Composer and pianist Aruán Ortiz—a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow known for blending Cuban-Haitian and Afro-Caribbean rhythms with contemporary classical and spontaneous composition—presents an exploration of Afro-diasporic identity and oral expression through the lens of post-20th-century genres, like new music, contemporary classical, and avant-garde jazz. The program features works by James Newton, Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Davis, and Jonathan Bailey Holland.

It also includes the premiere of five scenes from Ortiz’s work-in-progress chamber opera Je renais de mes cendres, based on the life of Marie-Louise Christophe, the first and only Queen of Haiti, focusing on the years 1820 to 1824. The opera reveals her inner world and memories by blending present hardship with past glory, and highlights her essential role in the Haitian Revolution alongside her husband, General Henri Christophe. The score is composed for narrator, voice, clarinet, flute, percussion, piano, viola, and cello.

This ensemble brings together a collective of visionary artists and leading figures in creative music dedicated to improvisation and Afro-diasporic expression. Led by Ortiz, the group pushes the boundaries of musical Afro-diasporic​ traditions and storytelling.

Anaïs Maviel voice
Chauncey Packer voice
Mtume Gant narrator
Don Byron clarinet
Nicole Mitchell flute
Mauricio Herrera percussion
Stephanie Griffith viola
Jeremy Harman cello

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.

The music of 2024 Guggenheim Fellow, composer, and pianist Aruán Ortiz dives across multiple musical contexts, as his continuous research leads him to write for chamber ensembles, orchestras, dance companies, and feature films, incorporating contemporary classical music, Cuban-Haitian and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, spontaneous composition, and improvised music in his works. He has recently received prestigious accolades, including the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship in Music Composition from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2025) and the Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition (2024).