About Me
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