso Ensamble in 2004. 6 minutes
Dos epifanías (I: Vivo, II: Para quien tiene Loja). Two Epiphanies. (I: I Live. II: For Whom Has Loja)
For tenor, baritone and orchestra. Lyrics by the composer. Written for the Second Serenade to the Virgen del Cisne. Premiered on November 20, 2004, at Teatro Nacional Casa de la Cultura de Quito, by Loja Symphony Orchestra with Juan Borja, tenor; Andrés Carrera, baritone; Patricio Alvarez, director. 11 minutes
Listen to Para quien tiene Loja, with the composer's voice
Resurrección en Quito (Resurrection in Quito)
History of the city of Quito in 18 songs and instrumental pieces, and (in the original version) with spoken texts, radio theater, processions, church bells, percussion, and fireworks. Libretto and lyrics by the composer. Premiered in the streets and squares of the historic center of Quito, during the Second Sacred Music Festival, April 2003. 60 minutes
Complete libretto and texts from the 2017 version (in Spanish)
Listen to Cantuña, Margarita Laso singing
Romería a la Virgen del Cisne (Pilgrimage to the Virgen del Cisne)
For choir and string orchestra. Lyrics by the composer. Commissioned by Primer Festival de Música Sacra. Premiered by Coro Pichincha and Orquesta Universitaria de Cuenta, in Quito. on March 18, 2002. Alvaro Manzano, conductor. 9 minutes
Listen to the premiere recording
Shaman
For baritone and orchestra. (Kazamusa Watanabe, conductor; Katsunori Kono, baritone. Commissioned by Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Premiered on October 19, 2001, as part of the concert Anthems for the new Century. 7 minutes
Once canciones (Eleven Songs)
For middle voice and guitar. Lyrics by the composer. Premiered by Dana Hanchard and Bill Girolamo at the Davis Arts Center, in Davis, California, on April 27, 2002. Recorded by soprano Dana Hanchard and released by Fertile Ground Music label (FGM 10294, New York). Score published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2002. 45 minutes.
Listen to En Poco tiempo nacerás (In a Little While you will be born)
Listen to Bendita la tierra (Blessed be the earth)
Listen to El mundo da vueltas (The world spins)
Arrullo (Lullaby)
For mezzo-soprano and 11 instruments (Piccolo, flute in G, clarinet, trumpet, 3 percussionists, harp, violin, viola, cello). Commissioned by IBM of Ecuador for the National Symphony Orchestra. Premiered at the Sucre National Theater in 1987. Voice: Margarita Laso, conductor: Álvaro Manzano. 8 minutes