Venezuelan composer and guitarist Victor E. Márquez-Barrios holds an extended catalog of works that includes compositions for a variety of solo instruments, numerous chamber ensembles, mixed choir, electronics, symphonic band, and symphony orchestra. His music has been performed, published, and recorded by important soloists and ensembles from Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. Works by Marquez-Barrios have received performances at numerous international music festivals such as the Latin American Music Festival (Caracas, Venezuela), XVII Festival of Contemporary Music of Havana (Cuba), 20eme Festival Internacional de la Clarinette (Martinique), Hollywood Fringe Festival (Los Angeles), the World Saxophone Congress, and ClarinetFest, among others.
Today, in parallel to his active career as a composer and guest lecturer, Victor Márquez-Barrios teaches music theory and composition as part of the faculty at Truman State University, where he is also the founding director of Uncommon Practice, the University’s contemporary-music ensemble.
NEWS
My new album, The Moments Between, will be released on all major streaming platforms on December 15, under the Blue Griffin Recording label. The album includes a selection of compositions for different chamber ensembles, written between the years 2000 and 2022, and was possible thanks to a lot a work by a lot wonderful friends. If you would like to buy a CD you can order it through the button below, the cost is $15.99 and a portion of that will be donated to Global Giving in support of their campaigns to help Venezuelan children.
Cover art by Rafael E. Vera
I am honored to have been selected as the winner of the 2024 MMTA Composer Commission Competition. I will be writing a new chamber work for premiere at the state auditions in November 2024, and I can’t wait to get started!
The wonderful Quinteto Latino will be playing my work The Spanglish Dances on Sunday, October 15, as part of San Francisco’s Music Day. This work was commissioned by Quinteto and possible thanks to a grant by New Music USA.
The world premiere of my work A Path Home/Camino a Casa, took place on Friday, October 27, as part of the 2023 North Star Music Festival at Truman State University. This work is inspired by testimonies from a variety of Latino immigrants living in Minnesota, and was possible thanks to the support of the American Composers Forum through a McKnight Visiting Composer Grant. The piece was performed by my main collaborator in the project, singer and lyricist Rodolfo Nieto, accompanied at the piano by my colleague Lanjiabao Ge. A video recording will be posted soon.
I am excited to announce the release of SOLO, a compilation of some of my compositions for different unaccompanied instruments. This is the realization of a dream which has been many years in the making, an album that includes works that were written within a range of 14 years (2006-2020), and it was possible thanks to dear friends who are also wonderful musicians: Jen-Ru Sun (piano), Marissa Olin (flute), Jesse Krebs (clarinet), and Meghan Schaut (piano).
The album will be released in all streaming platforms on April 23, but if you’d like a copy of the CD click the button below. The cost is only $10 (shipping included within the U.S.), and half of the profits will be donated to Global Giving in support of their efforts to protect Venezuelan children.