Mariana Villanueva facts for kids

Mariana Villanueva (born in Mexico City, 1964) is a talented Mexican music teacher and composer. A composer is someone who writes music. She creates different kinds of music, from pieces for a single instrument to music for a full orchestra.

About Mariana Villanueva

Mariana Villanueva started her music journey at the National Conservatory in Mexico City. There, she learned from famous composers like Mario Lavista and Julio Estrada. Later, she continued her studies at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Music Composition in 1992 and her Master's degree in 1995.

Her Music Around the World

Since 1987, Mariana's music has been played in many places. Her compositions have been heard in Mexico and in several cities across the United States, including New York and Pittsburgh. Her music has also traveled to Europe, being performed in countries like Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Awards and Collaborations

Mariana Villanueva has received several important awards for her work. These include the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Award in 1999. She also won the MEXICO/USA Rockefeller and FONCA/BANCOMER Prize in 1995 and 1996. Other awards came from FONCA and Carnegie Mellon University.

She has written music for different groups, such as the Carnegie Mellon Trio in 1993 and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble in 1996. She also created music for the Ensamble Cosmopolitano of Berlin in 2002. Mariana has even worked with theater groups, composing music for plays like "La casa de Bernarda Alba" and "Antigone." She also collaborated with the Ballet del Teatro del Espacio for their show "El Gran Viaje" in 1997.

Teaching and Research

To deepen her understanding of music, Mariana earned a Ph.D. degree in Music History in 2004. Her research focused on musical ideas found in the work of Cuban composer Julian Orbón. Today, she teaches music composition at the Centro Morelense de las Artes in Cuernavaca, Morelos. She helps new composers learn how to create their own music.

Musical Works

Mariana Villanueva has composed many different types of music. She has written pieces for solo instruments, musical theater, small groups of instruments (chamber ensemble), and even full symphony orchestras.

Selected Compositions

Here are some of her well-known works:

• Cantar de un alma ausente (1986) – for a single clarinet.
• Antigone (1991) – for singers (mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass), a chorus, and piano.
• Anabacoa (1992) – for a symphony orchestra.
• Lamentations (1993) – for violin, cello, and piano.
• Ritual (1993) – for orchestra.
• Santo Luzbel (1994) – for a bass singer and orchestra.
• Anamnesis (1996) – for clarinet and a string quartet (four string instruments).
• El jardín del sol (1997).
• Ishtar (1999) – for a soprano singer and a prepared piano (a piano with objects placed on or between its strings to change its sound).
• Made of clay and breath (2002) – for soprano, horn, viola, and harp.
• Taliesin (2003) – for violin and orchestra.
• Medea (2009) – for a solo viola.

Recorded Music

Her music has also been recorded and released on CDs. One example is:

• Clarinete Solo: México Vol. 2 (2009) – featuring Javier Vinasco, released by Cero Records.

See also

In Spanish: Mariana Villanueva para niños