TCU Music Students Collaborate with Renowned Composer

For many music students, studying a composer's work often means interpreting musical ideas through a score. Through the TCU School of Music, they'll have the opportunity to hear those ideas directly from the person who created them.

Internationally acclaimed composer Roberto Sierra will visit for a residency featuring hands-on instruction, musical collaboration and performances.

"I think it is important for us at TCU School of Music to be featuring composers that reflect the broader diversity of our community and of our campus," said voice professor Eric Laine.

Born in Puerto Rico, Sierra is a Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer whose works have been performed by leading orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic.

The residency grew from the research of Laine, whose doctoral dissertation explored Sierra's art songs. Laine has continued performing the composer's music and developing their professional relationship, eventually inviting him to campus.

Learning From the Composer 
Throughout the residency, students will engage with Sierra through masterclasses, conversations and performances, gaining firsthand insight into his creative process.

TCU vocal students will perform selections from Sierra's art song repertoire in a masterclass led by the composer, while composition students will have opportunities to discuss their own work with him.

Olivia Garza, a master's student in voice pedagogy, has been preparing for the masterclass through individual lessons and vocal coaching, working through the rhythmic challenges of Sierra's music.

“I am most looking forward to hearing about his compositional process and inspiration for writing my piece,” Garza said.

For Garza, the opportunity to engage with a living composer also offers a chance to expand her approach to vocal performance.

“Being exposed to new works and composers deepens my understanding of my craft and allows me to explore new techniques,” she said.

For Jordan Tucker, a doctoral student in composition, the opportunity is especially meaningful.

“I am most looking forward to showing him my own compositions and gaining insight into how he composes,” Tucker said. “The fact that Sierra studied with one of my favorite composers, György Ligeti, adds an extra layer of significance to his campus visit.”

Performing for a Legend 
Students will also experience Sierra's music through performances ranging from intimate art songs to large-scale orchestral and choral works.

Laine and collaborative pianist Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao will present a recital of Sierra's art songs, while the TCU Symphony Orchestra and TCU Concert Chorale will perform his celebrated Missa Latina, conducted by Germán Gutiérrez and featuring soloists Gwendolyn Alfred and James Rodriguez.

Doctoral conducting student Rashaad Calaham described preparing Missa Latina as challenging but rewarding, particularly its combination of dense harmonies with Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Senior music education major Kai Diamond, who has rehearsed the work with the Concert Chorale since August, feels a personal connection to the composition.

“Getting to learn from Roberto Sierra is especially exciting as a Puerto Rican musician,” Diamond said. “It's really cool to experience how he incorporates elements of Puerto Rican music into a 21st-century choral mass setting.”

With Sierra attending the performance, Diamond looks forward to sharing the ensemble's work with its creator.

“Getting to perform his own composition with him in the audience is incredibly exciting and truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Diamond said.

The residency is supported in large part by a grant from the TCU College of Fine Arts.

Explore the full schedule of Roberto Sierra residency events.