Welcome to my website
Ivette Herryman Rodríguez – composer, educator, and pianist – was born in the Island of Youth, Cuba, in 1982. As a composer, Ivette is interested in writing soulful music inspired by her Cuban roots, and that combines elements from different musical traditions. Her music has been described as “absolutely exquisite” and “breathtakingly beautiful” by conductor Kevin Noe. She is the composer of a bestseller piece for women’s choir, and the winner, among other awards, of a 2023 Fromm Foundation Commissioning Grant, the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities at SUNY Potsdam, a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant (2021), the Illinois State Music Teachers Association Composer Commissioning program (2019), a Brandon Fradd Fellowship in Music Composition (2015), and a Cubadisco Special Award (2010). Ivette feels fortunate to receive commissions regularly by distinguished performers, ensembles, and institutions of higher education in the U.S., and to have her music performed frequently, both nationally and internationally, by highly esteemed performers, including the LA Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Her music has been featured in commercial CDs and DVDs released by Neuma Records, Colibrí Productions, Mark Records, and MSR Classics. She is passionate about composing, and music from Cuba and Latin America. She finds great reward in helping her students thrive, and a big part of her time is spent teaching composition, theory, aural skills and Latin music at the Crane School of Music. She enjoys watching movies based on real life stories and strongly believes in always treating others with kindness. Currently, she is a Resident Artist with the American Lyric Theater as part of their Composer Librettist Development Program. She is also a composition fellow in the 2023-2024 Composing Earth program from the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.
Works
To learn more about a piece, please click on its title.
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• Siruin in the Air (violin) 6’. Dedicated to Niuris Naranjo Dorta, – 2022
• Let’s talk Cuba (piano) 7:30′ – 2019
• Sympathetic Tones (trombone and sustain pedal) 8:00′, 2019
• On the Inside (viola and loop pedal) 6:34’, 2016
• Son para Luis y Mara (viola) 3:25’, 2016
• Dúo para un solista-A Duet for a Soloist (bass clarinet) 6:40’, 2016
• Los musiniños encuentran un tesoro (5 solo works for guitar, violin, cello, piano, and prepared piano) 15’, 2009
•El libro de los musiniños, part I (piano) 12’, 2005
•Sutiles (piano) 4′, 2003
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- Emigrado (cello and piano) 8′, 2024.
- Advent Overture (oboe and piano version) 3:27′, 2023
• Sonhos reconstruídos (trumpet in Bb and viola) 5:50’, 2020
• Convergencias (tenor saxophone and piano version) 14’, 2017
- Convergencias: I. In the Presence of Beauty (cello and piano version) 6:29′, 2024
• Black Montuno (clarinet in Bb and piano version) 12:45’, 2015
• Three Dances for Bassoon and Piano: Tanxibanera, Habanxixango, and Mabanxixera (bassoon and piano) 9’, 2015
• Texeando (alto saxophone and piano) 12:20’, 2012
• El libro de los musiniños, part II (two pianos) 8’, 2005
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...y aún sigues dándole a la vida sueños (flute, horn in F, cello) 8′, 2023
• DE OTRO MUNDO (soprano, clarinet in Bb, piano) 12′, 2022
• Adagio y Danza (trumpet in Bb, horn in F, trombone) 8′, 2021
• Memorial (soprano voice, cello, piano) 7′, 2018
• Canción de cuna (violin, cello, piano) 6’, 2009
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• String Quartet No. 1 10′ – 2023
• Let’s Talk Cuba (arrangement for Saxophone Quartet) 7:37′ – 2020
• Convergencias, rapsodia concertante (tenor saxophone, percussion, piano, string quintet) 15′, 2017
• By the Rhythm of Your Truth, Set Us Free (flute, bassoon, violin, cello, marimba) 6:50’, 2016
• Fun-fare (7 trumpets in Bb) 3’, 2015
• Sol de las Esperanzas (baritone voice, soprano saxophone, harp, percussion, string quintet) 7:48’, 2015
• Advent Overture (oboe, piano, strings) 3:12’, 2012
• Ofrenda (trumpet, double bass, piano, drums) 3:10’, 2005
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• Flores y Semillas (SSAA with piano accompaniment) 5:20′, 2018
• Sigue (SSAA with piano accompaniment) 3:10’, 2012
• Quiéreme entera (SSAA with piano accompaniment) 3’, 2012
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• Who? Where? Eat. (Children’s choir with piano accompaniment) 3:37’, 2015
• Hungry for more (Children’s choir with piano accompaniment) 3:21’, 2015
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• ¡Bienvenido Júbilo! (symphony orchestra) 3:15’, 2022
• A Danzón Done my Way 7:25’, 2016
• Black montuno (version for clarinet in Bb, or soprano saxophone, and orchestra) 13′, 2016
• Ofrenda (version for jazz quartet and orchestra) 6′, 2016
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• Voices of the Soul (Voces del alma) (Mezzo-soprano and Orchestra) 15’, 2013
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The Sound of Numbers (middle school band) 3′, 2023
• Bliss, a Mellifluos Chorale for Band (middle school band) 2:45’, 2020
• En mi, familia (Symphony Band) 8′, 2020
• Santiago (Concert Band) 6′,2019.
• The Barge Haulers (Wind Ensemble) 2′, 2017
• Black montuno (Concertino for Clarinet in Bb and Symphony Band) 12:50’, 2015
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• Cerca del Río (Zarzuela for 6 soloists, Choir, and Orchestra) 55’, 2006
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• Pelusín enamorado , 2007
• Pelusín y la esperanza , 2007
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• Electroescenas 4’, 2003
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• Hijo de Tigre (Short film). Directed by Federico Naguil, 2004
• El Dorado (Documentary). Directed by Ozren Milharcic, 2005
• Respira (Short film). Directed by Gustavo Torres Riffo, 2007
• El último de los Forajidos (Short film). Directed by Gustavo Torres Riffo, 2008
• Los Desplazados (Short film). Directed by Gustavo Torres Riffo, 2009
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• Benediction Song, 2018
• Wait and See, 2015
• Canción de adviento, 2012
• Salvo por segunda vez, 2012
• Yo sé, 2012
• Venimos a la casa de Dios, 2011
• Bendita navidad, 2010
• Canción de la abuela, 2010
• Madre, 2010
• En quién confiar, 2008
• Padre amoroso, 2008
• Canción de la mujer, 2006
• Dime alma mía, 2005
• Yo dependo de Él, 2001
• Glorioso día aquel, 2000
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• Benediction (SATB) 2′, 2015.
• Blessed through Jesus (SATB) 3′, 2017
Discography (sample)
Memorial featured in CD Sonidos Cubanos 2
, released by Neuma Records and produced by composer Orlando Jacinto García.
To listen and learn more about the CD, please follow this link
Black Montuno (clarinet in Bb and wind ensemble), featured in the CD This Prismasonic Rock I Stand.
Cerca del Río
CD of my zarzuela Cerca del Río. Libretto Alfonso de Janeiro. Original Music: Ivette Herryman Rodríguez. Conductor: Cossete Justo Valdés.
DE OTRO MUNDO
Three songs for soprano voice, clarinet in Bb and piano
This commission has been made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Siruin in the Air
Artist: Ji Hyun Kim, violin
Composer: Ivette Herryman Rodríguez
Premiere on 3/27/2024 by ConTempus Quartet at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
…y aún sigues dándole a la vida sueños And yet, you continue to dream. for flute, French horn, and cello (2023)
Composer: Ivette Herryman Rodríguez
Performers: Ráyo Furuta (flute), Amr Selim (French horn), and Christine Lamprea (cello)
Producer: Gabriela Lena Frank Video Editor: Stephanie M. Neumann Recording Engineers: GLFCAM staff Media Documentation: GLFCAM staff, ACF staff, Cycle 16 Composer Fellows.
Special thanks to the AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM and their ACF | CONNECT program for their partnership and hosting of our core residency for Cycle 16, and to the BELWIN STAFF for the use of the BELWIN CONSERVANCY in Afton, MN where we held initial workshops.
Premiere on April of 2023 by the Michigan State University Symphonic Band under conductor David Thornton. Wharton Center, Lansing.
Performance by the University of Missouri-Kansas Conservatory Orchestra under conductor Kevin Noe on 12/8/2023.
Premiere by the Crane Symphony Orchestra, clarinetist Alexander Gray under conductor Adrian Slywotzky
Memorial-new composition in progress
This post is sort of a journal with sound, intended to record my work as I compose new pieces of music. My idea is to post recordings that reflect the end of each day of work, along with some text about what I have achieved in such day. The recordings will explain through sound what […]