Mariachitlán

The Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra has been at the center of my career as an orchestral composer. I grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico, listening to my mother perform piano concertos as a soloist with them, and fell in love with classical music by doing so. When I wrote my first symphonic work, at the age of 17, I snuck backstage after one of their concerts to show their former conductor my new piece. He immediately looked through the score and gave me inspiring feedback that encouraged me to become a composer.

After seven years of formal training in the United States, I returned to the Philharmonic’s Teatro Degollado for the premiere of my El Laberinto de la Soledad (The Labyrinth of Solitude), a work that had won the 2013 BMI William Schuman Prize and catapulted me into prominence as an emerging orchestral composer on the international scene.

When Marco Parisotto became the Music Director of the Philharmonic in 2014, our collaborative relationship grew and led to performances of my harp and piano concertos. Parisotto’s leadership rapidly turned the orchestra into one of the best of the country, and I was thrilled to have the luxury of working with the ensemble. So, when they launched their first national composition contest, I wrote Mariachitlán (Mariachiland), an orchestral homage to the mariachi-land of Jalisco, and the piece won the 2016 Jalisco Orchestral Composition Prize and planted the seed that blossomed into this recording project.

This album will take you on a journey through the history of my native country. Raucous mariachis will serenade you in the streets of contemporary Mexico in Mariachitlán. Then you’ll walk through The Labyrinth of Solitude in search of the true Mexican identity that was transfigured by the Spanish conquest. The pilgrimage will end in the pre-Columbian era, when you relive the brutal Teotihuacan ball game ritual in Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun).

Recording this CD has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my career. I made a personal connection with each player in the orchestra, and was moved by the commitment they showed toward my music, and the faith they placed in it and me. Mariachitlán is the sound of 100 musicians united in harmony to make Mexican classical music relevant and cherished around the globe. Thank you for joining us on this mission, and I hope you enjoy the album!

— Juan Pablo Contreras