"Journey to Aconcagua" set to premiere at Carnegie Hall, March 2020

Cover page to Journey to Aconcagua

Journey to Aconcagua is a concert work for String Orchestra, Piano & Percussion commissioned by Mr. Edward Ercilla for the Doral Academy Preparatory School Orchestra which will have its premiere on March 23, 2020 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Mr. Ercilla contacted me around July 2019 about his orchestra’s acceptance to perform at Carnegie Hall. He commissioned me to write a work that incorporated unique Latin rhythms (in this case, the Tango was a perfect candidate), piano, and percussion into the piece. With that information, I dived right into creating some interesting and unique rhythms that would be fun to play. As an added treat since I was having a blast composing the piece, I included the following special effects into the commission as well: the chicharra (a sound which imitates the sound of crickets) and the látigo (a sound which imitates the sound of a gaucho’s whip).

The work explores the magnificence and mystery of South America’s highest summit which stands at a towering 22,838 feet. Aconcagua is the second highest peak in the world and is located in the Andes mountain range, in the province of Mendoza, Argentina.

The origin of the name comes from the indigenous Quechua language and is as mysterious as it is contested -- in various dialects, the name has come to mean “comes from the other side”, “‘Sentinel of Stone”, “White Sentinel”, or the “White Ravine.”

A climb to the top of the summit is a harrowing task and has proven to be impossible for those who have tried. The ancient Incas were said to have climbed very high on the mountain without being able to make it to the summit. In 1985, an Incan mummy was found at 17,400 feet on the second ridge of Aconcagua. In 1947, the skeleton of a guanaco (a native animal of the area) was found along the ridge connecting the North Summit with the South Summit, but it is doubtful a guanaco would climb that high on its own. Did someone make it to the top riding the guanaco? There were no human remains found nearby. Although modern equipment and technology has allowed many to now reach the summit with awe and pride; the ridges, crags, and ravines of Aconcagua are filled with a history of wonder, failure, and pure enigma.