| Hector Armienta has received numerous awards and commissions, including those from: Meet the Composer CA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts International, the California Arts Council, the American Composers Forum, Opera Pacific, the City of Los Angeles, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Though he has written several works for orchestra, chorus, and voice, his passion lies in composing musical theater and opera. Some of his works for the stage include Un Camino De Fe/A Journey of Faith, Los Coyotes y las Conejas/The Coyotes and the Rabbits, River of Women/Rio de Mujeres, and most recently the bilingual musical drama, La Llorona/The Weeping Woman. These works have been performed throughout the country by organizations such as Opera Pacific, Forth Worth Opera, Western Stage Theater, and the Music Theater Collaborative. Currently, he is developing his most ambitious project, a music theater trilogy Aguas Ancestrales/Ancient Waters. The trilogy is based on and inspired by the life of his grandmother, Paula Lopez. The second installment of that trilogy, River of Women/Rio De Mujeres has had three productions so far. Llorona/The Weeping Woman – A Musical Drama, part one of the trilogy, received its world premiere in October 2008 at Western Stage Theater. The production received a 2007 National Endowment for the Arts Access to Artistic Excellence grant in musical theater and had a reading at the prestigious York Theater in New York in 2010. Mr. Armienta served as playwright, composer, and lyricist. He is now embarking on completing the final installment, La Muerte/Death - a full length opera. As an artist, a Mexican American, and arts advocate, he focuses on creating work that reflects his many interests and passions:
Mr. Armienta is also founder of a new organization Opera Cultura (www.operacultura.com). He holds a bachelor of music degree from California Institute of the Arts and under the tutelage of Maestro Conrad Susa, received a Masters in Music Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Upcoming projects include a full length opera - La Muerte/Death, a new commissioned work for orchestra - Mi Jalisco, and a musical - The Geriatric Follies. La Llorona will have a production in 2011 in San Jose California. |
| Biography |
"Mr. Armienta is a gifted composer and
in addition to having an excellent ear for
both music and language, he takes
great care to be an artist who acts
responsibly in the context of the larger
community."
Maestro Michael Morgan
Music Director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony
in addition to having an excellent ear for
both music and language, he takes
great care to be an artist who acts
responsibly in the context of the larger
community."
Maestro Michael Morgan
Music Director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony
| Hector Armienta An Opera and Musical Theater Composer |