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Born June 20, 1971 in Medellín, Colombia (US citizenship)

PRINCIPAL TEACHERS

  • William Albright, Leslie Bassett, John Beall, William Bolcom, Evan Chambers, Theo Loevendie, Bernard Rands, and Steven Rush
  • Lawrence Christianson, conducting
  • John Winkler, trumpet

COMMISSIONS

  • Four commissions, The Albany Symphony (NY), 2004-2005
  • The Netherland-America Foundation, a concerto for violin and orchestra for Colin Jacobson for the 2006-2007 season
  • Three commissions for new works from the California Symphony, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • The Santa Barbara Symphony, 2002
  • The Boston Conservatory, a concerto for marimbist, Nanae Mimura, 2001-2002
  • Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music for a work for the Cassatt String Quartet and mezzo–soprano Stephanie Houtzeel, 1998–99
  • The Albany Symphony, “Dogs of Desire” Ensemble, 2002
  • Detroit Civic Orchestra, 2000
  • Wilma Wever, for voice and piano, with Weill Hall and Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal debuts, 2000
  • Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Paul Jacobs Commission, for large orchestra, 1997
  • New York Youth Symphony, for orchestra, with Carnegie Hall debut, 1997
  • University of Michigan Symphony Band, with Carnegie Hall debut, 1997
  • Everett Foundation, for cello and piano, 1996

GRANTS, AWARDS, AND SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Appointed composer in residence of the California Symphony as part of the orchestra’s Young American Composer Residency program. The three-year residency included three commissions plus other performances and duties, 2003-2005
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano and Wandlebury Ring published by Oxford University Press, NY, 2002 and 2004
  • First Prize, ASCAP Rudolph Nissim Competition, 2001
  • First Prize, the Omaha Symphony Orchestra Guild Composition Competition, 2001
  • First Prize, The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Centennial Composition Competition, for a cash prize, three performances at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and a performance in Carnegie Hall, 2000
  • Commissioning Award, Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, 2001
  • National Endowment for the Arts, Commissioning Grant, 1999
  • Netherlands–America Foundation Grant, for one year of post-graduate study in the Netherlands, 1999-2000
  • First Prize, Lee Ettelson Prize, Composers Inc., 1997
  • Four ASCAP/Morton Gould Awards to Young Composers, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998
  • American Academy of Arts and Letters, Charles Ives Scholarship, 1996
  • New York Youth Symphony, First Music 14 Commissioning Award, 1997
  • Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship, (sponsored by the Aaron Copland Fund), 1996
  • Three MacDowell Artist Colony Residencies, 1995, 2000, and 2004
  • Two Regents Fellowships (tuition and stipend) from the University of Michigan, MM, 1994–1996; DMA, 1996–1999
  • Seven ASCAP Standard Awards (given to members of ASCAP), 1997-2003
  • Conducting Experience.  Three years of conducting training with Lawrence Christianson.  Experience with orchestral, band, youth group, and new music ensemble conducting

PROFESSIONAL CD RECORDINGS

  • Shadowplays recorded by Timothy McAllister (saxophone) and the U of M Percussion Ensemble on the Equilibrium label, CD titled Imaginary Landscape: Percussion Music, 1996
  • Nocturne Fantasy (for flute, harp, and string orchestra) recorded by Catherine DeJongh, flute; Bohdan Jarmolowicz, conductor; The Polish National Chamber Orchestra, for the Centaur label, 2001

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Saint Louis Symphony, The New World Symphony, The Santa Barbara Symphony, The California Symphony, The Omaha Symphony, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, The Polish National Chamber Orchestra, The Albany Symphony, New York Youth Symphony, The Detroit Civic Orchestra, Three Carnegie Hall premieres, Weill Hall, Tanglewood Music Festival, Eastman Wind Ensemble, University of Michigan Symphony Band, Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), University of Illinois Orchestra, and Composers Inc. (with Associate Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony), Detmold Conservatory (Germany), Japan

SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Austin, Texas

Visiting Lecturer and Visiting Director of the New Music Ensemble    2001-2003

Instructed composition students in private lessons.  Taught classes in 20th-century music, instrumentation and orchestration.  Administered and conduct the New Music Ensemble (2002-03).

INTERLOCHEN ARTS CAMP
Interlochen, Michigan

Theory/Composition Faculty     1998-2000

Classroom instructor for basic and advanced theory classes as well as composition classes.  Private instructor for advanced studies in composition. 

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Composition Instructor    1997-1999

1998–’99: Instructor for a composition course taken by music majors at both the graduate and undergraduate level. 

1997–1998: Teaching Assistant for a composition class.  Responsibilities included private instruction as well as classroom teaching. Aural Skills Instructor    (1995-1996) Instructor for sophomore classes on dictation and sight-singing of tonal music.  Responsibilities included classroom teaching and grading.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Musical Arts, Composition, University of Michigan, 2000

Master of Music, Composition, University of Michigan, 1996

Bachelor of Music, Composition, West Virginia University, 1994 Magna Cum Laude