About Me

Photo: Ellen Zaslaw

 
 

For more than three decades the works of American composer Roberto Sierra have been part of the repertoire of many of the leading orchestras, ensembles and festivals in the USA and Europe. At the inaugural concert of the 2002 world renowned Proms in London, his Fandangos was performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a concert that was broadcast by both the BBC Radio and Television throughout the UK and Europe. Sierra's numerous commissions include works for many of the major American and European orchestras. International ensembles that have performed his works include the orchestras of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, New Mexico, Houston, Minnesota, Dallas, Detroit, San Antonio and Phoenix, as well as by the American Composers Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich, the Spanish orchestras of Madrid, Galicia, Castilla y León and Barcelona, among others.


Commissioned works include: Concerto for Orchestra for  the centennial celebrations of the Philadelphia Orchestra commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation and the Philadelphia Orchestra; Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for James Carter; Fandangos and Missa Latina commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington DC; Sinfonía No. 3 "La Salsa", commissioned by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Danzas Concertantes for guitar and orchestra commissioned by the Orquesta de Castilla y León; Double Concerto for violin and viola co-commissioned by the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Orchestras; Bongo+ commissioned by the Juilliard School in celebration of the 100th anniversary; Songs from the Diaspora commissioned by Music Accord for Heidi Grant Murphy, Kevin Murphy and the St. Lawrence String Quartet; and Concierto de Cámara co-commissioned by the the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest and Stanford Lively Arts.


In 2003 he was awarded the Academy Award in Music by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The award states:  "Roberto Sierra writes brilliant music, mixing fresh and personal melodic lines with sparkling harmonies and striking rhythms. . ." His Sinfonía No. 1, a work commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, won the 2004 Kenneth Davenport Competition for Orchestral Works. In 2007 the Serge and Olga Koussevitzky International Recording Award (KIRA) was awarded to Albany Records for the recording of his composition Sinfonía No. 3 “La Salsa”. Roberto Sierra has served as Composer-In-Residence with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra and New Mexico Symphony. In 2010 he was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.


Roberto Sierra's Music may be heard on CD's by Naxos, EMI, New World Records, Albany Records, Koch, New Albion, Koss Classics, BMG, Fleur de Son and other labels. In the spring of 2004 EMI Classics released his two guitar concertos Folias and Concierto Barroco with Manuel Barrueco as soloist (released by Koch in the USA in 2005). Roberto Sierra was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and studied composition both in Puerto Rico and Europe, where one his teachers was György Ligeti at the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, Germany. The works of Roberto Sierra are published principally by Subito Music Publishing (ASCAP).

Selected Performances

Click here for a list of past performances



Cuentos
August 9, 2011
Continuum, Joel Sachs, conductor
Sao Paulo, Brazil


Fuego de ángel

August 24, 2011

Music from Angel Fire Festival
New Mexico


Concierto de cámra

August 27, 2011

Music from Angel Fire Festival
New Mexico


Fanfarria, aria y movimiento perpetuo

September 3, 2011

Music from Angel Fire Festival
New Mexico


Mambo 7/16
September 17, 2011
Artisan Quartet
Incarnate Word University
San Antonio, TX


Suite de canciones y danzas

September 23, 2011

John Haines-Eitzen, cello

Andrew Zhou, piano

Barnes Hall, Cornell University


Fandangos

October 7 & 8, 2011

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Andreas Delfs, Conductor


Mambo 7/16
October 8, 2011
Artisan Quartet
Uptown Blanco Ballroom
Blanco, Texas


Mambo 7/16
October 9, 2011
Artisan Quartet
Austin Chamber Ensemble
Austin, Texas


Alegría

October 13 & 15, 2011

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

Neal Gittleman, conductor


Folias & Fandangos

October 14 & 15, 2011

Jason Vieux, guitar

Amarillo Symphony

Teresa Cheung, conductor


Cuarteto para cuerdas no. 2

October 16, 2011

La Catrina Quartet

Lied Center, Kansas City


Concierto Barroco

October 16, 2011

Rupert Boyd, guitar

Society of Musical Arts

Steve Culbertson, conductor

Maplewood, New Jersey


Güell Concert

October 20, 2011

Indiana University New Music Ensemble

David Dzubay, conductor


Fuego de ángel

October 24, 2011

Opus One Piano Quatet
New Orleans Friends of Music


Reflections on a Souvenir

October 28, 2011

Stefania Neonato, piano

University of Trento, Italy


Ttrio No. 4

November 10, 2011

The Arcos Trio

Lawrence University, Wisconsin


Ttrio No. 4

November 16, 2011

The Arcos Trio

James Madison University, Viginia


Sinfonía No. 4

November 17 & 19, 2011

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Arild Remmereit, conductor


Concerto for Viola

December 4, 2011

Curtis 20/21 Contemporary Music Ensemble Roberto Diaz, viola

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center


Alegría & Fandangos

January 14, 2012

Topeka Symphony Orchestra

John Strickler, conductor


Tres Pensamientos

February 26, 2012

Kathryn Ladano, bass clarinet

Richard Burrows, percussion

Kitchener - Waterloo

Chamber Music Society, Canada


Mambo 7/16
March 22, 2012
Artisan Quartet
Weill Recital Hall - Carnegie Hall

New York


Kandinsky

April 9, 2012

Deering Estate Players

Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival

New York


Alegría

April 14, 2012

Binghamton Philharmonic

José-Luis Novo, conductor


Songs from the Diaspora

April 16, 2012

Dina Kuznetsova , soprano

La Musica International Music Festival

Sarasota, Florida


Fandangos & Sinfonía No. 4

April 19, 20 & 21, 2012

Nashville Symphony Orchestra

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor


Fandangos

July 29, 2012

Opernfestspiele Heidenheim
Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg

Marcus Bosch, Conductor