Please right-click on the following blue links to download the sheet music (scores & parts) and audio samples
· Danzas Latinoamericanas · I. Otoño en Buenos Aires (Autumn in Buenos Aires) · II. Pan de Azúcar (Sugar Loaf) · III. Atardecer Tapatío (Sunset in Guadalajara)
Duration: 10 minutes total (each movement is approximately 3 minutes long) All movements can be performed independently Danzas Latinoamericanas (Latin American Dances) was originally commissioned by Mexican cellist Carlos Prieto. It is based on some of the national dances of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico respectively. · Otoño en Buenos Aires, is indebted to the concert-style tangos of Astor Piazzolla, as well as the extraordinary songs of Carlos Gardel. · Pan de Azúcar is named after the famous mountain in Rio de Janeiro. It echoes the sensuous music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the exuberant vitality of the works of Heitor Villa-Lobos. · Atardecer Tapatío is inspired by Mexican folk-dance music and the sound of “mariachi” bands. It is a tribute to the composer’s homeland.
VERSION	SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO			YOUTUBE VIDEO
Orchestra I. (strings + piano) II. (strings) III. (strings + 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 trumpets)	score & parts (all 3 movements)			audio - movement #1			video - movement #1
				audio - movement #2			video - movement #2
				audio - movement #3			video - movement #3
String Orchestra + Flute soloist	score & parts (all 3 movements)			audio - movement #1			video - movement #1
				audio - movement #2			video - movement #2
				audio - movement #3			video - movement #3
String Orchestra (with piano) + Flute soloist	score & parts (all 3 movements)
String Orchestra + Cello soloist	score & parts (movements #1 & #2)			audio - movement #1
String Orchestra (with piano) + Cello soloist	score & parts - movement #1
String Orchestra + English Horn soloist	score & parts - movement #2			audio - movement #2
String Orchestra	score & parts (all 3 movements)			audio - movement #1
				audio - movement #2
				audio - movement #3
Chamber Ensemble (strings, 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 trumpet, 1 guitar + 1 guitarrón) *The guitarrón can be substituted with a guitar	score & parts - movement #3
La Alborada de la Esperanza (The Dawn of Hope)
Duration: 4 minutes The inspiration for this composition is the journey from darkness to light that happens when someone faces a challenging situation and is able to turn around and focus on a more positive future to come. Even though there is some struggle and melancholy in this journey, it gets transformed into hope. The result is a surprisingly luminous composition. It's a very tonal and lyrical and it is dedicated to French cellist Sébastien Hurtaud. The piano and cello version was premiered by Sébastien Hurtaud and Pamela Hurtado as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I on November 11th, 2018. The version for cello and string orchestra was premiered during the World Youth Days in Panama on January 24th, 2019.
VERSION	SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO			YOUTUBE VIDEO
Cello soloist + String Orchestra	score & parts			audio			video
Violin soloist + String Orchestra	score & parts
Viola soloist + String Orchestra	score & parts
String Orchestra	score & parts			audio			video
Flute soloist + String Orchestra	score & parts
Oboe soloist + String Orchestra	score & parts
Bandoneon + String Orchestra	score & parts
Crepúsculos (Alpenglow)
Duration: 4 minutes Alpenglow is a specific type of twilight, consisting of a magical pinkish or orange light that appears at the top of the Alps right before the sun goes down. The piece is sweet but melancholic, with some elements of minimalist and impressionist inspiration. The piano plays a "moto perpetuo" for most of the piece. The ethereal melodic line sometimes floats above the piano accompaniment and sometimes joins it in its perpetual motion. This composition is dedicated to Sefika Kutluer.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS		SAMPLE AUDIO		YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra (with piano) + Flute soloist			score / parts		audio
String Orchestra (with piano) + Violin soloist			score / parts
String Orchestra (with piano) + Alto Saxophone soloist			score / parts
String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts
String Orchestra + Violin soloist			score & parts
String Orchestra + Alto Saxophone			score & parts
Limoncello
Limoncello is a very sweet, peaceful, lyrical and tonal piece. It is dedicated to Carlos Prieto. DURATION: 3:30 to 4 minutes
VERSION		SCORE AND PARTS		SAMPLE AUDIO			YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra + Cello soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra + Viola soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra with piano + Violin soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra + Violin soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra with piano + Flute soloist		score & parts		audio			video
String Orchestra + Flute soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra with piano + Alto Saxophone soloist		score & parts
String Orchestra + Alto Saxophone soloist		score & parts
Estampas Mexicanas I. I. Ferial (Parade) II. II. Danza del Pájaro Sagrado (Dance of the sacred bird) III.Teotlalli (Land of Gods)
Duration: 10 minutes total (each movement is approximately 3 minutes long) The first and third movements can be performed independently Estampas Mexicanas (Mexican Vignettes) is a suite featuring Mexican folk elements. The composer was inspired by the rhythmic vitality of the music of Carlos Chávez, the ritualistic mysticism of the works of Silvestre Revueltas, and the lyrical melodies of Manuel M. Ponce. · Ferial is a festive parade of simple, colorful, folk-like tunes and rhythms. The opening of this movement pays homage to composer Carlos Chávez, paraphrasing the opening measures of his "Sinfonía India". But in contrast to Chávez’ work, Elizondo uses this rhythmic material in a lighter manner to propel his festive melodies and create a festive tapestry of sounds. · Danza del Pájaro Sagrado The second movement is an imagined Aztec ritual invocation of the sacred bird. The orchestration is sparse and symbolic. The heartbeat of the volcano is heard in the bass drum. The ritual dance steps of the priest are evoked by the rhythm of the congas. The layered musical in the strings creates a musical step-pyramid that the piccolo melody climbs to invoke the sacred bird. · Teotlalli includes a celebratory statement of this movement’s main theme in a symphonic version of the mariachi band.
VERSION		SCORE AND PARTS		SAMPLE AUDIO			YOUTUBE VIDEO
Orchestra (strings, 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 horns, 3 percussion)		score & parts (all 3 movements)		audio - movement #1			video - movement #1
				audio - movement #2			video - movement #2
				audio - movement #3			video - movement #3
String Orchestra + Flute soloist		score & parts - movement #1		audio - movement #1			video - movement #1
		score & parts - movement #3		audio - movement #3			video - movement #3
String Orchestra + Percussion		score & parts (all 3 movements)
String Orchestra		score & parts - movement #1		audio - movement #1
		score & parts - movement #3		audio - movement #3
Despapaye
Duration: 3 minutes This composition that combines Baroque elements with Latin American salsa. This piece is intended for Pops concerts or as a fun encore. It starts as a standard Baroque dance, but at some point “peculiar” things start to happen (seemingly out-of-place glissandos, pizzicatos, etc) that eventually transform the piece into a very fun and rhythmic salsa.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO		YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts
String Orchestra with piano + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio		video
String Orchestra + Alto Saxophone soloist			score & parts
String Orchestra with piano + Alto Saxophone soloist			score & parts
Leyenda del Quetzal y la Serpiente (Legend of the Quetzal bird and the snake)
Duration: 5 minutes This composition has a certain atmospheric, cinematic character. It is a fantasy for orchestra that makes reference to an Aztec legend of the Quetzal bird and the snake.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO		YOUTUBE VIDEO
Orchestra (strings, 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 horns, 3 percussion)			score & parts			audio		video
Chez
Duration: 3 to 3:30 minutes Chez was named after a friend of Elizondo’s, a talented guitarist whose playing stirred his interest in Spanish guitar music and inspired this piece. Originally composed for flute and guitar, the arrangement for flute and string orchestra was made especially for Şefika Kutluer. The melodies in this piece originally drew inspiration from the Mexican and Spanish folk traditions, and were later influenced by Elizondo’s listening to Venezuelan waltzes performed by the talented Orlando Cela. The “rondo” form provides an easy structure to the composer for featuring a musical conversation in which the flute and the orchestra take turns introducing melodic material and providing complementary countermelodies or ornamental commentary.
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String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio		video
Canción de Cuna (Lullaby)
Duration: 3:30 to 4 minutes As the title indicates, Canción de Cuna is a tender lullaby, hence its simplicity and the composer’s choice of a tonal, lyrical and straight-forward musical language.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO		YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra +Harp +Flute soloist			score & parts			audio		video
String Orchestra +Harp +Violin soloist			score & parts			audio		video
String Orchestra +Harp +Voice soloist			score & parts
Princesa de Hadas (Fairy Tale Princess)
Duration: 3-4 minutes Princesa de Hadas was commissioned by Argentine poet Patricio Méndez in 1996. The orchestral version was created for Şefika Kutluer, who has championed it around the world. The title of this piece refers to a verse from a poem by Méndez, where he describes his beloved as a “fairy tale princess.” The musical material is deliberately simple, tonal, and lyrical, in an attempt to evoke the innocence and romanticism of the world created by the poet for his fairy tale princess. The piece consists of alternating sections in minor and major modes. The former more nostalgic and evocative of romantic longing, the latter happier and playful. In the minor sections, the ¾ meter is offset just a touch, with melodic and harmonic ideas frequently coming in on the off-beat, giving the piece a rhythmic rocking quality. The melody in these sections is made out of small motives that seem almost hesitant. The trills in the flute help to paint the magical, almost mysterious setting. In the major sections, the rhythm is regular and steady in the background, which allows the melody to be more expansive, lyrical and romantic.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO	YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio	video
Set me as a seal upon thine heart (Grábame como un sello en tu corazón)
Duration: 6 minutes Originally written for organ, French horn and baritone, the piece is based on a biblical text from King Solomon’s “Song of Songs”, and was written on occasion of a wedding. The musical inspiration for the composition came from Mendelssohn’s choral piece, “Verleih uns Frieden”, and from the magnificent sound of the pipe organ in Trinity Church in Boston, which was eventually used for the premiere of this piece.
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String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio	video
String Orchestra + Voice soloist			score & parts
Sefika’s Menuetto
Duration: 8:30 minutes Şefika’s Menuetto is a sweet, lyrical piece for flute and string orchestra, dedicated to Şefika Kutluer. The composer chose musical material he had written during some of the most memorable moments of his life, revisiting and reinterpreting it to create an amalgamated canvas upon which he could present flute melodies that are at times playful and uplifting, and at times nostalgic and more meditative.
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String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio	video
Excursión a la Montaña (Excursion to the Mountain)
Duration of the orchestra version: 6 minutes Duration of the versions for flute solo, cello solo or alto sax solo: 3:30 minutes Excursión a la Montaña tells the story of the first excursion of a child to the top of a little mountain. Stylistically, the piece is inspired by the music of Debussy and Prokofiev. In addition to impressionistic harmonies, it incorporates elements of Mexican music and Spanish Flamenco music. This piece was originally written for a friend of the composer, flutist Kim Sopata. This piece has been championed, in particular, by the talented Orlando Cela, who has performed it extensively around the world. For the orchestra version, prepared specially for Sefika Kutluer, the composer revisited the material in this piece and created a markedly different interpretation of it, in a more meditative mood. The orchestra version of this piece opens with tremolo strings evocative of a gentle breeze and the shimmer of the morning sun over the waters of a lake. As the flute appears, we hear delicate and cheerful bird sounds that announce the beginning of the day. The “excursion to the mountain” begins as we hear the flute’s climbing melodic lines and the offset pizzicatos and tremolos in the strings. At the point in the narrative where the traveler has reached the top of the mountain, we hear more serene music. Eventually the flute’s melody becomes more rhapsodic and capricious while the strings pause and even disappear completely at one point. The melodic lines are interjected by ornamentation that emulates the song of birds. The descent from the mountain is indicated by the appearance of the flute’s familiar climbing motive, this time with various strings in counterpoint, adding depth and harmonic interest to the flute’s journey.
VERSION			SCORE AND PARTS			SAMPLE AUDIO	YOUTUBE VIDEO
String Orchestra + Flute soloist			score & parts			audio	video