Table of Contents
Adriana Verdié (b. 1958)
Adriana Verdié de Vas-Romero received a master’s degree in composition, summa cum laude in 1997 from CSULB, where she was elected Outstanding Graduate for the College of the Arts. In 2003, Dr. Verdié joined the theory/composition faculty at CSULB, after receiving a Ph.D. in composition from the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds degrees in choral conducting and music education from the University of Cuyo in Argentina, where she was also the Outstanding Graduate for the Music Department, and an active conductor, theory instructor, composer, and arranger.
Dr. Verdié has participated in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, twice in the Cal State Summer Arts, with performances by the New York New Music Ensemble and Speculum Musicae (NY), the Oregon Ernest Bloch Festival, the Society of Composers, Inc. NE Convention, and the International Alliance of Women in Music Festival (PA), aside from being frequently performed at the CSU Composers’ Guild concerts, the UC Berkeley Graduate Composers Concerts and the Berkeley New Music Project concerts.
Critic Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times calls her music compelling and original, and critic Allan Ulrich of the San Francisco Chronicle compares her piece Flute 3.2.4. with Varese’s Density 21.5 …in its vivid exploration of this instrument’s capabilities.
Dr. Verdié has received commissions to write orchestra, chamber and solo pieces, and her music has received several honors and awards in the US, Canada, and Argentina for original composition and arranging (Flute 3.2.4., Jira-Yira, El Polvoroso). She has had performances of her works in the regular seasons of the new music groups Synchronia (St. Louis, MO), I Cantori (Pasadena, CA), Zephyr (Spokane, WA), Oasis (Long Beach, CA), Earplay (San Francisco, CA), Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players, Americas Vocal Ensemble (New York), Sacramento Symphony Orchestra, Columbus (OH) Sinfonia, Berkeley University Symphony Orchestra, Cal State Northridge New Music Ensemble, and Cal State Long Beach New Music Ensemble.
Adriana Verdié | Confluencia (2015/2025) | bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano
From the composer:
“Confluencia” started as a single process piece, but as I was driving home a second process started to spin in my head. Upon arriving at home I rushed to pencil it down before I would get distracted. Although it worked as a perfect middle section I decided to go a step further and overlap both processes in the closing section.”
Edna Alejandra Longoria (b. 1988)
Edna Alejandra Longoria is a Mexican-American composer born in McAllen, Texas, and raised in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She holds a master of music in composition from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, and a bachelor of music in composition from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Edna draws inspiration from her Latin heritage as well as minimalist and classical traditions. Her works have premiered across the United States, Mexico, South America, Canada, and Europe.
Recent highlights include Cuatro ritmos, selected as one of the winners of E4TT’s 2025 Call for Scores; participation in the 2024 EarShot Readings organized by the American Composers Orchestra; winning SOLI Chamber Ensemble’s 30x30x30 Call for Scores in 2024; and receiving the 2024 Vibrant Shores Prize for her piece El Bailongo. Earlier honors include being named a winner of the 2019 LunArt Festival Call for Scores for Danzas Cautivas, and receiving the San Antonio NALAC Grant Award (2020) and the San Antonio Performing Arts Grant Award (2019).
In addition to concert music, Longoria is passionate about composing for film. Her scores have earned multiple accolades, including “Best Music Score” at the Chandler International Film Festival, “Best Original Score” at the Vegas Movie Awards, and “Best Soundtrack” at the New York International Film Awards.
Edna Alejandra Longoria | Serenata al más allá (2025) | clarinet, violin, cello, piano
From the composer:
I. La Calaverita: “Death Crashes the Concert”
This movement is inspired by Calaveritas literarias, a Mexican tradition of writing short, rhyming poems during Día de Muertos. Calaveritas are often humorous or satirical, imagining Death arriving to collect someone, only to be tricked, bargained with, or thwarted entirely. I love writing calaveritas for my family during Dia de Muertos. It’s something that I remember doing with my grandpa Hugo. For this piece, I decided to write one especially for the SOLI performers. The poem became the foundation for the music, guiding both its structure and
character. In this movement, Death sneaks into the concert, ready to claim the musicians, but she’s caught off guard by the rhythm, playfulness, and brilliance of their performance. In the end, Death concedes defeat, joins the fun, and disappears once again.
La Calaverita: “Death Crashes the Concert”
Death crept inside to look around,
Tiptoeing lightly on the ground.
She eyed the group with greedy glee,
“Four fresh souls, all dressed up for me!”
The music danced, it leapt and flared,
So rhythmic, Death was not prepared.
They played with style and fiery might,
Each note a flash of fierce delight.
She tried to grab them one by one
But tripped and tumbled in their fun
She huffed and paused, then muttered true:
“You’re far too brilliant to pursue.”
She slumped, defeated, in her seat,
Then clapped and laughed and tapped her feet.
The game was lost, but not her grace
She danced away and left no trace.
-Edna Alejandra Longoria
II. El altar de abue
El altar de abue is a homage to my grandfather, a musical altar built from shared
memories and full of love.
One of my favorite memories with my grandfather was listening to classical and
Mexican music on the radio, music that shaped our bond and has inspired me
throughout my compositional journey. The melody of Sobre las olas by Mexican
composer Juventino Rosas is one of the ones I remember most, so I borrowed its
opening notes to build my grandfather’s theme. In Día de Muertos traditions, an altar is created to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. It’s adorned with photos, candles, flowers, food, and meaningful objects to welcome their spirit back for a brief visit. For this movement, I imagined the piano as both the physical altar and the anchor of my memory, gradually surrounded by more harmonies and melodies, like an altar slowly filling with offerings. At the end, all instruments come together to play his melody, a moment of reflection and homage, offering a final prayer for him.
III. El Baile de la Catrina (La Catrina’s Dance)
La Catrina, the elegant skeletal lady, has become one of the most iconic symbols of Día de Muertos. First created in the early 20th century by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada and later popularized by artist Diego Rivera. She was created as a satire of vanity and social pretension, a reminder that in death, wealth, beauty, and class lose all meaning, as all are equal in the face of mortality. At the same time, she embodies a joyful embrace of death as a natural part of the life cycle.
For this movement, I imagined La Catrina stepping onto the festive streets of Día de Muertos. All eyes turn as she arrives in all her splendor, a tall hat adorned with feathers and a gown flowing like a queen, every step radiating elegance and command. She is the iconic lady of the dead, gliding with a knowing smile, a reminder that death is inevitable. Then, true to her satirical spirit, she takes over the celebration with her mischievous and lively dance, where elegance meets mischief and life and death dance together as one. A solo cello highlights her mockery of human vanity while also emphasizing her popularity and symbolic presence in Día de Muertos traditions. Soon, the full ensemble rejoins to bring her dance to a graceful end.
IV. Camino de cempasúchil
This movement imagines the beginning of my grandfather’s journey back to visit us for Día de los Muertos. In Mexican tradition, families create a path of bright cempasúchil (marigold) petals leading from the cemetery to the home altar, guiding the spirits back with their vibrant color and scent. The piece opens in that atmosphere, with air moving through marigolds as the wind stirs the petals and my grandfather begins to make his way home.
One of my favorite memories with him is improvising rhythms on empty Folgers coffee cans. That memory became a musical motive in this movement, a symbol of my voice, calling and guiding him back. The melodies have a touch of melancholy, but they remain tender and lyrical, capturing both the sadness of absence and the quiet joy of reunion. They reflect the stories, laughter, and cherished moments we once shared. The movement ends as he reaches the altar, surrounded by family and memory, home again, if only for a night.
V. La fiesta del recuerdo
The finale is a joyful and playful homage to the memories my grandpa and I shared. In this movement, I wanted to capture him as I remember him: playful, joyful, and funny. The introduction of the piece is inspired by the song “Entrance of the Gladiators” by Julius Fučík, better known as the famous circus march. My grandfather used to sing this tune whenever he “presented” me. Whether I was reciting poetry, singing, dancing, juggling, or putting on one of my little shows, he would announce me with a grand flourish, turning his living room into a stage. While writing this movement, I imagined him introducing the piece just as he
used to introduce me.
The composition follows a rondo form, with the main theme returning throughout. This theme is inspired by La Marcha de Zacatecas, a Mexican military march by Genaro Codina that my grandpa often sang to us. I remember joyfully singing and dancing along with him. Each section represents our memories, the same memories that have inspired me throughout my music career.
Gabriela Ortiz (b. 1960)
Born to a musical family in Mexico City, Gabriela Ortiz has always felt she didn’t choose music—music chose her. Her parents were founding members of Los Folkloristas, a renowned ensemble dedicated to performing Latin American folk music. While playing charango and guitar with her parents’ group, she was also learning classical piano. Her formal studies began under esteemed Mexican composers Mario Lavista, Federico Ibarra, and Daniel Catán. Later, she continued her studies in Europe, earning a master’s degree at Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the guidance of Robert Saxton, and a doctorate in composition and electronic music from London’s City University under the guidance of Simon Emmerson.
Ortiz’s music incorporates seemingly disparate musical worlds, from traditional and popular idioms to avant-garde techniques and multimedia works. This is, perhaps, the most salient characteristic of her oeuvre: an ingenious merging of distinct sonic worlds. While Ortiz continues to draw inspiration from Mexican subjects, she is interested in composing music that speaks to international audiences.
A landmark achievement in her career came in 2025 when her portrait album Revolucióndiamantina, recorded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, won three GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for the title track. This historic recognition solidified her as a leading voice in contemporary classical music.
From massive works for orchestra and chorus such as Yanga (2019), concertos as Fractalis(2022), politically charged operas as Only the Truth (2008), magical chamber works as Altar demuertos (1997), and intimate solo pieces as Canto a Hanna (2005), Ortiz’s music reveals asophisticated compositional technique and a meticulous attention to rhythm and timbre. Her work has been performed by prestigious orchestras and ensembles such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra.
Ortiz’s many accolades include the 2022 Bellas Artes Gold Medal, Mexico’s National Prize for Arts and Literature, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright-García Robles Fellowship, and two Latin GRAMMY® nominations. She is a member of the Academy of the Arts and has been inducted into El Colegio Nacional, Mexico’s most esteemed circle of intellectuals.
Ortiz is currently composer-in–residence at Carnegie Hall, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla yLeón, and the Curtis Institute of Music. She also teaches composition at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. Her music is published by Boosey & Hawkes.
— Biography written with contributions from Ana Alonso Minutti
Gabriela Ortiz | Lío de 4 (2017) | string quartet
Program note by Ertan Torgul:
Dedicated to the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Lío de Cuatro is a vibrant, single-movement work pulsing with intricate, interlocking patterns and bold gestures, showcasing Ortiz’s mastery of complex rhythmic structures and her distinctive, dynamic compositional voice.
Edna Alejandra Longoria | Cuatro ritmos (Four Rhythms) (2020) | piano four hands
From the composer:
Cuatro ritmos is inspired by Latin music, particularly the son montuno rhythm. These rhythmic patterns are interwoven with my own original ideas throughout the piece. Each section of the composition was developed using specific sets of pitches.
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950)
Arturo Márquez was born in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico in 1950. He began his musical training in La Puente, California in 1966, later studying piano and music theory at the Conservatory of Music of Mexico and composition at the Taller de Composición of the Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico with such composers as Joaquin Gutierrez Heras, Hector Quintanar, and Federico Ibarra. He also studied in Paris privately with Jacques Casterede, and at the California Institute of the Arts with Morton Subotnick, Stephen Mosko, Mel Powell, and James Newton.
Márquez has received commissions from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, the New Mexico Symphony, the Universidad Metropolitana de Mexico, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Festival Cervantino, Festival de! Caribe, Festival de la Ciudad de Mexico, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He has received grants from the Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico, the French Government, and the Fulbright Foundation. In 1994 he received the composition scholarship of Mexico’s Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes.
As of this publication, Arturo Márquez has composed nine danzones. Danzón No. 9 was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and premiered by the Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel in October 2017, in a program that included three other Márquez works. The enduring success of Danzón No. 2 (1993) for orchestra is due in large part to its championing by Dudamel, who recorded the work with the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony for Deutsche Grammophon and has performed it many times in the Americas and in Europe.
Arturo Márquez | Suite Arbórea (2023) | clarinet, string quartet
From the composer:
Suite Arbórea was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony for clarinetist Joaquin Valdepenas. In this piece, I wanted to honor trees. I used a four-note motive throughout the work, starting with a very simple canon tune in harmonics, which exposes the motive. The first movement, Tonada Dulce (Sweet Tune), is performed by the quartet alone and is a tribute to the maple wood of the string instruments. Arbo! Cafdo (Fallen Tree) explores the topic of forest devastation. Tonada Palo Fierro Terciopelo (Velvet Iron Wood) is a clarinet solo honoring ebony. Tocando Madera (Touching Wood) is a Mexican phrase to wish for good luck, as in English one would say “knock on wood.” Tonada par Simpatia (Sympathy Tune) is a tribute to the resonant spruce wood of the string instruments. The last movement, Motivo de Fuga (Fugue [Escape] Motive) plays with the Latin meaning of fugere, to flee: it imagines the trees fleeing to a safer environment.