Ricardo Llorca (born 1958, Alicante) is a Spanish-American composer based in New York City since 1988. Llorca is a Juilliard School graduate and a faculty member of "The Juilliard School of Music Evening Division" since 1995. In addition, he is a Composer-in-residence for the New York-based contemporary dance company Henning Rübsam's Sensedance " and a composer-in-residence of NYOS ("The New York Opera Society") since 2008. His work includes operas such as "Las Horas Vacías" ("The Empty Hours") and the opera "Tres Sombreros de Copa " ("Three Top Hats"). Llorca is also a composer of symphonic, chamber, choral, and music for theater, movies, and television. Some of Ricardo Llorca's sources for his thematic inspiration are taken from his Mediterranean roots, mixed with elements of contemporary music.
Career
Cultural management Throughout his career, Ricardo Llorca has fostered partnerships with public and private institutions to advance the appreciation of contemporary and classical music. Since 2008 he has been working as Composer-in-Residence and deputy director at The New York Opera Society, collaborating with Jennifer Cho in organizing concerts and cultural events, seeking sponsorships, programming and selecting artists, etc. Examples of this are the four seasons in which he has organized, through NYOS, the Christmas Concerts of the Italian Embassy in Washington DC; various chamber music recitals at the Smithsonian Museum and the National Gallery in Washington DC; the World Financial Center in New York City; the United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium; the Chicago Cultural Center; the Teresa Carreño Auditorium in Caracas; the Sao Pedro Theater in São Paulo, the Tapia Theater and the Ibero-American Festival of Arts in Puerto Rico, among others.
Also since 1994 he has been a music programmer and member of the Cultural Committee of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York City where he has organised recitals and concerts with figures such as Giuliano Belotti, Mac McClure, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Veronica Villarroel, Rosa Torres- Pardo, Carmen Bravo de Mompou, Alex Garrobé, etc.
Style In the words of the author: "We composers do not necessarily have to explain what we do, since many times what we write is nothing more than a mere product of our intuition and not of reflection. Also, when we compose we have to forget about the technique, as much as we can, and get carried away by what we want to express at a given time. I also try to move away from composing "collages" or any other obvious form of "eclecticism" trying to achieve a unity of language, a solid structure from the beginning to the end of the work. Then, there is no doubt that in recent years artistic trends have been less and less radical. Looking back, specifically to the 1980s, one can recognise a wide movement towards a more traditional and conservative orientation among composers of different temperaments and stylistic ideas. Obviously, I am one of them".Interview with the composer (January 2022)
Rubén Jordán writes in his essay "An Approach to Transfigured History": “Ricardo Llorca's music also stands out for its duality. The duality of clear formal structures and the development of materials based on intuition and traditional compositional techniques, all filtered by a hint of minimalism in which everything is relevant, fresh and brave."Jordán, Rubén (2013). «"Una aproximación a la historia transfigurada"». Conservatorio Superior de Música Oscar Esplá de Alicante.
Another aspect of Llorca's compositional tasks is that he is also the author of the librettos and texts of some of his works. His are the lyrics of "The Dark Side" and "Tres sombreros de Copa", and the original libretto of "Las Horas Vacías".
Selected works
Since "The Dark Side", premiered in 1993 by the mezzo-soprano Cheryl Marshall at Paul Recital Hall (The Juilliard School, New York City), or "El Combat del Somni", the work of Ricardo Llorca has left its mark in the audiences and with the critics.
Later came "Three Pieces for Piano and Orchestra", a work premiered in 1999 by the Orquesta de la Radiotelevisión Española at the Monumental Theater in Madrid; the "Concerto Italiano, for flute, guitar, harpsichord and string orchestra", a work commissioned by the Centro Para La Difusión de la Música Contemporánea and premiered in 2002 at the National Auditorium in Madrid; "Three Academic Pieces for Piano": I "Sarao", II "Coral", III "Fuga", a work commissioned by the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute of New York in 2000 and premiered by Mac Maclure in the Carlos IV Hall of the Spanish Institute in New York City.
We also highlight "Thermidor" (for organ and symphony orchestra), a work commissioned by the National Orchestra of Spain premiered at the National Auditorium of Madrid in 2014. Or "Borderline ", a work commissioned by the CDNM (Centro para la Documentación National de la Música) and by the pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo.
His first opera "Las Horas Vacías" was premiered during the "XII Setmana de Música Sacra de Benidorm" in 2007, it has subsequently traveled to Berlin, Saint Petersburg, New York, São Paulo and Lithuania, and has been premiered in a stage version in November 2021 at the Teatros del Canal in Madrid, in co-production with the Teatro Real. According to critics:
His second opera is "Tres Sombreros de Copa" ("Three Top Hats"), a work commissioned by the New York Opera Society and based on the original work by Miguel Mihura. This work was premiered at the Sergio Cardoso Theater in São Paulo on 26 and 28 November 2017; and later performed at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid in 2019. The critics referred to it in the following terms: “…the illusion, tenderness, absurdity, impossible love, indecision, brilliant madness. All this fits into the delicious work of Miguel Mihura, which is now perfected with the serious, important, well-executed music of a prestigious composer and which demonstrates his undoubted quality…" or
Awards
"Richard Rogers Scholarship, 1992" Award "Virgen de la Almudena, 1999" "American Chamber Music Award, 1994" "John Simon Guggenheim Scholarship, 2001"
Recordings "Tres piezas para piano y orquesta" ("El Tiempo Malherido") /"RTVE Música"/ 2004 "Concierto Italiano" /"Columna Música"/2005
"Tres Piezas para Piano Académica" /Columna Música/2005 /RTVE Música /2005
"The Dark Side"/Columna Música/2005
"Las Horas Vacias - The Empty Hours" / Columna Música/ 2011
"Handeliana"/ Naxos/ 2013
Catalog +NrYearPREMIERE1"Opium" (for solo guitar) "Canalla" (for two guitars) "Zambra" (for two Guitars, soprano, baritone, percussion and string quartet)1991"Virginia Luque Recital". Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York. October 1991) "A Journey into the Spanish Music" The Juilliard Performance Programs for Schools Summer tours 1990/1991. Spring tours 1993/1994. Spring tour 1996.2"Odeon" (For orquestra)19923"The Swimming Pool"/"La Piscina" (for live electronics and percussion instruments)1993"Composers and Choreographers" Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Electronic Instruments: Ricardo Llorca, Percussion: Samuel Cohen, David Libman, Choreographed and danced by Claudia Florian.4"The Dark Side" (Monodrama for mezzo-soprano and piano with text by Ricardo Llorca). (Optional version for baritone and piano).1993Paul Recital Hall (The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center, Nueva York). Mezzo-soprano: Cheryl Marshall. Piano: Ricardo Llorca. (4 October 1993). *Recorded by Columna Musica for the record "Concierto Italiano" ( August 2005 .) Mezzo-soprano: Nancy Herrera. Piano: Mac Maclure.5"Tres Piezas para piano y orquesta"/ "Three pieces for piano and orchestra". Part1 "El Tiempo Malherido"/"The Wounded Age". Part 2 "El Fin de la Inocencia"/"The End of Innocence". Part 3 "La Avalancha"/"The Avalanche".1998Teatro Monumental de Madrid. Conductor: Uwe Mund. Orquesta de la Radiotelevision Española. (25 November 1999). *Recorded by "RTVE Musica" for the CD "El Tiempo Malherido". Piano: Miguel Baselga. Conductor: Jose Maria de Eusebio. Orquesta de la RadioTelevision Española.6"El Angel Caído"/ "The Fallen Angel" (for orquestra)1999Auditorio Nacional de Musica de Madrid. 5 November 1999. Conductor: Jose Ramon Encinar. Orquesta Filarmónica de Madrid. *Award "Virgen de la Almudena 1999"7"Tres Piezas académicas para piano"/ "Three academic pieces for piano" (2000) "Sarao"/"Sarao" "Coral"/"Chorale" "Fuga"/"Fugue".2002"A Journey into the Spanish Music" The Spanish Institute, Nueva York. (23 April 2000) Piano: Mac McClure *Recorded by Columna Musica for the CD. "Concierto Italiano". Piano: Raimon Garriga. Also recorded by RTVE Musica for CD "El Tiempo Malherido".Piano: Ricardo Descalzo8"Concierto Italiano" (2001) (for peak flute, guitar, continuous clef and string orchestra). Commissioned by "La Folía", "Festival Andrés Segovia 2002" and Spanish "Centro para la Documentación de la Música Contemporánea". 1-Dell'onda ai Fieri Moti 2-Credete al mio Dolore 3-Vorrei Vendicarmi.2001/2005Concert: Festival Andres Segovia 2002. Auditorio Nacional de Madrid. November 2002 Soloists: Pedro Bonet (peak flute) Pablo de la Cruz (Guitar) Belen Gonzalez (Continuous clef). Orquestra "I Solisti Aquilani". *Recorded by Columna Musica for CD: "Concierto Italiano" ( 2005). Soloists: Pedro Bonet (peak flute) Alex Garrobe (Guitar) Belen Gonzalez (Continuous clef) Orquesta del Gran Teatro del Liceo. Conductor: Guerassim Voronkov.9"La Memoria de los Caños" (for guitar)2004Premiere in EEUU: "Ricardo Llorca y la musica de Cataluña" The Florence Gould Hall-Alliance Francaise, New York. October 2004. Soloist: Tali Roth. Premiere in Spain: "Ricardo Llorca y la re-invencion del Barroco". Benidorm. Iglesia de San Jaime. 19 March 2005. Soloist: Alex Garrobe.10"Las Danzas del Vizcaino" for hapsichord.Commissioned by "La Folia" For the Vth century of "El Quijote".2005Concert: "Ricardo Llorca y la re-invencion del Barroco" Benidorm. Iglesia de San Jaime. 19 March 2005 Soloist: Belen Gonzalez11Opera: "Las Horas Vacias"/ "Empty Hours"/ "Vertane Zeit" (2007) Music and libretto by Ricardo Llorca. Opera/Monodrama for soprano/actress, piano, choir and strings orchestra.2007/2021PREMIERE OF THE CONCERT VERSION: "XII Setmana de Música Sacra" Benidorm. Iglesia de San Jaime 31 March 2007. Soprano: Dorota Grezskowiak. Actress: Maria Ruiz de Apodaca. Piano: Lynn Baker .Agrupacion Coral de Benidorm. Orquesta del Julius Stern Institute de Berlin. Conductor: Matias de Oliveira. PREMIERE OF THE STAGE VERSION: Teatro Real de Madrid in coproduction with Los Teatros del Canal and in collaboration with The New York Opera Society and HighC Music. MADRID 8 November 2021 Music by Ricardo Llorca and libretto by Ricardo Llorca and Paco Gámez.
ARTISTIC CREW: Woman (soprano): Sonia de Munck. Woman (actress): Mabel del Pozo. Musical Director: Alexis Soriano. Stage Director: José Luis Arellano García. Set designer: Silvia de Marta. Costume designer: Miguel Ángel Milán. Video artist: Miquel Àngel Raió. Choreographer: Chevi Muraday. Lighting: Juan Gómez-Cornejo. AAI lighting assistant: Jesús Díaz Cortés. Choir and soloists from la Orquesta Titular del Teatro Real. Pianist: Eduardo Fernández. Choir conductor: Andrés Máspero. Musical director assistant: Luis Seguí.