Composition
My first encounter with composition came early. As a child, I watched my mother write small piano pieces for me to play, and without realizing it, I was already participating in the creative process. At nine years old, I performed what may have been my first collaboration with a composer—my own mother. A few years later, in 1997, I received First Prize at the Cuban National Habanera Composition Competition, an early encouragement to continue exploring this path.
During my formative years in Cuba, I had the opportunity to perform and engage with the music of many living composers, including Leo Brouwer, Magaly Ruiz, Harold Gramatges, Alfredo Diez Nieto, José María Vitier, Guido López-Gavilán, Andrés Alén, Félix Guerrero, Carlos Valera, and Carlos Fariñas. Each possessed a distinct musical language, yet all shared something unmistakably Cuban. Their work left a deep imprint on my creative imagination.
Years later, in Germany, I studied composition with Prof. Stephan Winkler, and composition became a more deliberate part of my musical practice. While continuing to explore different influences, I wrote the cycle Five Cuban Fantasies, originally conceived for solo piano and later recorded on the album Classic Vibrations in collaboration with improvising musicians.
In September 2026, I was commissioned by The Dallas Opera and tenor Anthony León, First Prize winner of the Operalia International Opera Competition, to create a new symphonic reimagining of the music of Ernesto Lecuona, dedicated to Anthony León.
The work was premiered on September 27, 2026, as part of The Dallas Opera’s opening concert of the 2026–27 season, with Anthony León as the featured soloist.
I continue to develop new compositions and explore the possibilities of bringing Cuban musical traditions into contemporary concert settings.
Arranging & Orchestration
Alongside my work as a composer, I have created numerous arrangements and orchestrations for projects connected to Cuban and Latin American music, working across a range of instrumental and ensemble settings.
My arrangements have been featured in major concert and recording projects, including music featured on a Grammy Award–winning album for Best Musical Theater Album.
My work in arranging and orchestration often grows out of the same interest that informs my compositions: exploring the musical possibilities of Cuban repertoire while preserving its distinctive character, rhythm, and expressive identity.
I have also worked on music for film and documentary projects, including the score for El Gran Impaciente, directed by Carlos Arenal, an award-winning production.
I am currently developing new orchestral arrangements and projects that continue to explore the relationship between Cuban musical traditions, contemporary orchestral writing, and collaborative performance.
