Sonhos reconstruídos by Ivette Herryman Rodríguez

Performed live on March 18th, 2025 as part of Christopher Keach's Faculty Recital, "Songs of Hope and Resilience." Sonhos reconstruídos by Ivette Herryman Rodríguez Viola, Shelly Tramposh Program Notes: Ivette Herryman Rodríguez, 1982, was born in the Island of Youth, Cuba. As a composer, Ivette is interested in writing soulful music inspired by her Cuban roots, and that combines elements from different musical traditions. Her music has been described as “absolutely exquisite” and “breathtakingly beautiful” by conductor Kevin Noe. She is the composer of a bestseller piece for women’s choir, and the winner, among other awards, of a 2023 Fromm Foundation Commissioning Grant, the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities at SUNY Potsdam, a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant (2021), the Illinois State Music Teachers Association Composer Commissioning program (2019), a Brandon Fradd Fellowship in Music Composition (2015), and a Cubadisco Special Award (2010). Ivette feels fortunate to receive commissions regularly by distinguished performers, ensembles, and institutions of higher education in the U.S., and to have her music performed frequently, both nationally and internationally, by highly esteemed performers, including the LA Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Her music has been featured in commercial CDs and DVDs released by Neuma Records, Colibrí Productions, Mark Records, and MSR Classics. She is passionate about composing, and music from Cuba and Latin America. She finds great reward in helping her students thrive, and a big part of her time is spent teaching composition, theory, aural skills, and Latin music at the Crane School of Music. She enjoys watching movies based on real life stories and strongly believes in always treating others with kindness. Currently, she is a Resident Artist with the American Lyric Theater as part of their Composer Librettist Development Program. She is also a composition fellow in the 2023-2024 Composing Earth program from the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. Herryman Rodríguez says the following about the work: “I wrote this piece as a gift for two of my friends. They are a couple. He has a doctorate in trumpet performance, and she has a dual master in viola and violin. I decided to write this piece to help my friends deal with a season of difficulties for them. I tried to acknowledge the sadness they were feeling while also writing music that looked ahead with hope. Structurally, the piece opens and closes with music that looks inwards; the middle section has rhythms reminiscent of Cuban music to help bring an uplifting feeling. There are moments in which both the trumpet and the viola have cadenzas, which gives each performer the opportunity to be heard by themselves; symbolically, this represents resilience. A final element present in the music is an indication for the viola to play inside the piano at the beginning and end of the piece. This represents me as I am a pianist. In a way, I am actively participating in this music along with the viola and trumpet, which represent my friends. The title of the piece is in Portuguese because both of my friends are from Brazil. It means dreams rebuilt. The title is also part of the message I wanted to convey to my friends. I had hope for them that life would get easier, and it eventually did.”