New Classical Featured Artist – 05/24/21 – 06/06/21
In this week’s playlist, we are happy to feature Guatemalan-American composer Xavier Beteta. He was born in Guatemala City where he studied piano at the National Conservatory with Consuelo Medinilla. At age 18, he was awarded the first-prize at the Augusto Ardenois National Piano Competition and third-prize at the Rafael Alvarez Ovalle Composition Competition in Guatemala. He continued his piano studies in the United States with Argentinean pianist Sylvia Kersenbaum and with Russian pianist Sergei Polusmiak. As a composer, Xavier did most of his studies privately with Rodrigo Asturias. In 2013 he won the Silver Medal at the fourth International Antonin Dvorak Composition Competition in Prague. Xavier studied music theory at the University of Cincinnati where his thesis was ranked no. 4 in the National Best-Seller Dissertation List. He obtained his Ph.D. in composition at the University of California San Diego where he studied with Roger Reynolds, Philippe Manoury, and Chinary Ung.
Xavier also holds a law degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and his diverse interests include art law, copyright, poetry, and tango. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Wheaton College and is part of the board of directors of New Music Chicago.
Connect with Classical Music Indy’s New Classical channel to hear works by the talented Xavier Beteta.
Image credit: Ran Duan
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