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ABSENT LIGHTS oboe/viola/double bass – 8:30 S
ABSENT LIGHTS oboe/clarinet/bassoon – 8:30 S
ABSENT LIGHTS (Luces Ausentes) flute/violin/double bass S

Op. 129 for oboe, clarinet and bassoon. 8:00 min.
Written and premiered 2021 it was commissioned by Univ. of New Mexico College of Fine Arts, Kimberly Fredenburgh and Kevin Vigneau. The work honors and remembers the victims of the COVID 19 pandemic – the “lights” that went “absent” – while depicting the mood of isolation, emptiness and strangeness many felt during this time. The work begins with a dark introduction by clarinet and bassoon. The oboe soon joins them in a choral of remembrance and soon leads them with a solo poignant melody. The mood picks up as if trying to return to happier, normal times but keeps returning to darkness. After a long, eerie, buzzing chord stops the music, the oboe returns, this time from backstage where it’s joined by the other two instruments as the piece ends with a dark, empty stage.

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AGNUS DEI  med-high voice/piano. 7:00 S
AGNUS DEI  choir a capella 5:00 S

Composed in 2015 in memory of the composer’s brother, Nelson del Águila (1964–2012), this piece marks the anniversary of his passing and is dedicated to him. It can be performed independently or as part of an a cappella Latin Mass. The music unfolds with quiet introspection, gradually intensifying toward an emotional climax before returning to its opening theme with renewed clarity. That theme, rooted in the composer’s third opera *Time and Again Barelas*, shapes the work’s expressive arc within a clear ABA structure.

AGNUS DEI voice and piano 8:00 S
This is a complete different work written in 1987. It is a more dramatic rendition of the Agnus Dei and was originally part of the composer’s Requiem from which it was adapted for voice and piano and expanded

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AVE MARIA  treble chorus/piano (opt Hrp) 5:00 P

Ave Maria – for treble chorus , (Soprano Alto or Children Chorus), piano or harp
Also version for chorus and chamber ensemble
Widely-performed composer Miguel Del Aguila’s setting of the Ave Maria text is adapted from a section of his Choral Suite from the Opera “Time and Again Barelas”. Under 4 minutes long, this work follows the traditional Latin text of the Hail Mary prayer. The music is soft, serenely expressive and with a mysterious character given by the two unlikely chords that support the main theme based on a tri-tone. Surprisingly, he makes this tri-tone interval, usually associated with tension, sound soothing, and easy to sing and remember. Since its premiere in Albuquerque, NM in 2006, critics have called it “hauntingly beautiful” and “a little jewel”. Publisher: Peermusic Classical

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BARROQUEADA violin/cello/piano 19:00 S
BARROQUEADA violin/Horn/piano 19:00 S

A piano trio suite for violin, cello and piano. 18 min. was written in 2020. also version for violin, French horn and piano.It was commissioned by Ted Viviani for the Eroica Trio who recorded in 2021 and released it on its 2022 album Barroqueada. The Reverón Trio premiered it later and recorded it. The eight movements are unified by an overall structure which includes an introduction, a coda and the Sarabande as the dramatic center of the work.
1. Preludio en Candombe
2. Pavana
3. Milonga
4. Samba Corrente
5. Pasapié
6. Sarabanda Rota
7. Tango Intermezzo
8. Jiga Frenética
Barroqueada is a contemporary interpretation of the Baroque suite. Each movement blends elements from the 16th. Century counterpart with contemporary Latin idioms and dances. This somewhat irreverent, fresh and more dramatic music – orchestrated for a very traditional ensemble as is the piano trio – seeks to make a social comment about the peripheral acceptance of Latin elements in contemporary American concert music: While many listeners accept Irish/Scottish Jigs or German Allemandes as mainstream, non-ethnic music, many are shocked to hear a piano trio perform a suite made out of Afro-American Latin Dances such as Candombe, Samba and Tango.
Miguel del Aguila: “The almost 400 year old Baroque Suite stands as an example of how classical music was able to integrate music from different cultures, social classes, ethnicities and styles into one coherent work. Popular dances of humble folk origins became with time fashionable aristocratic dances and finally an instrumental genre that enriched the classical music tradition to later stifle and fall out of fashion. Just as it happened with the Baroque suite before being revived by scholars as an historical genre, our society and classical music traditions stifles when we stop incorporating new idioms and cultural expressions into the main stream of American contemporary music. Musically, the texture is always thin often making rhythm the most important part of the music.

New Recording by Eroica trio

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BELLS WITH A MISSION  organ 15:00 S

In the Spanish Missions of colonial times, daily life was governed by the sound of bells—signals that marked every activity from waking to worship, labor, and repentance. Bells With a Mission Op. 104, written in 2011, reflects on how these unfamiliar sounds and imposed routines might have been perceived by the Indigenous peoples living within the Missions: strange, intrusive, and at times unsettling. Commissioned by Sara Edwards for the American Guild of Organists

The work unfolds in four movements, each portraying one of the bells that structured Mission life:
1. A Bell to Awaken – the call that opened the day
2. A Bell to Believe– the summons to prayer and instruction
3. A Bell to Repent – the sound of discipline and reflection
4. A Bell to Work – the command to labor

Together, these movements form a vivid, imaginative meditation on the cultural dissonance created when the sound world of the Missions collided with the traditions of the Native communities who heard them. Ach movement can also be performed independently.

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BLUE SAMBA  piano 4-hands 11:30 S

Blue Samba (2024) is based on material from the second and third movements of the earlier Concierto con Brio, for oboe, clarinet, and orchestra. The first section, titled Blue, features jazzy harmonies and swung rhythms, evoking the kind of music one might have heard from 1940s swing or tango bands. The composer sought to create the impression of something sensuous yet distant, music so faint that “we can’t be sure if we are actually hearing it or imagining it.” If the American sound of the blues tinges the work’s opening half, the ensuing samba brings a distinctly Brazilian flavor. It is based on a lively and irregular ostinato pattern written mostly in 13/16 time. As the music grows increasingly animated, two additional rhythmically driven themes – punctuated by interruptions and mocking passages – lead to a reappearance of the motive from the initial Blue, ushering in a jubilant coda with a strong Latin color.

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BLINDFOLD MUSIC woodwind quintet (fl,ob,cl,hn,bn) 11:00 S

For wind quintet 11:30 min. Written in 2021 jointly commissioned by Anima Mundi Productions, Chamber Music Northwest and Oregon Bach Festival for Imani Winds who premiered it 2022 at both festivals in Portland and Seattle.
Inspired by 2020’s political events triggered by social injustice, the work reflects on the concepts of law, justice and fairness in contemporary society. As in a 16th century morality play or allegorical drama, the characters here personify abstractions in order to deliver a moral, positive message. In this way, Blindfold Music portrays an imaginary meeting of two friends: Justice (the blind lady holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other); and Law (a man carrying a book and a gavel).
After a distant trumpet is heard, Law arrives to meet Justice who’s awaiting him. As Law’s conversation becomes dry and preachy, Justice accuses him of being rigid, subjective, and often misused by those in power. Law in term accuses Justice of being just a concept, subjective, emotional, abstract and unattainable as he affirms that there wouldn’t be Justice without Law.
As they try to impose their views on the other the tension climbs as they accuse, mock and finally scream at each other. Then, as they see through the window two mobs violently attacking each other, Law and Justice sadly realize that they are both imperfect and powerless as enduring justice and law comes from within each person and humans have not reached yet the altruistic state where the well-being of others is more important than that of the self. Thus, neither Law nor Justice can be solely imposed from above. It’s up to each person to fight injustice and pursue a more fair society.

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BOLIVIANA guitar/string quartet 20:00 S

BOLIVIANA piano/string quartet 15:00 S

Written in 2008, it was commissioned by Cuarteto Latinoamericano with a grant from The Peter S. Reed Foundation to be premiered by the quartet and  Manuel Barrueco. The three movements are highly descriptive. As their titles suggest, there is a protagonist and a physical Space: The Bolivian “altiplano”. As I was writing this music I could actually see, get acquainted with, and relate closely to this specific person wondering in the desolated landscape of Bolivia’s highlands. I never met this person and have no idea why it was there. In the music, this protagonist’s voice becomes that of the guitar.
I. Alegre
This first movement serves as a short introduction to the work, setting the place and time in the South American Altiplano. This theme will later return in an expanded form to close the work in the 4th movement. The mood is bright and cheerful. It’s the beginning of a new day and a new journey.
II. Returning Home Under the Rain
(Regresando a casa bajo la lluvia)
The Traveler is on his long journey home. He is tired and lonely as he walks under freezing rain. The music portrays here the general mood, the landscape. The listener sees the action from a distance.
III. Lost My Way in Darkness
(Me perdí en la oscuridad)
Now, the entire ensemble becomes the travelers’ own intimate feelings, his own voice (still mainly played by the guitar). The sky becomes dark and he loses his way. He feels that in the same way, he has lost his way in life and that this is the reason that made him undertake this long journey home: to find himself again.
VI. And the Sun Came Out – (Y el sol salió)
Finally the clouds dissipate and the sun comes out brighter than ever. He can now see home in the distance. The music/journey is filled with optimism and excitement as the travelers know that everything will be fine now that he is back home where he is anxiously expected.
The musical language in this work uses elements from Andean folklore and the string instruments are often imitating some traditional instruments Latin American instruments like  Quenas,  Charangos, Bombos and other percussion instruments. The writing for the strings and guitar often calls for unusual techniques and can be demanding and virtuosistic at times.

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BROKEN RONDO  English horn/piano. 13:00 P
BROKEN RONDO bassoon/piano S

BROKEN RONDO  solo English horn/orchestra  13:00 P PDF Score
orch: picc/clarinet/bassoon/2 horns/2 perc/harp/strings

BROKEN RONDO solo English horn/symphonic band  13:00 P PDF Score

BROKEN RONDO solo bassoon/orchestra  13:00 P
BROKEN RONDO solo bassoon/symphonic band  13:00 P PDF Score

Written 2010 for English Horn (other versions available), and Orchestra. duration: 11:00.
orchestra:  Piccolo, Clarinet, Bassoon, 2 horns, Timpani, 1 percussion, harp and strings
Broken Rondo is a one movement English horn concerto. The work begins with a slow introduction where the E. horn, aided by the strings and clarinet, sings quasi  free cadenzas and arabesques setting a clam, somewhat nostalgic mood. Soon, the recurring Rondo theme begins. This simple, upbeat modal theme drives the piece forward with an ostinato rhythm of Andean character.  The light, dance-like theme turns heavy and dramatic until the rondo is interrupted and collapses. The horn finishes the piece with a slow, poignant  extended cantilena as the piece disappears in darkness.
The orchestration is light, bright and always focused on the solo instrument. The word “broken” of the title suggests not only the fact that the rondo form breaks towards the end, but it also implies an unexpected emotional struggle and a  fracture from which the piece never recuperates.
The work was commissioned by Johanna Cox with a grant from the University of Oklahoma Research Council and from Mr. Carl Rath. The work is dedicated to Johanna Cox who premiered it  June 26, 2010 in Norman, Oklahoma during the International Double Reed Society Conference with the IDRS Orchestra under conductor David Lockington.

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CARIBEÑA 2222/4221/pno/3 perc/strings 8:00 P PDF Score
CARIBEÑA 1111/1110/pno/2 perc/strings 8:00 P PDF Score

CARIBBEAN BACCHANAL 3333/4331/hrp/pno/3 perc/strings 13:00 P PDF Score

Caribbean Bachanal was premiered 1997 by the Santa Barbara Symphony, Giselle Ben Dor conductor. Caribeña was later commissioned and premiered 2012 Boston, USA Boston Landmarks Orchestra conducted by Christopher Wilkins. A bright and rhythmically driven overture, this is Aguila’s perhaps most unabashedly Latin pop sounding work. The Latin percussion instruments and orchestration are reminiscent of the Caribbean Latin “Combo” ensembles and the bright treatment of brass and woodwind effects remind us of the Latin Jazz and 1940’s big band sound, performance  techniques and expression.  In this case, the simple, pop-inspired themes reach a dramatic climax and intensity which goes beyond the usual treatment of this style.  The music starts with the rhythmic ostinato played by the piano and percussion and soon we hear fragments of the themes played by muted brass and solo woodwinds. The excitement grows and towards the end it gives way to a dramatic climax where the piece seems to be stuck in its own rhythmic frenzy unable to conclude or move forwards, the piece ends with a solo flute scream violently silenced by a final tutti. Caribeña is dedicated to the memory of the composer’s brother Nelson del Aguila (1964-2012), who passed away unexpectedly while this work was being written.
The press described it as:
“With a 1940’s big band style dance frenzy…the piece is a fascinating and compelling soundscape.  Urgently driven by Latin rhythms, the desperate dance is finally overwhelmed by the orchestration’s sinister edge and driven to an explosive climax. Santa Barbara News-Press
 “… splashed Brazilian color and excitement all over the first twelve minutes of the evening. This excitement from a young, powerful composer keeps classical music in full motion, even in the 21st century…” Dulluth Reader.
CARIBEÑA is available in two different orchestrations: 2222 -4331 and 1111 1110 + piano, harp, perc strings. It is the shorter, smaller version of the earlier work Caribbean Bacchanal (1994), which itself was inspired by themes from Aguila’s first opera: Cuauhtemoc (1992).  There is also a two-piano 8 hands version of this work (1994). Caribeña is published by Peermusic. Performance material available through Subito Music.

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CHARANGO CAPRICCIOSO string quartet/piano 14:00 P
CHARANGO CAPRICCIOSO  piano 4-hands/2 violins/viola/2 cellos 14:00 P

for string quartet and piano 11:00 and also for 4-hands, 2vls, vla, 2 cellos version.
Commissioned by the Austin Chamber Music Center where it was premiered on July 11 2006 by Cuarteto Latinoameriocano joined by Felicity Coltman, Heather Coltman and Margaret Coltman. The work opens with a mysterious theme, which – in an unintelligible tongue – seems to invite us to a remote place high in the Andes. The piano and later the solo viola take us to a quiet beautiful landscape where soon the solo cello meditates about the sad events that took place there starting with the Spanish conquest. A charango (suggested by the piano) introduces an Inca-inspired upbeat theme that after dancing through shifting rhythms becomes obsessed. At this point, the “unintelligible” theme returns with a new, almost disturbing character. Before the dance flies out of control, the solo cello reappears with the meditative theme as distant bells (played by the piano) restore the peace. “I tried to balance the massive sound of piano-four hands with that of the strings by separating them as two different elements; and at times by opposing them. When playing together, the strings part is written with big strokes, in an almost orchestral fashion”.

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CHAUTAUQUAN SUMMER 3333/4331/4 perc/harp/strings 13:00 P PDF Score

Chautauquan Summer Overture was commissioned 2004 by the Chautauqua Institution in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. The work is scored for triple Winds, 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Harp and Strings. 4 percussionists playing: Timpani, Wind machine, Metal Wind Chimes, Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Large Suspended Cymbal, Small Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbals, Tambourine, Triangle, Snare Drum, Bird Whistle filled with water, Cuckoo Whistle, Police Whistle, Glockenspiel, Gun Shot. It was premiered on 7/3/04 at Chautauqua Institution Summer Festival by Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra conducted by Uriel Segal.
Miguel del Aguila writes: “Chautauquan Summer, was conceived as a short concert opener (or closer). A work that portrays the moods and changing landscape around Chautauqua Lake, NY from Autumn to Summer. All its imagery stems from my memories and experiences during the 3 years I spent there as resident composer of Chautauqua Institution Summer Festival.  As the work begins it is late fall and a cold wind blows over the almost frozen Chautauqua Lake announcing a long cold winter. Most of the work conveys the barrenness and isolation of this winter. Towards the end of the piece, spring and finally summer arrive.
Two motifs are heard constantly throughout the piece. First introduced in a darker, mysterious mood by the horns and double basses, the themes are transformed into a lyrical, nostalgic Tango in the middle “winter” section played by a clarinet. After more dramatic turbulence, the main theme returns being slowly transformed into humorous, carefree carousel music with an ever-increasing circus-like street-fair character which announces the upcoming summer and festival. All residents, flora and fauna awaken or return to Chautauqua lake to bring life and excitement one more time. The work ends with an upbeat, triumphant finale that challenges the orchestra’s technical and endurance abilities.

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CLARINET CONCERTO for clarinet and orchestra 15:30 P
CLARINET CONCERTO for clarinet and piano 15:30 P

Movement I – Lento
Movement II – Allegro
Written in 1990, it was premiered the same year at Moscow’s Dom Kompositor Hall by clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs (Berlin Philharmonic), and the American Music Ensemble Vienna conducted by Hobart Earle who commissioned the work and later released it on Albany Records together with other works by Miguel del Aguila. The opening lyrical Lento, of a dark, often brooding character, gives way to a bright, dance-like Allegro featuring irregular rhythms and Latin American folk inspired idioms and colors. As the intensity increases, the dark theme from the first movement returns in all its power to provide a dramatic climax, after which the piece fades away into a somber ending. Moscow’s Novoe Vremia, reviewer praised the work as having “a modern musical conception with profound ideas and expressivity”. In 2005 Richard Stoltzman premiered an extended version of the concerto with Allentown Symphony, Diane Wittry, conductor. This version, sometimes called Clarinet Concerto No.2, includes an introduction and a third movement). Composer has since merged the two versions into one, original Clarinet Concerto. Concierto en Tango is published by Peermusic Classical

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CLOCKS piano/string quartet 17:00 P

CLOCKS octet for flute/clarinet/bassoon/harp/violin/viola/cello/piano 17:00 P

1.   Shelves full of Clocks
2.   Midnight Strikes
3.   The Old Clock’s Story
4.   Sun Dial 2000 B.C.
5.   Romance of the Swiss Clock and the Old Clock
6.   The Joy of Keeping Time
Written in 1998, Clocks was commissioned by the Ventura Chamber Music Festival. It was premiered on May 9, 1998 by Cuarteto Latinoamericano and Miguel del Aguila in Ventura, California during the Festival. In 2011, Clocks was honored with a Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.  This suite of six movements portrays an imaginary visit to a clock museum, exploring the vast sound world of clocks from the deep resonance of clock towers to the finely calibrated workings of clock mechanics. The final movement, “The Joy of Keeping Time,” takes place after the museum closes and the clocks come to life in an exuberant jam session. The composer writes: “I tried to avoid the piano quintet sound, which is so much associated with the quintets of Brahms and Mozart. The theme of Clocks allowed me to explore different kinds of sound and different ways to produce it by using plucked strings notes for the piano, extreme high registers, and pizzicatos as well as rhythmic ostinatos in the strings. The piano is used as one more instrument of the ensemble and not as the dominating instrument as in the usual quintets. Only in the last movement does the piano take a more dominant role.” Clocks is recorded by Camerata San Antonio on the Bridge CD “Salón Buenos Aires”, by Cuarteto Latinoamericano on Hoot/Wisdom FAU Recordings CD “Clocks”, and by Onix Ensemble on Global Entertainment Recordings CD “El Tiempo”

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CONCIERTO CON BRIO  oboe/clarinet/piano 17:00 S
CONCIERTO CON BRIO flute/clarinet/piano 17:00 S

CONCIERTO CON BRIO double concerto for solo oboe-clarinet and orchestra 17:00 S
CONCIERTO CON BRIO double concerto for solo flute-clarinet orchestra 17:00 S

(Also concerto version available (solo oboe, clarinet and orchestra)
Written in 2022, Concierto con Brio was commissioned by Nancy Ambrose King and Ryan King with funding from the University of Michigan. The trio was premiered in 2022 at Michigan City Chamber Music Festival.
Movements:
I. Interrupted Tango
II. Blue
III. Sambeada

I. The work begins in a bright, rhythmic and lively mood. The music, influenced by Tango and other early South American dances, constantly shifts through irregular rhythms and alternating soloists and orchestra passages. After building up to a dramatic climax and the music is suddenly interrupted giving way to the second movement:
II. Blue. This movement, distant, sensuous and dreamy features elements reminiscent of from 1940’s swing and tango bands. Aguila writes: “With this music I wanted to create the idea of distance in time and space, as if we were listening to music from so far away that we can’t be sure if we are actually hearing it or imaging it. The music is sensuous and often expressionless, as if performed by tired night club musicians late into the night.
III. As if waking up from a dream, the third movement Sambeada is present and lively featuring ireregular ostinato rhythms this time influenced by Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova. The movement, written in 13/16 time signature becomes increasingly lively and joyous until the themes from the first movement returns to close the piece.

Double concerto for oboe, clarinet and orchestra – 18 min.
Orchestra 2112,211,3 perc,hrp,pno,strings (minimum strings size: 86442)
Written in 2022, Concierto con Brio was commissioned by Nancy Ambrose King and Ryan King for the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra with funding from the University of Michigan.
The full length concerto is divided in three movements:
I. Interrupted Tango | II. Blue | III. Sambeada
I. The work begins in a bright, rhythmic and lively mood. The music, influenced by Tango and other early South American dances, constantly shifts through irregular rhythms and alternating soloists and orchestra passages. After building up to a dramatic climax and the music is suddenly interrupted giving way to the second movement:
II. Blue. This movement, distant, sensuous and dreamy features elements reminiscent of from 1940’s swing and tango bands. Aguila writes: “With this music I wanted to create the idea of distance in time and space, as if we were listening to music from so far away that we can’t be sure if we are actually hearing it or imaging it. The music is sensuous and often expressionless, as if performed by tired night club musicians late into the night.
III. As if waking up from a dream, the third movement Sambeada is present and lively featuring ireregular ostinato rhythms this time influenced by Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova. The movement, written in 13/16 time signature becomes increasingly lively and joyous until the themes from the first movement returns to close the piece. The work premiered 2023 by Michigan Philharmonic.

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CONCIERTO EN TANGO  cello/piano 18:00 P
CONCIERTO EN TANGO viola/piano 18:00 P
CONCIERTO EN TANGO string quartet/piano 18:00 P

CONCIERTO EN TANGO  solo cello/orchestra 18:00 P PDF Score
CONCIERTO EN TANGO solo viola/orch. 18:00 P PDF Score
CONCIERTO EN TANGO solo string quartet/orch. 18:00 P PDF Score
orchestra for all versions: 2222-221/3 perc/harp/piano/strings

Commissioned by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, it was premiered at Kleinhans Hall, Buffalo on May 2014 by BPO, conducted by JoAnn Falletta and cellist Roman Mekinulov, The premiere was a spectacular success “the longest and loudest rounds of applause I can recall” (Mary Kunz, The Buffalo News, May 11, 2014) and “The audience showed overwhelming enthusiasm for the work, and applauded until conductor, soloist and composer had returned at least a dozen times to acknowledge their enthusiasm.” (Robert Plyler, The Post-Journal). Months later Toronto Symphony Orchestra performed it with cellist, Joseph Johnson, Earl Lee conductor. Within two years Concierto en Tango would be performed over 25 times by orchestras worldwide to great critics and audiences acclaim:  “a robust masterpiece” (Chris Morgan, Scene Magazine, London). Recorded the same year by the BPO Concierto en Tango was nominated 2015 for a Latin Grammy Award, for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Miguel del Aguila writes: “In 2012 Roman Mekinulov suggested to me the idea of writing a concerto in tango form that would explore the less classical sound and technique of the cello. I liked this idea, as the cello/viola have the intensity and expressivity of a tango singer and is an excellent medium for such a work. While most people associate Tango with the 1920’s Valentino films or the Tango Nuevo of Piazzola, to many of us who grew up in Montevideo or Buenos Aires in the 50’s and 60’s, Tango has a very different connotation. It is associated with childhood memories of happy and prosperous times and with happy family gatherings where we as children often just enjoyed watching everyone dance. In that context, Tango carries a special nostalgia from that time and place in a society that no longer exists. Those were the times before the economic collapse of the 70’s and the horrors of the ‘Guerra Sucia’ of the military dictatorships that followed. The imagery of these events is portrayed within the music of Concierto en Tango. “Rather than limiting myself to this style, I also included idioms from earlier Tango styles, including the 19th century Spanish Tango-Habanera, the Brazilian Tango/Maxixe, and the early Milongas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in which the African influence was still evident in its syncopations and fast beat. However, Concierto en Tango has a rhythmic complexity beyond any of these dances, and it represents my abstraction of those rhythms as they fuse with my own personal style. “The harmonic language is conservative. It relies mainly on major/minor modes and 7th or 9th chordal harmonies, as they are used in Tango. I deliberately tried to avoid a ‘classical’ sound and especially the overly intense romantic style of many cello concertos, which combined with the melodrama of tango would have resulted in a very dark work. Several humorous and light hearted passages add a joyful side to the tango genre which is traditionally deprived of such positive emotions.
 “The overall form is ABA – fast-slow-fast. The middle, slow section features the traditional cantabile and expressive qualities of the cello while the outer fast sections require an outmost rhythmic precision, bow control and accuracy of intonation in the highest registers of the instrument. Some of these fast sections challenge the performers with constant time signature shifts. (At times we can find almost one hundred consecutive bars where each one has a different and irregular time signature). The most used meters are 7/16 + 9/16 + 11/16 + 5/16. Some of these passages are played by a quintet of soloists comprising the cello, violin, double bass, piano and conga drums. Concierto en Tango was written to honor the memory of my brother, Nelson del Aguila (1964-2012).”

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CONGA piano 10:00 P

CONGA for orchestra: 2222/3221/4 perc/pno/hrp/strings 12:00 P PDF Score

CONGA-LINE IN HELL  for chamber orchestra: 1111/1111/hrp/1 perc/pno/ vl/va/vc/cb. 11:00 P PDF Score

CONGA-LINE IN HELL for 9 instruments: fl,bn,tpt,vl,vla,vc, bass,pno,perc. 11:00 P

CONGA-LINE IN HELL  1111-1111-hrp,1perc,pno. vl,va,vc,cb.11:00 P

CONGA-LINE IN HELL fl,cl,harp,piano, 1perc,8 cellos. 11:00 P

CONGA-LINE IN HELL  six pianos 13:00

Available in many instrumentations. Miguel del Aguila: Conga began as a dream.  At first there was the visual image of an endless line of dead people dancing through the fire of hell. I gradually started hearing the music, which was flowing spontaneously out of me in an effort to entertain and alleviate the pain of those poor souls. I woke up and wrote the music as I remembered it. As the name implies the work has a definite  Caribbean flavor. The rhythmic pattern of the conga dance beats throughout the piece and is at times distorted into a 13/16 pattern.  It employs unusual percussion and rhythmic structures, and instruments are often playing at their most extreme registers. The piano is used ‘obbligato’ as a sort of metronome, very much like the harpsichord of the old Baroque times. The music is humorous, sarcastic, grotesque, sensuous and at times also terrifying. I rely mainly on the dramatic and expressive qualities of rhythm to convey the evil forces that govern my imaginary hell. As thematic material I primarily use rhythmic claves (Spanish for clef or key) as they are used in Latin American music: a sort of ‘rhythmic tonality’ to which harmony and melody must conform. After the sensuous middle section the work rushes frantically toward the end to explode in a dramatic finale. REVIEWS: A “delicious send-up of Minimalism. Here, sequences in stepwise motion career out of control, a comic device Haydn also used to wonderful effect.” — Bernard Holland, The New York Times
“[It] sounds, at first, like idiosyncratic pop, and it touches on jazz and salsa before morphing briefly into a slow, lush Viennese dance, then back to speedy jazz.” Allan Kozinn, The New York Times.

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CUAUHTEMOC CHORAL SUITE – choir/STB soli/perc/pno 35:00 S
CUAUHTEMOC SONGS  STB soli/piano 50:00 S
CUAUHTEMOC  full length opera: choir/SATB soli/orch  3 hrs. S

These three works are drawn from Miguel del Aguila’s first opera Cuauhtémoc, a large-scale, three act music drama exploring the historic and violent confrontation between the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and the Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc. With a libretto by José Ramón Enríquez, the full opera—scored for soloists, dancers, choir, and orchestra—unfolds over three hours and portrays the final chapter of the Aztec empire with visceral immediacy and emotional depth.
The Cuauhtémoc Choral Suite and Cuauhtémoc Songs distill key moments from the opera into independent concert works, each offering a concentrated lens on its themes of resistance, cultural collision, and the human cost of conquest. While self contained, both suites preserve the opera’s dramatic arc and musical language, allowing performers and audiences to experience its narrative power in more intimate forms. A partial premiere of the opera took place in 1996 in Ventura, California, performed by the Ojai Camerata—marking the first public glimpse of a work that would become a cornerstone of del Aguila’s early stage output.

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CUTTING LIMES  solo violin 4:00 S

Cutting Limes (Cortando Limones) for unaccompanied violin was was written in 2015. It was commissioned, premiered and recorded by Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio. A five minute long work for unaccompanied violin the piece showcases the rhythmic possibilities of the violin through complex chords, harmonics, alternating hands pizzicati and other etended techniques. Built on a simple modal theme the music has an Andean character. The unaccompanied violin imitates a range of Latin American instruments such as charango, quena and Zampoña as well as the singing of a chicharra (Cicada). As I was writing this piece, I kept visualizing the way in which the bow moved along the strings while performing this music. In my mind, it looked as if it was sawing the strings. When I sent the first draft -still untitled- to the violinist, Stephanie soon replied that she was unable to play it because she accidentally cut her fingers while cutting limes. I immediately felt that this was the perfect title of the piece as this dangerous movement of a knife cutting limes was similar to the sawing bow movements I visualized while compositng this work.

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CRYSTAL FLUTES SWING for flutes quartet opt. flutes octet 5:00′ S

Written in 2005 Crystal flutes Swing is dedicated to Kay Logan who commissioned and premiered this work the same year at Chautauqua Festival in New York with the Chautauqua Flute Ensemble in residence lead by flutist Richard Sherman. The music, light and upbeat and is inspired by the swing style of the 1940’s. The lead flute is often not the top voice but it’s hidden in the middle register often playing block harmony, as in barbershop quartet or big band orchestration. Optionally a piccolo flute can double the lead flute part. The main themes are taken from the opera Time and Again Barelas.

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DISAGREE!  clarinet/violin/cello/piano 10:30 S
DISAGREE!  clarinet/violin/piano 10:30 S
DISAGREE!  clarinet/viola/piano 10:30 S
DISAGREE!  flute/violin/piano 10:30 S
DISAGREE!  flute/violin/cello/piano 10:30 S
DISAGREE!  flute/clarinet/piano 10:30 S

Overloaded with apparently incompatible thematic material, Disagree is a work about integrating disparity.  By doing this, it celebrates and makes a statement for pluralism in music and in our society. This “disagreement” of thematic material carries over to the performers who as the work progresses seem to increasingly disagree about the piece and its direction as they keep interrupt and at times, mocking each other. After much discrepancy, friendly dialogue and playfulness, a confrontation and a wild chase rushes the piece to its uplifting conclusion as all realize that they have made music together in spite of their differences. The varied thematic material is evocative of South American dances like Malambo, Vals Criollo, Tango and Milonga with occasional neo-romantic outbursts from the pianist, minimalist passages from clarinetist and violinist, pastoral moods and dissonant, polytonal percussive clashes.  

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ESTUDIO RÍTMICO  clarinet 8:00

Written in 2017, Estudio Rítmico is dedicated to clarinetist Javier Vinasco who premiered it the same year in Bogotá, Colombia. The work is a tour de force featuring numerous technical and endurance challenges for the performer. The composer also wrote a shorter version of this work. The music shares thematic material with Aguila’s Wind Quintet No.3, Quinteto Sinfónico and Sonata Flautísima. Versions for solo saxophone and solo flute are also available. The self-published work is recorded on CD Silence by Javier Vinasco.

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FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT  mixed choir/wind quartet/harp 8:00 S

Commissioned by the Chancel Choir of Laurel Heights UMC, San Antonio, Texas, it premiered at the Festival of Lessons and Carols, December 18, 2005
From Darkness to Light traces a spiritual journey from uncertainty toward renewal. The work blends luminous timbres with expressive choral writing to evoke the movement from shadow into hope—a theme central to the Advent season and to the Festival of Lessons and Carols for which it was commissioned.
The music unfolds in gradually brightening layers: somber colors give way to warmer harmonies, and the ensemble’s shifting textures mirror the emotional ascent suggested by the title. The result is a contemplative yet uplifting meditation on transformation, faith, and the promise of light emerging from darkness.

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GUARANÍ AL AIRE  3 harps (harp trio) 8:00 S

Written in 2021 it was commissioned by harpist Carina Walters. Guaraní al Aire grew out of the composer’s childhood habit of listening to short wave radio late at night in Montevideo, tuning through distant stations that drifted in and out of the static. This piece imagines one such broadcast: a small, far off radio station somewhere in Paraguay’s Chaco or in the remote interior where Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina meet. “al Aire” means “live on air”
The music portrays the many elements of that imagined transmission—its station identification, bursts of signal noise and interference. Gradually the static overtakes the broadcast, and the piece fades away as the signal dissolves. Beneath the surface lies a quiet nostalgia for those nights, those sounds, and those faraway places that now exist at a great distance in both time and memory.

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HALF OF ME   piano left hand only 8:00 S

Written for the Van Cliburn Foundation for the 2000 International  Piano Competition; Half of Me, for the left hand only, begins with a theme extracted from my previous work: Nocturne and it continues to a faster, more dramatic section. It illustrates the feelings of sadness and loneliness that arise when a loved one is gone. This common empty feeling that “half of yourself is missing” is expressed in the music and in the title of the piece and also in the fact that it’s played with only one hand. The first public performance of this work took place in 2017 at Bloch Hall, West Virginia Univ. by pianist Sornsuang Tangsinmonkong

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HEAD FOR THE EXIT  piano 4-hands 4:00 S

Head for the Exit (2023), commissioned by Duo Powers-de la Torre who premiered and recorded it in their album Blue Samba. It was conceived as a brief work suitable for an encore or program closer – hence its title. Written in ternary form, its motoric outer parts enclose a more melodic middle section. Being an experienced pianist, the composer exploits the instrument’s full range and resources: Much of the piece is based on the physical experience of the keyboard, using devices such as the alternation of black-and white-key patterns, which both pianists frequently execute in unison.

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HERBSTTAG (Autumn Day) flute/bassoon/harp 7:30 P

Written in 1984, Herbsttag was premiered 1986 at the Austrian Radio Concert Hall (ORF Sendesaal) in Vienna, Austria by American Music Ensemble Vienna (Maura Bayer, Judith Farmer and Gabriela Mossyrsch). Rainer Maria Rilke’s same named poem inspired the work and sets the tone for the entire piece. “Just like Rilke’s poem, my work recreates an existential reflection about loneliness, the end of youth, the passing of time and the meaning of our own existence. At the time I composed this work, in my mid twenties, I was exiled in Vienna, most of my family was in the US and some were still left in Uruguay enduring the horrors of a military regime.  This work stands alone among all my works which are often driven by Latin rhythms, energetic and with clear structure and melodies. In Herbsttag the distant hints of Jazz in the harmonies and in melodic inflections (blue notes, glissandi, bending tones) convey my longing for a distant America and my family there. Herbsttag does not develop or modulate. Just like my feelings while composing it, the work seems caught in a somewhat depressive and hopeless mood from where there is no escape or resolution. The middle section portrays Rilke’s cold Autumn Day wind blowing the dry leaves along the wet streets of Vienna. The work ends with a glissando to nowhere from the same chord that begun the piece, now missing the harmonic ground of tonic and third. After numerous reiterations of the theme, flute and bassoon end the piece with empty air notes. Herbsttag is published by Peermusic and was released by Albany Records.
Rainer Maria Rilke – Herbsttag
Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.
Befiel den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.
Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.
Autumn Day
Lord, it is time. Let the great summer go,
lay your shadows on the sundials,
and over harvest piles let the winds blow.
Command the last fruits to be ripe;
grant them one last southern hour,
urge them to completion, and with power
drive final sweetness to the heavy wine.
Who’s homeless now, will for long stay alone.
No home will build his weary hands.
He’ll wake, read, write letters long to friends
and will the alleys up and down
walk restlessly wandering, as falling leaves dance.
Translation: Miguel del Aguila

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HEXEN (Witches) bassoon/piano 12:00 P

HEXEN  solo bassoon/string orchestra 12:00 P PDF Score

The piano version was written in 1986 and premiered 1987 at the Katholische Hochschulgemeinde Hall in Vienna, Austria by bassoonist Judith Farmer and the composer at the piano.  The version for solo bassoon and string ensemble  (Hexen Op. 17), was written in 1987 and premiered 1988 at Vienna’s Konzerthaus by American Music Ensemble Vienna,  Hobart Earl conductor and J.Farmer bassoon. The US premiere took place 1988 in New York City by Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lucas Foss conductor and Frank Morelli, bassoon.  This orchestral version was released by Albany Records (Troy CD 066, Th. Berger-Miguel del Aguila).
Hexen, an early work on Aguila’s catalogue, already shows a strong influence of the folklore of his native Latin America; in this case that of Brasil. Written in ABA form it features a mysterious, and somewhat lyrical middle section between two outer fast sections. A single rhythmic motive in the unstable 11/16 time signature lends structure to the whole piece which depicts a bewitchment ritual in its various stages. In this ritual the realm of magic and the supernatural is reached by means of rhythm and dance as is often the case in the Candomblé or Macumba rituals of Brazil and Uruguay. The Viennese press review of the premiere aptly described the work as “thrilling and ghastly”. Hexen is published by Peermusic Classical.

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INVISIBLES  piano 13:00 S

Invisibles, Op. 124 for piano was written after a poem by Antonio Machado.
Invisibles reflects on all those people and places that have disappeared from our sight—lives taken, freedoms erased, communities destroyed by war, conflict, prejudice, or injustice. The work gives musical voice to someone who can no longer speak, allowing their story to unfold through sound. The work work was premiered 2020 at Sarajevo’s Talis Music Festival
Its structure follows the poem by Antonio Machado (1875–1939), whose power lies in its simplicity and ambiguity. In Machado’s text, the Lady with the white flower is both an individual victim and a symbol of an entire town erased. The man who passes by and destroys it can be read in many ways: a lover, a figure of war, an embodiment of intolerance, addiction, injustice, or death itself. The poem’s openness invites multiple interpretations, and the music mirrors this fluidity.
Written in 2019, Invisibles is a meditation on absence—on what we no longer see, and on the quiet, persistent presence of those who have been silenced. Commissioned by Natsuki Fukasawa, Ann Harriman, Jennifer Reason, Citywater Inc. Michael Rickman and Lino Rivera. The main theme of this work was later used by the composer on his Invisible Variations as the main varied theme.
Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

La plaza tiene una torre,
la torre tiene un balcón,
el balcón tiene una dama,
la dama una blanca flor.

Ha pasado un caballero
-¡quién sabe por qué pasó!-,
y se ha llevado la plaza,
con su torre y su balcón,
con su balcón y su dama
su dama y su blanca flor.

English

The plaza has a tower,
the tower has a balcony,
the balcony has a lady,
the lady, a white flower.

There passed a man
-nobody knows why!-,
and he took away the plaza,
with its tower and its balcony,
with its balcony and its lady,
its lady and her white flower.
(translation: Miguel del Aguila)

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INVISIBLE VARIATIONS piano 13:00 S

Commissioned by the WSMTA Composer of the Year Project 2025 and premiered 2026 by pianist Lark Powers, this work unfolds as a set of theme and variations. Its theme—borrowed from my earlier piece Invisibles—is never stated outright; instead, each variation hints at it, gradually revealing fragments until it finally emerges in full darkness and drama in Variation IX.
The psychological arc resembles a conversation in which the true subject is avoided, concealed, and only partially disclosed until the moment of revelation. Once the theme appears, the music shifts character, opening into an almost romantic surge of emotion. The drama intensifies, then dissolves, fading away without resolution. The eleven variations also serve a didactic purpose: they progress in order of difficulty and may be performed independently. As a whole, Invisible Variations begins with a light, impressionistic tone and moves through Latin jazz, tango, and Baroque inspired gestures, evolving toward a dramatic conclusion. The piece forms a single, organic movement.

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ISLAMORADA  piano 6:00 S

ISLAMORADA string orchestra/piano S

ISLAMORADA solo piano/string orchestra 9:30 S

ISLAMORADA pno/string orchestra (shorter version as intro to Caribeña) 5:00 S

The solo piano version was premiered 2016 by the composer.  The piano and string ensemble one was written 2013 for the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, conductor Dan Spalding and pianist Gabriela Imreh who premiered it on March 16 2013 in Islamorada, Florida. Composed for full string ensemble, Islamorada can also be performed by a minimum of 5 strings (two violins, viola, cello and bass), and piano. The work is played by Philadelphia Virtuosi with piano, 8 Violins, 2 violas, 2 celli and 1 bass,  and was conceived for this setting. Miguel del Aguila writes:
“I sketched part of Islamorada in early 2012 as a full, three movements piano concerto. When I was asked to write a short work to be premiered on March 2013, I merged ideas from the last two movements and added new material to create a fully independent work. The title of the work was inspired by the name and the place of its premiere: Islamorada, an idyllic village on the Florida Keys.
As the work begins, blurry fragments of the main theme or motif are introduced by the piano and soon the double bass plays this five-note motif which is  present throughout the piece, constantly mutating and adopting different moods, tempos, colors and forms ranging from its beginning minimalist pulsation, through a mocking quickstep Fox Trot, a South American Zamba, a Caribbean Conga and full neo-romantic drama. The piece follows one straight dramatic line to the end as the piano drives the ensemble through the continuous shifts of moods, rhythms and styles. Islamorada is mainly a happy “place”; it contains much humor and even mockery.

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IT IS SO COLD TONIGHT  high voice/piano (opt. orchestra) S
IT IS SO COLD TONIGHT  medium voice/piano (opt. orch) S

IT IS SO COLD TONIGHT solo high voice/orchestra 9:00 S
IT IS SO COLD TONIGHT solo medium voice/orchestra 9:00 S
orch: 2222-2221/3 perc/piano/strings

Written for and premiered by Puerto Rico Symphony orchestra, Guillermo Figueroa conductor. The music includes themes from Aguila’s Time and Again Barelas, It’s So Cold Tonight is one of the most lyrical and emotionally charged moments in Miguel del Aguila’s third opera, Time and Again Barelas. Sung originally by the opera’s central character, Ignacio, the aria unfolds on a bitterly cold night after his world has collapsed. Displaced, homeless, and stripped of all stability, Ignacio confronts the devastating truth that he has lost Marcelina—the love of his life—forever.
The music captures this moment of isolation with a stark, intimate intensity. Long, searching lines convey Ignacio’s grief and longing, while the orchestral (or piano) accompaniment mirrors the cold, empty landscape around him. As the aria progresses, its lyricism becomes a vessel for memory, regret, and the fragile hope that still flickers beneath despair. Within the larger arc of Time and Again Barelas, this aria stands as a turning point: a portrait of a man suspended between past and future, illuminated only by the faint light of what once was.

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LACRYMOSA  med-high voice/piano 7:30 S

LACRYMOSA med-high voice/piano (optional chamber ensemble and choir) 7:30 S
Composed in 1988 and revised in 1996, Lacrymosa may be performed on its own or as part of the larger Requiem. Dark and dramatic from the outset, the music builds steadily toward an intense climax, ending in a tone of desperation that reflects the text’s grief and finality. The work premiered 1989 in Vienna’s Votiv Kirche, Hobart Earle conductor

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LIFE IS A DREAM string quartet 15:00 P

LIFE IS A DREAM string orchestra 15:00 P PDF Score
(optional narrator)

It was commissioned for the Audubon Quartet by the Chautauqua Institution and Kay Logan. It was premiered in 2002 at the Chautauqua Institution Summer Festival in NY by Audubon Quartet. Miguel del Aguila: “As I started writing this music, words and scenes from Calderon de la Barca’s play Life is a Dream started coming to my mind for no particular reason. This moved me to stop composing and read the play again. After reading it I realized the reason: With these words, Calderon’s main character realizes that he can no longer tell reality from dreams. A crisis has led him to question the meaning and purpose of life and the existence of everything we consider real. Being myself in a somewhat similar situation at that time, I continued composing Life is a Dream, now recreating the world of Calderon’s play. As in the play, I blurred the boundaries between the real and the imagined. Making the “real” performance at times a mere background accompanying “imagined”, “dreamed”, “remembered” and “suggested” music played backstage, distorted sections or spoken words. The entire concert hall becomes the performance space and musicians often recite Calderon’s words as they play. The introspective section of the beginning concludes in a climax giving way to a Jota dance which illustrates the busy coming and going of people mindlessly rushing about their lives.  Calderon’s 17th Century Spain also influenced the music.

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MALAMBO  piano 4-hands 13:00 S

MALAMBO bassoon/piano 13:00 S
MALAMBO clarinet/piano 13:00 S
MALAMBO piccolo/piano 13:00 S
MALAMBO flute/piano 13:00 S
MALAMBO saxophone/piano 13:00 S
MALAMBO flute/double bass/piano S
MALAMBO piccolo/clarinet/bassoon/violin/viola/cello/harp/piano S

MALAMBO bassoon/string quartet (opt quintet with Cb) 13:00 S
MALAMBO clarinet/string quartet (opt quintet Cb) 13:00 S
MALAMBO saxophone/string quartet (opt quintet Cb) 13:00 S
MALAMBO flute/string quartet (opt quintet Cb) 13:00 S

MALAMBO  solo bassoon/string orchestra 13:00 S
MALAMBO  solo clarinet/string orchestra 13:00 S
MALAMBO  solo flute/string orchestra 13:00 S
MALAMBO  solo saxophone/string orchestra 13:00​ S
MALAMBO  solo piccolo/string orchestra 13:00 S

As in many of Aguila’s works, this work features virtuosistic instrumental writing often within a language that combines drama, color, driving rhythms and the melodic inflections of Latin American folk music elements. In only two years, Malambo has had over 100 performances worldwide.
Miguel del Aguila: “Before I start writing a new work, I often see a blank, empty imaginary space which,  as I compose, starts being populated with things, events, emotions and of course my own music. Sometimes it’s not a landscape but the inner thoughts and emotions of a person, and in the case of Malambo the music switches between both. Here, we are in the main square of a village in the Argentine Pampas where a celebration is taking place, while the main protagonist (the solo instrument), struggles with past memories and with the decision of joining  the party or isolating. As the sound of church bells trigger memories, he sings alone only accompanied by distant birds and insects; soon joining in a dance taking place near him. While the rhythmic character of this dance was inspired by the Malambo dance of the South American gauchos.  My music here represents only the abstraction of these dances in my memory as rendered in my own musical language and rhythm which in this case consists of alternating 12/16-7/16 meter.  In the midst of the dance the bells ring again and the bassoon isolates again.  Away from the rest it sings an expressive song which grows in intensity until the dissonant bells finally trigger an emotional climax that dissolves in darkness. Suddenly, as if waking up from a dream, the dance resumes.  This time, without interruptions, it gains momentum building up to a joyous, life affirming ending.”

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MIAMI FLUTE SUITE  flute/piano 23:00 P

Completed in 2014, was written for flutist Néstor Torres, who premiered the work the same year in Miami, FL. The three movements, all ¬based on material drawn from Aguila’s earlier works, are quite different in style and mood. With its irregular, shifting meters, and the wide range of emotional expression it requires, the suite is a tour de force for the flute.

I.Seducción (Seduction), the first movement, begins with a lyrical introduction evoking the style of the Brazilian
chôro. This gives way to a frantic, restless Latin dance propelled forward by a series of ostinatos and rhythmically irregular themes. Written mainly in 13/16 meter, this dance begins with a percussive, almost primal theme that becomes increasingly breathless and ever more intense to end the movement in a passionate climax. Rhythm is the captivating (seductive) element here, with the melodic material playing a secondary role.

II. Silencio (Silence) is the slow, nostalgic and introspective middle movement. Its simple structure is dominated by two recurring lyrical themes that contain elements from 1940’s Latin jazz and tango. This movement was inspired by the sudden passing of the composer’s brother Nelson del Aguila (1964-2012), and expresses the sadness of this loss. The title refers to the void or emptiness left by a person who is absent: a voice that is no longer heard.

III. The suite concludes with Milonga, a light, upbeat dance inspired by the character of the early Uruguayan milonga (a fast-paced dance that preceded the tango). Here, the milonga rhythm is distorted into irregular, constantly shifting patterns that drive the piece forward. Towards the end the music seems to get caught up in its own rhythmic frenzy and ends in an ever-growing reiteration of the theme.

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MILONGA  clarinet/piano S
MILONGA  Alto Sax/piano S
MILONGA (from Miami Flute Suite) flute/piano P
MILONGA (from Salon Buenos Aires)  flute/clarinet/violin/cello/piano P

Originally the 3rd movement of Salon Buenos Aires suite, it was commission by the Cactus Pear Music Festival in 2005, it was premiered by the Festivals ensemble in San Antonio, TX the same year. Salon Buenos Aires is a nostalgic musical trip to 1950’s Buenos Aires. The music conveys the general mood of this period of great prosperity and optimism that preceded the social collapse of the 1970’s in the hands of militaristic regimes. The mood is set by numerous South American dance forms used throughout the work. Milonga rhythm is distorted into irregular patterns as its constant beat drives the piece from the good spirited lightness of the beginning to an out of control obsessive finale. Its Camerata San Antonio (Bridge Records) recording was nominated for two Latin Grammys in 2010.

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MUSIC IN A BOTTLE  piano 10:00 Presser

Written in 1999, it was commissioned by J. Miltenberger who premiered it. Music in a Bottle portrays the symbolic journey of a bottle carrying a message across the oceans and finally sinking without its message never having been delivered. The bottle and its journey represent to me our own selves and our own lives ‘journey and how when we die we take with us most of the memories within us, many of which were undisclosed to everyone else. The work is divided in 3 sections:
I The Journey
II The Message
III The bottle sinks
Music in a Bottle has been recorded by James Miltenberger on Scotwood Music Label, CD @0th Century Dances and Improvisations.

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NOCTURNE piano 8:00 S

Written in 1998 Nocturne was premiered the same year by pianist Karen Corbett in Ventura, California. A lyrical, slow moving and introspective piece, it is heavily influenced by Jazz and 1940’s South American Song style. These two elements are combined to create a mood of sadness and nostalgia not too far from that of the Blues and the slow Brazilian Chôro.  Miguel del Aguila writes: “I wrote Nocturne in just a few hours on a foggy afternoon in California. Its form and harmonic structure are very basic and the lack of development give this piece an almost folk-style flow where emotions are expressed with spontaneous simplicity and sincerity. 15 years later, I unknowingly returned to this style in Silence, a work for violin and piano that seems to continue the mood of this piece and to be related to it in its mood.”

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NOSTALGICA  bassoon/string quartet 19:00 S
NOSTALGICA  double bass/string quartet S

Written in 1998, and revised in 2016, Nostálgica was commissioned by bassoonist Barrick Stees who premiered it 1998 at the International Double Reed Convention in Arizona. “I wanted to write a piece in which the bassoon would be the “solo singer” of the ensemble. Soon after I started writing this work, the tone qualities of the bassoon started determining the thematic material and even the form of the piece. Even though the bassoon is the solo singer here, the strings have a technically demanding part which includes extreme registers and the extensive use harmonics.
1. Nostálgica Is quiet and lyrical and it sets the mood for the entire piece establishing the bassoon as the main singing voice. The music is inpired by the Brazilian Chôro.
2. Long Ago is a calm, almost pastoral middle movement. The bassoon plays carefree arabesques often in pentatonic mode and accompanied by shimmering string harmonics and the relax beat of violin pizzicati.
3. Finale concludes the piece with a lively Latin dance. The bassoon provides here the beat with its fast, often percussive notes.

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ONE OF YOU organ, 14:00 S

Was written in 2000, and premiered June 2001 at the American Guild of Organists National Convention in San Diego, California by organist West organ. The work loosely illustrates the words of Jesus during the Last Supper: “One of you will betray me”, and the feelings of Judas and Jesus as they anticipate the imminent betrayal. “Beyond illustrating the biblical story, I also wanted this work to portray the personal sadness and sorrow caused by the betrayal of a loved one”.  One of You is dedicated to the memory of the composer’s father ; Miguel del Aguila (1915-1999).

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OPHELIA IN SEVILLE  sopr/tenor/ fl/cl/tbn/ 2 vlns,/vla/vc 16:00 S

Written in 2005, It was commissioned by Utah State University for the inauguration of its new Recital Hall in October 2005. The work is intended as a short theatrical work where singers and ensemble are integrated equally into the performance. The text for Ophelia in Seville was taken from  Gustavo A. Becquer’s “Rimas”. Only one of his poems deals with the subject of Shakespeare’s Ophelia. Other subject related poems from Rimas complete the text.  The Shakespearean characters are here seen through the eyes of Becquer, and given a 19th. Century Spanish-romantic, symbolic character. The entire piece represents Ophelia’s thoughts, fantasies and hallucinations. Miguel del Aguila: “I tried to recreate musically the atmosphere of Becquer’s poems, his dreamy and at times melodramatic moods, as well as the poetic romanticism of Seville of the 19th Century. The music mirrors Ophelia’s moods and thoughts rather than a illustrating a particular music style or time. At the beginning of the work, she has been already abandoned by Hamlet and has lost her mind. In her heart, she feels Hamlet’s presence (tenor) everywhere although he is in reality not present and his voice is heard from the tenor backstage. At the end both lovers (the real and the imagined), say a symbolical farewell to each other as Ophelia decides her death.

PACIFIC SERENADE  clarinet/piano 16:00 P
PACIFIC SERENADE  saxophone/piano 16:00
PACIFIC SERENADE  violin/piano 16:00 S
PACIFIC SERENADE  cello/piano 16:00 S

PACIFIC SERENADE clarinet/string quartet 16:00 P
PACIFIC SERENADE saxophone/string quartet 16:00 S
PACIFIC SERENADE cello/string quartet 16:00 S
PACIFIC SERENADE violin/string quartet 16:00 S

SEDUCCION THEME flute/alto sax/guitar/harp 4:00 S

Written in 1998, Pacific Serenade was commissioned by Pacific Serenades Ensemble who premiered it 1998 in Los Angeles.  The ensemble’s name helped inspire this work as well as its theme:  a romantic serenade, meant to be performed at night under the stars. The main “singer” here is the clarinet. In general the music is extremely quiet, delicate, sensuous and sentimental. The sensuousness is created by the use of South American folkloric idioms, especially the Brazilian “choro”, which is at times combined with Blues melodies and Jazz harmony. Miguel del Aguila: “In an age of boom boxes, media bombardment and an increasingly aggressive pop culture, I felt the need to write just the opposite.

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PIANO ROLLS FLUTE flute/piano 6:00 S

PIANO ROLLS VIOLIN violin/piano 6:00 S

In “Piano Rolls Flute,” a player-piano (pianola), weary of being forced to play its old piano-rolls – a nostalgic Tango and a laid-back Paraguayan Guarania – begins to “invent” its own music. Meanwhile, a flutist playing along tries to keep pace, grappling with the unfolding performance. As the piece progresses, the piano seizes control, leading the flutist to conclude the work with a joyful, fast-paced Latin dance.
Though no notes are improvised, the piece’s form appears spontaneous and whimsical. The two instruments frequently interrupt each other, diverge in direction, or play simultaneously contrasting music at different tempos.
Miguel del Águila notes: “My goal was to write a piece that appears to write itself spontaneously as the music plays. The piano-rolls symbolize those persistent, involuntary thoughts that disrupt our reality by replaying past events and memories, often negative. The upbeat Caribbean-inspired dance that the pianola aspires to represents ‘the moment’ or reality, liberated from such negative thoughts. Piano Rolls Flute” was premiered by April Clayton and Miguel del Águila in August 2024 at the National Flute Convention in San Antonio, TX.

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PIANO SONATA No.2  piano 15:00 P

I. Allegro
II. Lento
III. Presto
Written in Vienna  in 1988 it was first heard there at a Bösendorfer Hall recital , and officially premiered at Carnegie Recital Hall by the composer the following year.
The first movement written mainly in 11/16 time, starts with an ostinato rhythm as dark, distant melodic fragments played in the piano’s lowest register serve as introduction. As the movement progresses the music becomes increasingly lively, rhythmic, colorful and expressive. Above the rhythmic ostinatos often melodies, reminiscent of the Gaucho song of Uruguay and Argentina sing freely. The singing becomes a dance of irregular rhythms and it reaches a dramatic climax that dissolves in darkness. The second movement begins with an opening of quiet slow arpeggios followed by a slow and sensuous Blues. The final movement is witty, lively humorous and sarcastic. A continuous animando from beginning to end, it begins with a 1920’s Jazz sound alternated by rhythmically irregular Caribbean dance rhythms and short melodic fragments played in double 8ves. The rapidly shifting rhythms of 11/16 +15+16 provides excitement and  a bumpy beat which has prompted many dancers to choreograph this movement in different instrumentations. After a long buildup, the piece seems to fly out of control to end in a dramatic fff arm cluster. Thematic material from this movement  was later used by the composer on his String Quartet No2 and his Presto II. And in many other settings some of which include violin, double bass, piano and percussion. The Sonata is dedicated to Jorge Basurto and published by Peermusic. Sonata No.2 is recorded by James Miltenberger on ACA Recordings CD: Piano Music of the Americas.

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PIANO CONCERTO  Op.57
I    Andante
II    Adagio Recitando
III    Finale Allegro
25:00 Written in 1997 it was premiered the same year in Ventura California by the New West Symphony Orchestra (Ventura Symphnony) conducted by Boris Brot with the composer at the piano.
Piano Concerto follows formally the traditional concerto form. However the first movement is slow and some themes are present in all three movements. This piece is programmatic music and its story could be as long as a novel, however it is a very personal story which I chose to keep it undisclosed.  The first movement is a dramatic account of hopeless desolation, depression and sorrow. Something beautiful happens in the second movement which slowly heels the wounds of the first movement. This simple second movement is an intimate dialogue between pianist and orchestra and without too many notes getting on the way. The movement ends in an introspective and reflective mood. There is peace but the bad memories are still too present and the future remains uncertain. The third movements is the “happy end” of the piece. The theme of the “beautiful event” of the second movement returns now with full power and sweeping self-assurance leaving behind all doubts that the drama of the first movement will ever return.

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PIANOLA REBELDE piano 4-hands 9:00 S

PIANOLA REBELDE 3 pianos 9:00 S

Even if not revealed, del Aguila’s music frequently contains a program or is inspired by a concrete sensation or feeling. Such is the case with Pianola Rebelde (2020, rev. 2024) an old player piano, forced to continuously reproduce the same rolls, rebels against its owner and begins to spontaneously create its own music. The struggle between instrument and owner is sonically evident, featuring frequent juxtapositions of seemingly disparate elements. The work also contains a deeper layer of dichotomy or opposition: The old music of the player piano’s rolls “symbolize those persistent, involuntary thoughts that disrupt our reality by replaying past events and memories, often negative. The upbeat Caribbean-inspired dance that the pianola aspires to represents ‘the moment’ or reality, liberated from such negative thoughts.”

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PICTURES FROM AMERICA  harpsichord 13:00 S

Pictures from America (1986), dedicated to Marinka Brecelj is a three movement suite for harpsichord composed in 1986. Each movement highlights a different color and character of the instrument. Carnaval opens the suite with brilliant, high register writing that showcases the harpsichord’s sparkle. Gaucho shifts to the liuto stop, evoking the nostalgic sound of a lone gaucho playing his guitar. Toccata, the largest and most driving movement, closes the work with rhythmic intensity; its main toccata also exists in versions for piano and for orchestra.

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PRESTO II string quartet 6:00 P

PRESTO A DOS cello/double bass  6:00 S

PRESTO A CUATRO guitar quartet (4 guitars) 6:00 S

PRESTO A 8 guitar quartet/string quartet 6:00 S

Originally the last movement of Aguila’s String Quartet No.2 (1988), PRESTO II was transformed by the composer into a larger, independent piece. This version was written for Cuarteto Latinoamericano who premiered it in 1996 and recorded it in 1998.
PRESTO II is a humorous, ironic and sometimes mocking Latin dance. The introduction has 1920’s Jazz  elements and the following  Latin dance is based on a small rhythmic and melodic cell which is repeated constantly in odd irregular time meters. A challenging work for the performers, it uses unusual playing techniques and effects and rapidly shifting irregular rhythmic patterns. “I wrote this piece while living in Vienna. For the Viennese, the string quartet form is sacredly serious. With PRESTO II I was mocking the form, and the protocol of classical string quartet tradition.   String Quartet No.2 was premiered in Vienna, and not surprisingly, the Viennese press found it “not serious”.
PRESTO II is also recorded by Alcan quartet on Naxos, by Santiago Quartet London on Cubafilin Records, and by Camerata San Antonio on Bridge Records.

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PROCESSION OF LUNATICS  four cellos 9:00 S

Composed in 2015 it was commissioned by Ashley Sandor Sidon. Procesión de Locos portrays a surreal parade of mad performers. It opens with a relaxed, Brazilian tinged cantilena, soon disrupted by low register cello lines and trembling textures that twist the melody into a dark, distorted shadow of itself. This collapse triggers a fast, rhythm driven finale where Latin American grooves collide with a quirky foxtrot–boogie motif, ending the piece in a strangely exuberant, off kilter mood.

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QUINTETO SINFÓNICO  wind quintet 12:00 S

WIND QUINTET No. 3  woodwind quintet 10:00 (old version, not available)

Written 2019 it was premiered the same year by Pentaèdre at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Canada. As the title suggests, the work resembles a mimi-symphony in three movements that follow an overall thematic structure and form. The quintet is often made to sound orchestral by emphasizing music discourse and harmonic texture over individual colors.

I. Giocoso – The work begins quietly with a slow, humorous Latin dance which increases tempo and intensity. The performers share themes and continue each other’s phrases as if they were improvising while “dancing” with each other through fast tempos and shifting irregular rhythms. The movement ends with an upbeat new theme which anticipates the second and third movements.”My inspiration for this movement was a technique often used by Andean folk ensembles where wind instruments share and continue each other’s melodies making them sound as if played by only one performer. Often for these ensembles cooperation and the sound of all together is more important than showcasing the talent of each individual. This turns the music into a spontaneous dialogue as each performer must react to what the others played and be ready to play any voice at any given moment.”

II. Misterioso – The landscape turns now into that of a warm summer night where an oboe sets the mood with a slow, peaceful, somewhat exotic tune. Soon other musicians join the oboe and a mysterious dialogue ensues, often interrupted by solos and darker passages. Finally the oboe and flute bring back the melody of the beginning, this time with a relaxed Latin beat. The melody becomes more fragmented and dissolves in a long chord.

III. Luminous (Luminoso) – A bright Luminous Fanfare where clarinet, bassoon and horn imitate trumpets playing the melodic line while flute and oboe provide the excitement of a busy background scene. After a series of dissonant climaxes and hectic chases, the piece ends Quinteto Sinfónico joyfully with a reiteration of all previously heard themes.

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RETURN TO HOMELAND  violin/piano 15:00 S

RETURN TO HOMELAND  solo violin/orch. 15:00 S

work being currently revised

it was commissioned by Ms. Tish Korman-Harris and it is dedicated to Dr. Burns Taft who also contributed to finance this commission. It was premiered at the Ventura Chamber Music Festival on May 8 1999. Miguel del Aguila writes about this work: “As the title suggests, Return is an imaginary trip to the place of our childhood. In my case, to the city of Montevideo which I left many years ago and have not returned to since as of 2015.  As the piece begins the traveler is at the end a long trip on board an ocean liner. It is daybreak of a cold winter morning and as the light increases the skyline of Montevideo slowly appears in the horizon gray and gloomy. As the view gets closer there is anticipation and excitement as well as sad memories. With the beginning of the samba rhythm the traveler arrives at the city. As he drives through the streets, memories begin to awaken with an intensity that soon becomes overwhelming. After a dramatic climax that ends in a crash the traveler realizes that the city he came to see no longer exists.  This is a new place that doesn’t recognize him, for here he stopped existing when he left many years ago. “His” city only exists in the past, in his memories and no longer in a geographical place.  With this realization the work ends in total darkness as the violin repeats the nostalgic themes of the beginning and the samba rhythm has now taken a funeral character. As the traveler closes the door of his hotel room the city he just saw sinks again in an imaginary fog and fades away. I think Return to Homeland is as close as I will ever get to writing music of a romantic nature. The expressive and dramatic qualities of the solo violin seemed to me the perfect medium for this symphonic poem which has a solo violin as its main protagonist. The work has three sections which are Lento – Allegro – Lento. Return to Homeland was finished in 1999. A  piano-violin version of this work was finished in late 1998. Two themes from my piano trio “Charming Lynch Mob” are also heard in this piece. This was to me a natural thing to do since both works depict different episodes of a same story..”

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SALON BUENOS AIRES  fl,cl, vl,vla,vc,pno. 23:00 P
SALON BUENOS AIRES  fl,bn, vl,vla,vc,pno. 23:00 P
SALON BUENOS AIRES  flute/clarinet/violin/cello/piano 23:00 P

SALON BUENOS AIRES for orchestra: 2222/221/2 perc/piano-cel/harp/strings 20:00 P PDF Score

MILONGA (from Salon Buenos Aires)  flute/clarinet/violin/cello/piano P

1. Samba
2. Tango To Dream
3. Obsessed Milonga
Commissioned by the Cactus Pear Music Festival in 2005, it was premiered by the Festivals ensemble in San Antonio, TX the same year. Written in three movements Salon Buenos Aires is a nostalgic musical trip to 1950’s Buenos Aires. The music conveys the general mood of this period of great prosperity and optimism that preceded the social collapse of the 1970’s in the hands of militaristic regimes. The mood is set by numerous South American dance forms used throughout the work. From carefree Brazilian Samba rhythms to old fashioned melodramatic Tangos and  Milongas (an Uruguayan dance which preceded Tango). After a bright upbeat first movement, the next “Tango to Dream” starts with a mysterious introduction to a Lullaby that slowly acquires a beat to transform itself into a dramatic, passionate Tango.  In the final movement, a Milonga rhythm is distorted into irregular patterns as its constant beat drives the piece from the good spirited lightness of the beginning to an out of control obsessive finale. Salon Buenos Aires recording by Camerata San Antonio (Bridge Records), was nominated for two Latin Grammys in 2010.

Orchestra version: 2222 – 221 – 2 perc. piano/cel, harp and strings
publisher: Peermusic Classical

1 Samba
2 Tango para soñar
3 Milonga obsesionada

The orchestral version of Salon Buenos Aires was commissioned and premiered 2010 by the Sarasota Orchestra under conductor Dirk Meyer.(The earlier chamber ensemble version was Commissionned and premiered by the Cactus Pear Music Festival in 2005. Its recording by Camerata San Antonio on Bridge received two Grammy nominations in 2010). Written in three movements Salon Buenos Aires is a nostalgic musical trip to 1950’s Buenos Aires. The music conveys the general mood of this period of great prosperity and optimism that preceded the social collapse of the 1970’s in the hands of militaristic regimes. The mood is set by numerous South American dance forms used throughout the work. From carefree Brazilian Samba rhythms to old fashioned melodramatic Tangos and Milongas (an Uruguayan dance which preceded Tango). After a bright upbeat first movement, the next “Tango to Dream” starts with a mysterious introduction to a Lullaby that slowly acquires a beat to transform itself into a dramatic, passionate Tango. In the final movement, a Milonga rhythm is distorted into irregular patterns as its constant beat drives the piece from the good spirited lightness of the beginning to an out of control obsessive finale.

New Salon Buenos Aires recording by Augusta Symphony/Dirk Meyer/Guillermo Figueroa

Orchestral Works Augusta Symph CD

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SALVA ME  choir a cappella (opt. piano) 7:00 S

SALVA ME was composed in 2015 to honor the memory of Nelson del Águila (1964–2012), the composer’s brother, on the anniversary of his passing. Dedicated to him, the piece forms part of an a cappella Latin Mass, each movement conceived to stand alone or be performed as part of the larger work. It unfolds with an introspective, meditative character, shaped by a harmonic palette rooted in seventh chords and quartal harmony. Its architecture follows a clear ABA form, offering a contemplative arc that returns to its opening stillness. It was premiered in Seattle 2025 by Radiance Ensemble

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SAMBEADA wind quintet (fl, ob, cl, hn, bn) 4:30 S

SAMBEANDO guitar 2:00 S

Written 2022 for Windsync, who premiered it the same year at Artpark Lewiston, NY. Sambeada is a lively dance featuring ostinato rhythms, idioms and colors inspired by Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova. Written mainly in 13/16 time signature, the music becomes increasingly lively and joyous finally triggering a syncopated dance where the horn leads the ensemble as it imitates a Latin trumpet.The guitar version precedes the quintet and its natural fingering determined much of the harmony of the work. This version was premiered 2021 in Germany by Adriana Balboa

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SEDUCCION  flute/piano 7:00 S
SEDUCCION  violin/piano. 7:00 S
SEDUCCION  clarinet/piano 7:00 S

SEDUCCION flute/clarinet/piano 9:00 S
SEDUCCION flute/flute/piano 9:00 S
SEDUCCION flute/cello/piano 9:00 S
SEDUCCION flute/violin/piano 9:00 S
SEDUCCION  flute/alto sax/piano​ S

SEDUCCION oboe/clarinet/piano​ S
SEDUCCION oboe/clarinet/piano​ S

SEDUTION DANCE flute/oboe/piano  9:00 S
SEDUCTION DANCE flute/sopr sax/pno S

SEDUCCION THEME  flute/alto sax/guitar/harp 4:00 S

Originally composed in 2007 ethe work is available in several instrumentations. These works share thematic material with each other and also borrow themes from the composer’s previously written Clarinet Concerto No.2 and Pacific Serenade. The works begins with a lyrical and sensuous, song-like introduction evoking the style of the Brazilian Chôro and it quickly gives way to a frantic, restless dance. From then on, the music is propelled forward by a series of ostinatos and rhythmically irregular themes. Rhythm is here the captivating (seductive), element which often relegates the melodic material to a secondary role. This Latin dance, written mainly on 13/16 meter, begins with a percussive, almost primal theme that becomes increasingly breathless and ever-more-intense leading the work towards a final passionate climax. A tour de force for the performers, Seducción demands not only stamina but outmost rhythmic accuracy through constantly shifting syncopations in irregular meters.Seducción was premiered in 2008 by Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society Festival Ensemble in Madison, Wisconsin

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SEXTET DANCES wind quintet/piano 8:00 S

Written 2014, revised 2019 Commissioned and premiered by Pacific Serenades, Los Angeles. Sextet Dances draws on original themes and some from his opera Time and Again Barelas, where they appear in the dance sequence The Rhythm of a City. After a brief clarinet introduction, the piece opens with a ceremonious, quasi baroque section in an irregular 13/16 meter, anchored by a walking bass in the piano that suggests the founding of the town. The music then shifts into a faster, Latin inflected version of the main theme, moving through irregular meters and a syncopated idea reminiscent of 1940s Latin dance bands. A third theme adds a big band flavor, building to a lively, good natured bustle. A sudden, passionate tango interrupts the momentum and brings the piece to its close. Light hearted and rhythm driven, Sextet Dances relies on color and pulse to tell its story.

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SILENCE flute/piano 10:00 S
SILENCE  violin/piano 10:00 S
SILENCE viola/piano 10:00 S
SILENCE  cello/piano 10:00 S
SILENCE  double bass/piano 10:00 S
SILENCE  clarinet/piano 10:00 S

SILENCE solo clarinet/string orch. 10:00 S
(also all other instruments and orchestras available)

Written in 2013 Silence is a slow, nostalgic and introspective work. Its simple structure is dominated by a recurring lyrical theme which contains elements from 1940’s Latin Jazz/Tango. This highly melodic and expressive work was inspired by the sudden passing of the composer’s brother Nelson del Aguila, and it expresses the sadness of this loss. The title Silence refers to the void or emptiness left by a person who’s absent. A voice who is no longer heard. Silence was premiered 2013 by Guillermo Figueroa and Miguel del Aguila at Music in the Mountains Festival in Colorado, USA

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SOAKED COBBLESTONES Op.142 flute/clarinet 5:00 S

Soaked Cobblestones is a concise, lyrical tango for flute and clarinet, written for Trio Tastenwind. The duet develops through brief, conversational motifs that pass between the instruments, shaped by characteristic tango syncopation and flexible rubato. The instruments often play in inverted registers: the flute in its lowest range while the clarinet answers above it, creating a subdued, blended color uncommon in traditional flute clarinet writing. 

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SONATA FLAUTÍSIMA flute 11:30 S

Commissioned by April Clayton and Brigham Young University, “Sonata Flautísima” premiered in 2018 at the National Flute Association Convention in Orlando, FL. This three-movement work loosely follows classical sonata form and explores a transition from an introverted, dark, rainy night to a lively, sunny day.
I. Caminando
The first movement features an introverted, lyrical theme followed by a rhythmic cell that foreshadows the second movement. It portrays a solitary figure walking at night, reflecting on their thoughts and emotions in a dark, cold, rainy setting.
II. Beatboxing
Is a humorous and rhythmically driven exploration of beatboxing and other extended flute techniques. It evokes an exotic dance through unconventional extended techniques sounds and rhythms mainly produced by vocalizing into the flute.
III. Alegre
The third and most extensive movement introduces fast Latin rhythms and melodic motifs in a Rondo form dance. The final bright and vibrant coda, ends the piece with playfulness and joy.
A challenging piece for the flutist, “Sonata Flautísima” shares thematic material with two earlier works: Estudio Rítmico and Quinteto Sinfónico.

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SUBMERGED  flute/viola/harp  10:00 S
SUBMERGED  flute/violin/harp S
SUBMERGED  flute/violin/cello/harp S
SUBMERGED  flute/viola S
SUBMERGED flute/Bassoon/harp S
SUBMERGED  oboe/violin/ harp S
SUBMERGED  violin/English horn/harp S

SUBMERGED  (Sumergida)  harp trio (three harp) S
SUBMERGED  two harps S

SUBMERGED  flute quartet (four flutes) S

SUBMERGED  Septet: flute/clarinet/string quartet/harp S

Written in 2013 was commissioned by Hat Trick and Brigham Young University. It is based on Alfonsina Storni’s romantic, surrealist poem “Yo en el fondo del mar” On the surface, both the poem and music seem innocent and light-hearted, but one feels differently when the author’s fascination with the sea, and her later suicide by drowning in it, are taken into consideration. The piece follows the form of the poem except for the lively introduction and a coda which illustrate the poet’s childhood near her native Argentine Andes, and in Switzerland. With six harp loud chords, the piece “falls” deep underwater: this slow middle section is mysterious, intimate and magical. It recreates the poem’s isolated submerged world where fish with flowers, octopus and sirens dance while birds chirp happily far above water. The harp uses unusual extended techniques, some stemming from Paraguayan harp playing. The viola adds a rhythmic edge by playing constant multiple stop pizzicati imitating a Charango. The flute is the Quena of the ensemble and it uses often extended techniques as well. “In my interpretation of Storni’s poem this underwater world is that special place of isolation where many artists withdraw to create, a place and mood that can easily turn into depression. A place that ultimately Alfonsina chose to remain and which became her death. In my Submerged, I continued the events of the poem and made the listener return to the real world above water. This return is triggered by the memories of her childhood played by the harp and viola as a music box Ländler which turns into a Vidalita, both music which Alfonsina would have heard in her childhood.​
Yo en el fondo del mar from Mundo de siete pozos (1934)
Storni, Alfonsina ( 1892 – 1937 )
Published by Tor, Buenos Aires (1935)

En el fondo del mar hay una casa de cristal.
A una avenidade madréporas da.
Un gran pez de oro, a las cinco, me viene a saludar.
Me trae un rojo ramo de flores de coral.
Duermo en una cama un poco más azul que el mar.
Un pulpo me hace guiños a través del cristal.
En el bosque verde que me circunda
—din don…din dan…— se balancean y cantan
las sirenas de nácar verdemar.
Y sobre mi cabeza arden, en el crepúsculo,
las erizadas puntas del mar.

Me at the Bottom of the Sea
Alfonsina Storni (1892-1938)
(from World of Seven Wells, 1934)
At the bottom of the sea there  is a house made of glass,
at the edge of a coral-lined road.
A big golden fish comes to greet me at five;
it brings me a red bouquet of coral as flowers.
I sleep on a bed somewhat bluer than the sea.
An octopus now winks at me through the glass.
In the green forest that surrounds me
swaying mermaids sing —ding, dong … ding, ding—
in their nacre and aquamarine.
And above my head glow in the twilight
the prickling pins of the sea.
Translation by M. del Aguila (2013)

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SUMMER SONG oboe/piano 16:00 P

it was written 1988 in Vienna, and premiered there a year later by oboist Vasile Marian, for whom it was written. “The work is all about nature, how it affects us and how we interact with it. It was inspired by an Aztec poem that, though lost long ago, I still recall visually: It’s a quiet, warm and lazy summer afternoon and the protagonist is lying on the grass. As he daydreams, his thoughts interact with the actual landscape, creating a magical, unreal place. Soon, as passing clouds bring rain the protagonist falls asleep and dreams. As the storm passes birds begin to sing, waking him up”.  The work opens with a gentle, modal theme, followed by a more lively and rhythmic second theme. Their interplay provides a gentle dialogue that takes us through a set of variations. The themes become agitated and trigger the “dream” section of the piece from where a bird seems to slowly guide us back to reality. The themes we heard at the beginning return and are later joined by a new, almost scandalous theme, reminiscent of Brazilian samba “Summer Song stands alone among my works due to its capricious form, its over-abundance of thematic material, and most of all for the disparity of styles which somehow seem to merge together: idioms ranging from Indian chant and the 1940s Big Band era coexist with the late Renaissance, Middle Eastern arabesques, music from the Caribbean and Brazilian Samba. Originally written in 1988, I revised the work in 1996, expanding it in both length and, alas, difficulty”. Katsuya Watanabe brilliantly masters the work’s challenges in his recording with pianist David Johnson on the Profil label. Summer Song is recorded by Katsuya Watanabe, oboe, and David Johnson, piano, on Profil CD 8977792

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SUNSET SONG bassoon/piano 18:00 P

For bassoon and piano was written and premiered in 1994 at the Los Angeles Museum of Art, Bing Theater. It is the composer’s second large work featuring the bassoon as soloists (after Hexen) and like Hexen it is also dedicated to bassoonist Judith Farmer who premiered it with the composer at the piano. Sunset Song is technically a tour de force for both the bassoon and the piano. It is a happy, sensuous, obsessive and at times mocking often reflecting the time in which it was written and the events of a Mexico tour that followed the first performance during which the piece underwent revisions. Sunset Song starts with an introduction played by the bassoon almost entirely. This introduction uses elements of 1950’s pop music. A middle section fallows where a static -almost Middle Eastern- ostinato rhythmic pattern beats with increasing tension. This pattern is then transformed to a Latin beat which finally returns the piece to the opening mood. The bassoon ends the piece in an irreverent tone, with a pitch written two octaves above the official limit of the instrument’s register. The title Sunset Song was inspired by California’s sunsets and the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean.

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TAMBOREÑO  string quartet/piano 8:00 S
TAMBOREÑO  flute/clarinet/electric guitar/bass/piano 8:00 S

Tamboreño (Like Drums) Op. 126 for string quartet and piano 2020. Commissioned by the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College for Cuarteto Latinoamericano and pianist Sally Pinkas who premiered and recorded it. The later version for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, bass, and piano was commissioned by Fivebyfive Chamber Music Ensemble who also premiered and recorded it.
Tamboreño—a made up word related to tambor (drum)—captures the rhythmic energy of a group of drummers warming up and then launching into an improvised sounding jam. Although fully written out, the piece is designed to feel spontaneous, as if friends were trading riffs and building excitement together.
The music grows increasingly intense and dramatic, eventually breaking into a joyful, high energy finale where the players seem swept up in their own rhythmic frenzy. Beneath this surface, the piece evokes an imaginary scene from the traditional Candombe ritual in Uruguay, where drummers temper their instruments by the fire before performing.

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TANGO TRIO   violin/cello/piano 12:00 P
TANGO TRIO   clarinet/cello/piano (opt: ob,cello pno) 12:00 S
TANGO TRIO   oboe/bassoon/piano (opt: cl,bn,pno) 12:00 S
TANGO TRIO   English horn/bassoon/piano 12:00 S
TANGO TRIO  violin/clarinet/piano 12:00 S
TANGO TRIO  clarinet/alto sax/piano 10:00 S
TANGO TRIO  flute/alto sax/piano 10:00 S
TANGO TRIO  trombone/alto sax/piano 10:00 S

Written in 2002 in New York an available in many instrumentations. It was premiered at the Chautauqua Music Festival that summer by the New Arts Trio. The work evokes Argentine-Uruguayan tango idioms, recalling especially the neo-romantic and sentimental style of the early tango period between 1910 and 1940. The musical language is intense, dramatic and direct, becoming at times melodramatic and humorous. Written as an homage to Tango, TANGO TRIO does not follow the form, rhythm or style of the traditional Argentine dance, nor that of Piazzolla’s “Nuevo tango”. It is more often an abstraction of the dance that contains elements from a broader spectrum of Latin American dances such as Brazilian Samba, and Uruguayan Milonga and Candombe. The piano often provides the sharp rhythmic beat characteristic of this dance, but occasionally blurs the beat with turbulent, virtuosic arpeggios. The tango rhythmic pattern, present through most of the work, undergoes several tempo meter transformations, becoming at times highly syncopated and varied through asymmetrical groupings within the measure.

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TANGO VOLANTE  cello/piano 7:00 S
TANGO VOLANTE  violin/piano 7:00 S

Tango Volante (Flying Tango) was commissioned 2022 by the Bardin-Niskala Duo. Since I can remember I had a recurring dream in which I’m often chased or in trouble. As I try to run faster I jump and suddenly start flying. At first I’m surprised but soon flying becomes a normal ability and situation. As I climb I reach a peaceful state in which I’m effortlessly floating in the air looking down at a beautiful landscape. This work conveys this dream’s feelings and reflects about the unknown possibilities and powers hidden within each of us and our ability to turn challenges into a positive
motivation and outcome” A three note theme (which illustrates the three stages of flight: run – jump – take off), recurs throughout the piece in different forms. At first in dark, tritone notes retracing their steps downwards. Soon the theme acquires a threatening, tango inspired beat. A struggle follows and finally (bar.111) the music breaks away from the threat and starts flying ending in floating peacefulness.

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TENNESSEE for solo guitar. S

Written in 2001, it is inspired by controversial character from Tennessee William’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”. The work starts with a sentimental old fashioned waltz, which portrays Blanche. This nostalgic waltz is also Blanche remembering and yearning for the long gone world of her youth. The middle section that follows is the train theme expressing her sensuality, her madness and ultimately her self-destruction. This theme is purposefully written in unstable 7/8 meter. Blanche’s waltz theme reappears challenging the train theme but it quickly returns to its nostalgic nature dissolving hopelessly into fragile, guitar harmonics as Blanche, now gone insane, is being dragged away. The work has been recorded by Matt Greif on CD Permanent Transition.

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TENSANDO  violin/cello/double bass/piano 10:00 S
TENSANDO  violin/ double bass/piano 10:00 S

TENSANDO for orchestra: 2222/422/4 perc/hrp/keyboard/strings 12:00 P

I’ve always been fascinated by the dramatic power of rhythm, by its ability to capture our emotions, and by its tendency to often drive us with it to unavoidable, out-of-control climactic endings. Tensando follows this form, this time culminating in a frenetically joyous, life-affirming, positive and optimistic ending.

Built on an ostinato rhythmic cell of 3/8 + 3/8 +3/16 +3/16; each bar contains four beats of different lengths within which syncopations often occur. This rhythmic ambiguity (often found in Latin American music), and its combined triple and double meters creates complex, ever shifting rhythmic and melodic textures with increasing emotional tension.

Tensando describes imaginary events happening during the traditional ceremony of tempering the drums by the fire as it’s often performed by the Candombe players of Uruguay before a night street ceremony.
As the piece begins the drums’ skins are cold and their sound is hollow and dry. A fire is lit and the drummers surround it bringing their drums close to it and playing on them. This process of tempering slowly and spontaneously becomes a coordinated improvisation as nearby dancers practice their steps to the light of the fire preparing for their dancing procession. After drums are tempered, drummers and dancers begin marching together, joined by all people they encounter as they march through town in a dance that will last all night. While Candombe music is rich in poly-rythms, Tensando conveys my abstraction of this genre and ritual without ever attempting to recreate or represent it.

New recording by Augusta Symphony/Dirk Meyer/Guillermo Figueroa

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THE DAY AFTER 4 cellos (optional 8 cellos) 3:00 S

Composed 2006 The Day After was written for Cuarteto Latinoamericano cellist Álvaro Bitrán and included on his 2007 album Mi Chelada. The piece reflects the quiet sadness, loss, and introspection that follow a life changing event—after the turmoil has passed and only memory remains.
The music is extremely soft and distant, centered on a lyrical theme derived from del Aguila’s opera Time and Again Barelas. This melody unfolds over gentle pizzicati and subtle coloristic lines from the ensemble. Expressivity is achieved not through traditional cello phrasing but through long, sustained tones with minimal v
ibrato and delicate shifts in dynamics, creating an atmosphere of stillness and fragile emotion.

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THE FALL OF CUZCO for orchestra: 3333/4331/4 perc/harp/keyboard/strings 20:00 P PDF Score

For full orchestra. (La caída de Cuzco)  Op. 99 was written 2009. Commissioned through the Magnum Opus project: Kathryn Gould, founding patron and commissioner, and Meet The Composer, project manager. The work loosely follows the events that led to the collapse of the Inka Empire and its capital Cuzco.Miguel del Aguila writes: “With this work I tried to recreate my fantasy of this mystical place and time, as well as give a voice to those who were silenced as a result of the Conquest almost 500 years ago. As in many of my works, the music here tells a story and suggests imagery. The pantheistic mood of the beginning is followed by an idealized depiction of this pre-columbian Inka world before the collapse. The Andean inspired themes are slowly transformed to convey fear, sadness betrayal and ultimately the agony of battle and death.  The underlying theme is gold and its power over men and their greed. Once Pizarro arrives, the gold theme, starts subduing the other three which struggle for their survival throughout the entire piece. Finally, it triumphs and it ends the piece in all its boisterous brilliance. The closing bars depict this mountain of gold, blinding, seductive and overwhelming, while heralding at the same time the birth of a new race in a new America. Having survived  myself the “Guerra sucia” of the ‘70’s by the military dictatorships in my native South America -which ultimately forced me to emigrate to the USA- I couldn’t avoid relating Pizarro’s crimes to those of modern dictators like Stroessner and Pinochet and relating the struggle of the Inka to those of my contemporaries.
Fall of Cuzco uses a simple pentatonic language inspired by the indigenous music of South America; from the slow Guaranias of the lowlands to the upbeat music of the Altiplano. This music is deceivingly simple. Its pentatonic nature, its strict harmonic, melodic and rhythmic structures, and its non-dramatic character, makes its fabric extremely fragile and elusive. At the first attempt of thematic development, its essence vanishes. On the other hand, abiding by all its rules, results in a pale imitation of it. Writing The Fall of Cuzco I walked the thin line between both.
1. High in the Andes the rising sun is greeted by a Caracol as a new day begins in Cuzco
2. Pizarro arrives, and after the initial fear and suspicion he’s greeted with music and celebration
3. During the celebration, Pizarro captures the Inca king: Atahualpa who offers him a room filled with gold in exchange for his freedom. Pizarro agrees.
4. Over many days gold is brought in endless processions, from all corners of the land.
5. The gold finally fills the room to the ceiling, while even larger piles surround the building and bury it. As the clouds dissipate the sun shines upon it with blinding light. (After all the gold is taken, Pizarro will kill Atahualpa)

New recording by Augusta Symphony/Dirk Meyer/Guillermo Figueroa

Orchestral Works Augusta Symph CD

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THE GIANT GUITAR for orchestra: 3333/4331/4 perc/harp/keyboard/strings 7:00 P PDF Score

Written in 2006, it was jointly commissioned  by WNED-FM Radio of  Buffalo, NY and by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2006 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. It was premiered at  Buffalo’s Kleinhans Hall in 2006 by Buffalo Philharmonic conducted by JoAnn Falletta. A short overture-like work inspired in the guitar and by Andean folk idioms. The opening theme and harmony originates form the  guitar’s open strings (E A D G B E). The Harp introduces this theme as the strings, and later the horns, use the same notes to provide harmony. Having lived the first twenty years of my life in  South America I can’t think of a guitar without associating its music to my early memories there. I often view  South America as a “giant guitar”…friendly, sentimental, nostalgic, apparently week, and yet concealing a great power, only suggested by occasional “rasqueado” chords or historical revolutions. As in the political events of the 1970’s. Thus this work starts in a somewhat nostalgic mood which seems to transport us to a place high in the  Andes     . After these few introductory bars the flutes re-introduce the guitar theme now in a very rhythmic pattern resembling an Inca Andean-flute chant. The orchestra strings accompany the melody through rhythmically complex pizzicati, imitating a giant guitar or “charango”. The drama begins almost unnoticed as the originally delicately strummed chords turn into violent bass-drum and timpani hits. A final chord, from a third higher then the rest of the piece, offers a last note of defiance as it confronts a police siren, only to be quickly crushed by the overwhelming percussion.

New recording by Augusta Symphony/Dirk Meyer/Guillermo Figueroa

Orchestral Works Augusta Symph CD

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TIME AND AGAIN BARELAS OVERTURE for full orchestra: 9:00 P
TIME AND AGAIN BARELAS CHORAL SUITE  mixed choir/orchestra  17:00 P
TIME AND AGAIN BARELAS SUITE 2  choir/solo tenor/orchestra 33:00 P
orch for all versions: 2222/2321/ 4 perc/piano/harp/strings

TIME AND AGAIN BARELAS  full opera in two acts 150:00 P
ensenble: mixed choir/alto/tenor and other soli/dancers/orchestra

For orchestra and chorus (opt. solo tenor) Suite 1: 20:00 / Suite 2: 33:00.
1. Overture (only Suite No.2)
2. Ignacio’s Dream
3. The Rhythm of the city
4. Ave Maria
5. River’s Death (only Suite No.2)
6.  Sunrise
Both Suites are taken from del Aguila’s third opera: Time and Again Barelas which was commissioned by the New Mexico Symphony, the  National  Hispanic  Cultural  Center, Meet The Composer and the City of  Albuquerque in celebration of the 300th. anniversary of its founding. The Opera premiered in April 2006 By New Mexico Symphony under conductor Guillermo Figueroa.  Choral Suite No.1 premiered in 2005 by NMSO conductor R. Melone. The longer Choral Suite No.2 was written for The Lancaster Symphony and its music director S. Gunzenhauser. It includes some of the main choral numbers from the opera as well as a new overture on themes from Time and Again Barelas. The score has been enlarged by extra winds, brass and strings, and the chorus has been expanded into a large symphonic chorus. About the opera: “Rather than writing an incidental work for the event,” wrote del Aguila, “I was more interested in writing a dramatic work that would be of timeless and of universal interest. In summer of 2004, I finished a synopsis of the story: a love story that lasts 500 years with the neighborhood of Barelas as background.”       Situated on the Camino Real that ran from  Mexico to  Santa Fe, Barelas had been settled by the Spanish sonce early 17th century. Although most characters are fictional, the opera starts with the historical event of Don Barelas’s murder. The soldier who commits the crime, Don Ignacio, and Barelas’s daughter Marcelina, are the central characters of the story.  Following a shaman’s curse, they are fated to fall in love through the ages.  While Don Ignacio lives in shame and remorse, Marcelina only gradually becomes aware of his true identity as the murderer of her father. Her forgiveness of Ignacio ends the work in hope and affirmation. The composer states:  “I did not try to write music that is true to a particular historical time or place. Instead, my music is mainly “Latin” in a broad sense and it conveys the story and the place of Barelas in a cohesive unity of style and form. I use music themes to represent events and places to create a sort of familiar musical landscape in which the action takes place.”   Choral Suite No. 2 – Synopsis: 1. Overture 2. Ignacio’s Dream World War Two. An ocean apart, Marcelina and Ignacio think of each other. Ignacio prepares for yet another assault on German lines. Back in Barelas, Marcelina wonders when people will abandon violence and learn to forgive, love, and live together in peace. 3. The Rhythm of the city.Building a city, 1650-1850. The town of  Barelas rises. Its hard working people build the town house by house.  Slowly the wide open sky of the  New Mexico desert is transformed into a modest city skyline.   Marcelina presides over a happy and thriving community. Ignacio enters, pursuing an escaped slave Marigold. The people of Barelas help Marigold escape. 4. Ave Maria. River has just revealed  to Marcelina that the man she loves is a monster who has killed Marcelina’s father. Marcelina recoils in horror as we are transported to Los Alamos/While Sands, 1945.  Humanity attains the ultimate violence – the ability to destroy itself. The famous news photo of scientists at White Sands is recreated as the first nuclear test occurs. Horrified, Marcelina and the people of Barelas watch the eerie cloud and silent fallout that ensues, as a heavenly chorus sings an Ave Maria imploring for human forgiveness. 5. River’s Death A cold winter night on a deserted street in Barelas, 1980’s. Ignacio’s guilt has driven him to the street, homeless. Marigold has become a drug addict, and as she tries to buy drugs River enters. In a struggle River is stabbed, by one of the dealers. Ignacio comes to her aid and takes her to Marcelina’s house. River is amazed at the transformation in Ignacio; Marcelina’s love has re-awakened humanity in him. For the first time he feels the full weight of his guilt. As River lies dying, she tells Marcelina that Ignacio has changed and that he deserves forgiveness. As River’s soul leaves her body she calls on the Shaman to lift the curse 6.  Sunrise A place out of time. As the curse is lifted, Marcelina forgives Ignacio as they clasp hands and see a vision of the future. Barelas, 2206. The people of Barelas watch the sun rise over a sky as bright as their future. Learning from the past everyone has come to love, forgive and erase spite from their hearts.

Opera score available on request

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TOCCATA piano 5:00 P
TOCCATA harpsichord 3:30 S

TOCCATA for orchestra: 2222/2111/3 perc/pno/strings 8:00 P PDF Score

Premiered and recorded by the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor H. Earl for Sony Austria. (piano versio premiered 1988 by the composer in Vienna’s Bösendorfer Hall), It is a typical keyboard toccata build on an ostinato of alternating hands and meter (6/8+7/8) and requiring endurance and rhythmic precision from the performer. The work has a single theme which is also used melodically in the slow introduction. The rhythmic inspiration of this piece is the Uruguayan Candombe –a fast and rhythmic Afro-American dance. In Toccata the performer uses his hands on the piano similar to the way the candombe drums player would play his instrument. The rhythmic ostinato becomes increasingly loud and intense to culminate in a dramatic climax after which the piece sinks in darkness and fades away as a last recitando statement gives a last sad farewell. The orchestra version uses color and the resources of the orchestra to take the piece and the ending to great dramatic intensity. Toccata is published by Peermusic

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TORRENTIAL RAINDANCE flute/piano 8:00 S

Commissioned by April Clayton and Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts. Composed in 2023 during a drought in the American Southwest, Torrential Raindance depicts an imagined ritual chant/dance intended to summon much-needed rain.
The piece begins with the soft, tentative chant theme, accompanied by piano “noise” evoking a hot, dry landscape. The chant repeats almost unchanged for a prolonged period, initially bringing only a few drops of water. As the singer persists with the soothing chant, a calm, steady rain eventually begins, enveloping him with a warm, comforting embrace. The rain intensifies, becoming torrential, and the singer’s reaction and chant grow in intensity, loudness, and tempo. As the water rises, the singer floats and delivers a final, triumphant reiteration of the chant theme, celebrating the fulfillment of its purpose as the rain becomes abundant and nearly uncontrollable. Torrential Raindance was premiered by April Clayton and Miguel del Águila in August 2024 at the National Flute Convention in San Antonio, TX.

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TRANSOCEÁNICA clarinet quartet (3 cl + B.cl) 8:00 S
TRANSOCEÁNICA reed quintet (ob,cl,sax,b.cl,bn) 8:00 S

Transoceánica (2029) depicts an imaginary bus trip from Rio, Brazil to Lima, Peru along the Transoceanic route. The longest bus ride in the world, it cuts across the heart of South America connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts, passing through the Amazon forest, climbing up the Andes, through the Altiplano, and finally the coastal route to Lima. As the piece begins, we hear the destination theme played softly, vague and distant. This is the traveler imagining his destination as he waits to board the bus in a dark, foggy early morning. Soon the rhythmic engines theme let us know that the journey has begun. Throughout the trip several events happen often blurring the line between landscape, people, places, reality and magic. Soon the bus is forced to stop in the middle of the night as the road disappears and passengers are surrounded by magical lights and mystical forest creatures. As they dissipate the bus continues its journey now climbing the Andes towards the Altiplano. The engines theme is now transformed into a Peruvian Huayno dance that grows in excitement as we approach the destination. Finally the solo clarinet playing the destination theme in all its brightness announces the arrival to Lima. Commissioned by Vientos Dulces who premiered it. Later Kalliope Ensemble commissioned and premiered the reed quintet version.

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TROUBADOURS  mixed a cappella choir/opt. pno 10:00 S

Trobadours for mixed choir (with simple percussion) and optionl piano Composed 1998 Commissioned and premiered by Burns Taft for the Ventura County Master Chorale
Trobadours sets to music two poems by 12th century troubadours, capturing their direct, expressive language and the spirit of medieval song. The choir also plays simple percussion, adding color and rhythmic vitality to the texture. The first movement, I Can Sing at Your Desire, reflects the troubadour tradition of offering song as devotion. The second, Bernard and I, after a poem by Bernard de Ventadour, explores themes of longing and introspection. Together, the two movements create a modern yet historically rooted portrait of troubadour poetry—lyrical, intimate, and timeless.

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VALS BRUTAL piano 5:00 S

Written in 1995 it was premiered the same year at Bing Theater at the  Los Angeles Museum of Art by the composer.  Miguel del Aguila writes:  I wrote Vals Brutal almost spontaneously after returning from a meeting in which I was confronted by some narrow-minded , prejudiced people who called themselves patrons of the arts. Infuriated I came home, sat at the piano and improvised this mocking, grotesque and violent waltz to vent my emotions.” Vals Brutal is a tour de force that requires great stamina as it also challenges the pianist technically with continuous runs and arpeggios on the right hand while the left hand mainly provides the waltz rhythm trying to keep the piece under control. After a final accelerando to the fastest possible tempo the piece flies off the handle as the work ends on a gesture of defiance by asking the pianist to violently drop the piano lid on the keys.

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VIOLIN CONCERTO violin/piano 27:00 S

VIOLIN CONCERTO solo violin/orchestra 27:00 P PDF Score
orch: 2222-423-timp+3 perc-harp-celeste-strings

Commissioned by the New Mexico Symphony and its music director Guillermo Figueroa

I. Crossing the Ocean to a New World (Cruzando el océano hacia un nuevo mundo)
II. (Vidalita) – In the Purple Land (En la tierra púrpura)
III – IV The Return (El regreso) – Finale (Jota)

Commissioned and premiered by the New Mexico Symphony and its music director Guillermo Figueroa, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was finished in early 2007, and premiered 2008 in Albuquerque, NM. The violin soloist is turned here into a traveler who becomes the protagonist of the story. The orchestra often represents the outside world as he sees it. As the work progresses, the actual trip becomes a symbol of a more existential journey: LIFE.

As the Concerto begins, the traveler abandons his homeland (Spain) to embark in a long journey as a minimalist, undulating theme carries him steadily across the ocean. During the long journey, he reminisces and loses himself in introspection. The 2nd. Movement, is distant and somber as the soloist backstage seems to play from a place far away in South America, as suggested by a repeating theme in the style of the Vidalita: the simple, slow and nostalgic song of the Uruguayan Gauchos. The brief movement III depicts an imagined return to his birthplace many years later as he confronts his past. The final movement, which starts on a light mood ends the work with a dramatic confrontation between soloist and orchestra, (or the traveler and the outside world, as he realizes that one can never return to the same place and the place he left long ago is lost forever and only exists as it was in his mind.

New recording by Augusta Symphony/Dirk Meyer/Guillermo Figueroa

Orchestral Works Augusta Symph CD

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WHEN SOUND LEFT woodwind quintet: flute/oboe/clarinet/horn/bassoon (opt. narrator) 15:00 S

WHEN SOUND LEFT flute, violin, clarinet, horn, cello 15:00 (opt. narrator) S

Co commissioned and premiered by Central Wind Quintet, Imani Winds, Winds5, and Olmos Ensemble, When Sounds Left is based on a story written by the composer. Its six continuous sections follow the arc of the tale:
1. Overture
2. A Happy World
3. SOUND Leaves
4. SOUND Comes Back Wrong
5. All Fix SOUND Together
6. The World Is Fine Again
In When Sounds Left, Miguel del Aguila imagines a world where all sounds—alive, joyful, and united as one being called SOUND—suddenly abandon humanity after being misused. What follows is a musical fable about silence, responsibility, and the fragile harmony between people and their environment.
The quintet traces this story in vivid, theatrical episodes: a vibrant world full of music; the moment SOUND disappears; the unsettling return of distorted, misplaced sounds; and finally the collective effort to restore balance. Aguila uses color, humor, and dramatic gesture to portray silence, memory, and sounds emerging from unexpected instruments. The work can be performed with a narrator—live or recorded—or with the musicians sharing the storytelling.

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WIND QUINTET No.2 Op.46 for woodwind quintet. fl/ob/cl/hn/bn
1.    Back in Time
2.    In Heaven
3.    Under the Earth
4.    Far Away
Wind Quintet No.2 was written in 1994 and premiered the same year in Santa Barbara by the Bach Camerata.  In 1995 it was awarded a Kennedy Center Friedheim Award for excellence in chamber music composition.
The four movements are held together by an undisclosed program that takes the listener through four different places (movements), as would the four acts of a play.  Back in Time has a primitive, ritualistic character. The flute, accompanied by chant, plays a simple, modal theme. The simple musical structure and melodic material are retained as the movement progresses. In Heaven is a delicate, relaxed and stylized Caribbean dance. Extensive new performance techniques and effects are used in this movement which at times makes the quintet sound like a delicate, distant percussion ensemble. Under the Earth is perhaps the composer’s darkest and most realistic musical depiction of death.  Miguel del Aguila: “The wind quintet is often thought of as an ensemble dominated by the high instruments with limited bass support. I tried to prove the contrary with this movement which explores not only the expressive depth of the wind ensemble but the extreme low registers of some of the instruments”
Far Away takes us to a busy scene in the Middle East. Several Arabic maqams and oboe solos, combined with a digeridoo sounding ostinato bass are used to create an exotic fabric in which the entire ensemble is challenged to the limits of their technical abilities before bringing the piece to a fiery conclusion.
Recordings: The Borealis Wind Quintet, CD: Discoveries (HE1030) Helicon Records