Featured Artist: Daniel Catán

Daniel Catán,

 Latin America's pre-eminent  contemporary composer

From Wikipedia

Daniel Catán (April 3, 1949 – April 8, 2011)^[1][2] was a Mexican 

composer of Russian Sephardic Jewish descent^[3] 

known particularly for his operas and his creative friendship 

with the tenor, Plácido Domingo.

Catán was the first Mexican composer to have an opera produced in the

 United States, when San Diego Opera produced his opera 

Rappaccini's Daughter in March 1994. He has also composed orchestral and

 chamber works and film music. His style can be 

described as neo-impressionist. 

His music is richly lyrical, often painting evocative colours 

with the orchestral palette with soaring melodies atop.

In addition to composition, Catán had a fruitful career 

as a writer on music and the arts. He lived in South Pasadena, California. 

In 1998, Catán received the Plácido Domingo Award for 

his contribution to opera, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship 

in 2000. His last opera, Il Postino, with Plácido Domingo in the 

role of Pablo Neruda, is based on the 1983 novel 

Ardiente paciencia by Antonio Skármeta and the 1994 film

 Il Postino by Michael Radford; it premiered at the 

Los Angeles Opera in September 2010.^[5]

Catán died aged 62 on April 8, 2011, in Austin, Texas,

 a few days after he attended rehearsals for Il Postino at the 

Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston.^[6] 

At the time of his death, Catán was a member of the faculty at 

College of the Canyons and had been commissioned by the 

Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music at the 

University of Texas at Austin to write a new opera, Meet John Doe.^[4]

He is the founding father of Latin American Opera.

Enjoy!

I am so impressed with him.

An outstanding talent.  ; )

Here's to a wonderful 

wacky Wednesday!

Love to you all!!!!

xoxoxo d