Miguel del Águila

hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Miguel del Águila (born September 15, 1957)^[1] is an Uruguayan-born American composer of contemporary classical music.

Life[]

Miguel del Águila was born in Montevideo. In 1978, del Águila moved to California, fleeing Uruguay's 1970's repressive military government. After graduating from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music he traveled to Vienna, where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik and Konservatorium. Early premieres of his works in Vienna's Musikverein, Konzerthaus and Bösendorfer halls introduced his music and distinctive Latin sound to European audiences. In 1989, del Águila introduced his works in New York's Carnegie Recital Hall (now Weill Hall), and Lukas Foss conducted the U.S. premiere of del Águila's Hexen with the Brooklyn Philharmonic.^{[citation needed]} CDs of his works were released on Albany Records and KKM-Austria by 1990, works including his Clarinet Concerto, "Herbsttag", and "Hexen". Del Águila returned to the U.S. in 1992, where the Los Angeles Times described him as "one of the West Coast's most promising and enterprising young composers."^[2] He received the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award in 1995, and was music director of Ojai Camerata^[3] until 1999. He was resident composer at Chautauqua Institution Summer Festival from 2001 to 2005

Del Águila was among the first composers chosen by Meet the Composer and The American Symphony Orchestra League to receive a Music Alive Extended Residency grant, resulting in the 2006 opera Time and Again Barelas,^[4] a partnership between the New Mexico Symphony and the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Joanne Sheehy Hoover of the Albuquerque Journal wrote that the opera “displayed his command of an arresting musical vocabulary, marked by a complex yet infectious rhythmic vitality.”^[5]

In 2008, del Águila received a "Magnum Opus"^[6] commission administered by Meet the Composer, for performances by the Nashville Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, and Winnipeg Symphony. The resulting tone poem "The Fall of Cuzco" was premiered by the Nashville Symphony conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero in November 2009. In 2008–09, del Águila was given the Lancaster Symphony's Composer Award.^[7] His "Choral Suite No. 2" for mixed chorus and orchestra was performed by the symphony, conducted by Stephen Gunzenhauser, in November 2008.

In 2010 del Águila received two Latin Grammy nominations, for the Bridge CD Salón Buenos Aires (for Best Classical Album) and for his work "Clocks" (Best Classical Contemporary Composition), performed by Camerata San Antonio.^[8] The recording received a Copland Foundation Recording Award in 2009. In 2015, he received a third nomination for his "Concierto en Tango" (Best Classical Contemporary Composition), commissioned, premiered and recorded by the Buffalo Philharmonic with cello soloist Roman Mekinulov, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.^[9]

Miguel del Águila's works are recorded on Naxos, Dorian, Telarc, New Albion, Albany, Centaur and Eroica among others, and many are published by Peermusic Classical, Theodore Presser and self-published. After many years in Southern California, he now lives in Seattle.

Compositions[]

Recordings[]

CD Salón Buenos Aires Bridge Records CD 9302 Camerata San Antonio 2010 Grammy nominated for best Classical Album, and best Contemporary Classical Composition Works: Charango Capriccioso – for piano and string quartet Presto II – for string quartet Salon Buenos Aires – for chamber ensemble Life is a Dream – for string quartet Clocks – for piano and string quartet

CD Built for Buffalo Beau Fleuve / BPO Label Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Roman Mekinulov, cello JoAnn Falletta, conductor 2015 Grammy nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition Work: Concierto en Tango for solo cello and orchestra

CD Havana Moon Steinway & Sons Catalogue #: STNS30052 TransAtlantic Ensemble Mariam Adam, clarinet Evelyn Ulex, piano Works: Silence – for clarinet and piano Tango Trio – for violin, clarinet and piano Nocturne – for solo piano

CD Orion Nocturne Albany Records ASIN: B07FCQRFZ8 Carlos Miguel Prieto, Conductor Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Johanna Cox Pennington, English Horn Work: Broken Rondo (Rondó Roto) Concerto for English horn and orchestra

Del Caribe Soy Naxos (CD 8579016) Nestor Torres, flute Miguel del Aguila, piano Work: Miami Flute Suite – for flute and piano

CD Garden of Joys and Sorrows Bridge Records (CD 9472) Hat Trick Ensemble Work: Submerged – for flute, viola and harp

CD Th. Berger - Miguel del Aguila Albany Records CD: TROY066 American Music Ensemble Vienna Wenzel Fuchs, clarinet Hobart Earle, conductor Judith Farmer, bassoon Works: Clarinet Concerto – for clarinet and orchestra Herbsttag – for flute, bassoon and harp Hexen – for bassoon and string orchestra

CD Summer Song Profil DDD – CD: 8977712 Katsuya Watanabe / David Johnson Works: Summer Song – for oboe and piano

CD Clocks Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, FAU Piano Quintets of the Americas Cuarteto Latinoamericano / H. Coltman Works: Charango Capriccioso Clocks – for piano and string quartet 2010 Grammy nominated for best Contemporary Classical Composition

CD Serenata Latina Elias Duo CD: 700261477145 Released 2019 Elias Duo Carlos Elias, violin Andrea Arese-Elias, piano Works: Silence – for violin and piano

CD Silence Miguel del Aguila/CDBaby CD: 195079615979 Javier Vinasco, clarinet Miguel del Aguila, piano Works: Silence – for clarinet and piano Pacific Serenade – for clarinet and piano Islamorada – for piano Milonga – for clarinet and piano Seducción – for clarinet and piano Estudio Rítmico – for clarinet solo Malambo – for clarinet and piano

CD Miguel del Aguila Piano Works Miguel del Aguila/CDBaby: Miguel del Aguila, piano Works: Conga – for piano Nocturne – for piano Toccata – for piano Music in a Bottle – for piano Piano Sonata No.2 – for piano Islamorada – for piano Vals Brutal – for piano

CD Carte Postale Naxos/Atma Classique ACD2 2502 Quatour Alcan Works: Presto II – for string quartet

CD De Europa a las Américas EAFIT University Recording, Colombia Trio Acuarimántima Work: Disagree! – for clarinet viola and piano

CD Latinoamericana Modica Music The Annex Quartet Work: Presto II – for string quartet

CD Piano Dance Telarc CD: 80549 Gloria Cheng, piano Works: Conga – for solo piano

CD Discoveries 20th Century Music for Wind Quintet Helicon Records HE1030 Borealis Wind Quintet Works: Wind Quintet No.2

CD Refuge Albany Records (Troy CD 1484) The Divan Consort Work: Seducción – for flute clarinet and piano

CD Conga-Line in Hell Dorian CD: DOR93230 Camerata de las Americas Joel Sachs cond. / Duane Cochran piano Works: Conga-Line in Hell – for chamber ensemble

CD Crossing America Eroica Classical Recordings CD JDT 3469 TransAtlantic Ensemble Mariam Adams, clarinet / Evelyn Ulex, piano Works: Pacific Serenade – for Clarinet and Piano

CD Eco de Violin IUMusic-LAMC Recording Colin Sorgi, violin / Jooeun Pak, piano Works: Seducción – for violin and piano

CD 4+1 Contemporary Music for String Quartet Universidad EAFIT Recordings Javier Asdrúbal Vinasco, clarinet Cuarteto Q-Arte Works: Pacific Serenade – for clarinet and string quartet

CD Nostalgica Centaur Records CD: CRC2564 Barrick Stees bassoon / Randall Fusco, piano The Arianna String Quartet Works: Nostalgica – for bassoon and string quartet Sunset Song – for bassoon and piano

CD Latin Perspective Cubafilin Records Ltd. / state 51 (UK Santiago String Quartet Works: Presto II – for string quartet

CD Border Crossings Pacific Serenades Recordings CD: 06132-3 Gary Gray, clarinet / Pacific Serenade Ensemble Works: Pacific Serenade – for clarinet and string quartet

CD Conga-Line in Hell Redwood Recordings Redwood Symphony Orchestra Eric Kujawsky, cond. Works: Conga – for orchestra

CD Seducción Albany Records (Troy CD 1727) Stephanie Jutt, flute Orlando Pimentel, Clarinet Elena Abend, piano Works: Seducción – for flute, clarinet and piano

CD Latin American Piano Trios Bridge Records CD 9302 Centaur Records CRC3336 Arcos Trio Work: Tango Trio – for violin, cello and piano

CD Arpassión Suisa/TrioCorda Recording TrioCorda Harp Trio Zurich Works Sumergida – for three harps

CD Oboe on the Road Centaur Records CRC2451 Mark Weiger oboe / Robert Conway piano (older first version) Works: Summersong – for oboe and piano

CD Esprits Nomades White Records CD: USHM81880319 – ASIN B07H3F5XJ9 Released 2018 Trio Manestri Work: Seducción – for violin, flute and piano

CD 20th Century Dances Scotwood Music – USA James Miltenberger, piano Works: Music in a Bottle – for solo piano Conga – for solo piano

CD Exchange Latin America New World Records CRI CD: 848 Gary Gray, clarinet Pacific Serenade Ensemble Works: Pacific Serenade – for clarinet and string quartet

CD Permanent Transitions Metro Records CD: MCD59601 Matthew Greif, guitar Works: Tennessee – for solo guitar

CD Piano Music of the Americas ACA Digital Recordings CD: CM20021-21 James Miltenberger, piano Works: Piano Sonata No.2 – for solo piano

CD Four for Tango New Albion NA100CD Cuarteto Latinoamericano Works: Presto II – for string quartet

CD El Tiempo Global Entertainment Mexico GECDI4111 Onix Ensemble Alejandro Escuer conductor and Flute Mauricio Nader, piano Works: Clocks – for piano and string quartet 2010 Grammy nominated for best Contemporary Classical Composition

CD From the Americas Rebeat Digital, Austria – Tango Malambo TransAtlantic Ensemble Mariam Adam, Clarinet / Evelyn Ulex, piano Works: Pacific Serenade – for clarinet and piano

CD East Meets West Sony Austria/ORF LID19924 Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra Hobart Earle, cond. Works: Toccata – for orchestra

CD Life is a Dream Madison String Quartet Recording Madison String Quartet Works: Life is a Dream – for string quartet Presto II – for string quartet

CD KaleidosCoping Equilibrium Recordings CD IQ148 Michael Gordon, flute Celeste Johnson, oboe Sean Chen, piano Works: Seduction Dance – for flute, oboe and piano

CD My Song in the Night Faye Dumont Singers Release Melbourne Women's Choir Works: Ave Maria – for chorus and piano

CD Mi Chelada Urtext Digital Classics – Mexico Alvaro Bitran, cello Works: The Day After – for eight (or four) cellos

CD Cello Innovations Centaur Records CD: 3623 Ashley Sandor Sidon /Erik Anderson Jesús Morales, cellos Works: Procesión de Locos – for four cellos

CD Batata-Coco Conaculta – Mexico Camerata de las Americas Joel Sachs, conductor / Duane Cochran piano Works: Conga-Line in Hell – for chamber ensemble

CD Arrivals and Departures Mark Records CD ASIN: B07G1WXT63 Lyrique Quintette Works Wind Quintet No.3

CD Soaring Solo MSR Classics Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, violin Works: Cutting Limes – for solo violin

CD Marinka Brecelj Harpsichord KKM Vienna – Austria CD 3032-2 Marinka Brecelj, harpsichord Works: Toccata – for solo harpsichord Cuadros de America – for solo harpsichord

CD Laberintos Australian National University ANCLAS Recording Duo Deconet Henry Avila, violin / Irma Enriquez, piano Works: Seducción – for violin and piano

References[]

External links[]

• Official Web Site
• Dirk Meyer, Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Repertoire
• Yew Chong Cheung. 2009. "An Introduction to the Solo Piano Works of Three Latin American Composers". D.M.A. thesis. Morgantown: West Virginia University.
• Mukhamedzyanova, Dina. "Miguel del Aguila: 'Write the music that comes from your heart without caring about what's fashionable or what the rest of the world thinks you should be writing'". Musika Rossii (The Music of Russia).
• Frank Oteri, Sounds Heard, New Music Box – New Music USA
• Latin American Composers
• Peermusic Classical: Miguel del Aguila Composer's Publisher and Bio
• Clariperu Magazine – Miguel del Aguila
• International Double Reed Society Magazine – Miguel del Aguila – Broken Rondo
• International Double Reed Society Magazine – Miguel del Aguila – Broken Rondo (Archive)
• Biographical Dictionary of the Organ – Miguel del Aguila

List of Hispanic and Latino Americans Latin Grammy Award for Best Classical Album Music of the United States List of 21st-century classical composers