JULIO ELVIN QUIÑONES

Alturas de Yauco S16 Calle 5

Yauco, Puerto Rico, 00698 | 787-202-0171 | julioequinones.composer@gmail.com

March 30, 2019

Mid American Freedom Band

PO Box 32792
Kansas City, MO, 64171

Biography

Born in Yauco, Puerto Rico on January 17, 1996. Composer and Saxophonist. He studied at
the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico (CMPR), composition with renowned pianist and
composer Alfonso Fuentes, theory and counterpoint with Pedro Segarra and Noel Torres,
conducting with Rafael Enrique Irizarry III and solfege with Gloria Navarro. While at school he
got involved in music research with his bachelor’s thesis: Roberto Milano and his 9/11
Requiem and A Catalogue of Works for Saxophone written by Puerto Rican Composers.

In 2016, he won the 3rd place in the CMPR’s Composition Competition for his piece
Mosaico for Clarinet Choir. It was premiered by the CMPR’s Clarinet Choir at the International
Clarinet Association’s annual convention, ClarinetFest Orlando 2017. His piece Elegía (in
memory of the victims of Hurricane Maria), was premiered by the CMPR’s Concert Band,
under the baton of Rafael Enrique Irizarry, on October 2018. The Young Artists’ Concert
Orchestra of Puerto Rico commissioned an orchestration of his piece Mosaico for its inaugural
concert on December 23rd, 2018. In early 2019 he was commissioned by the dancing
association AproDanza, to write a piece for the celebration of the International Dance Day
2019.

Aside from working on his composition, Quiñones is continually collaborating in projects

with fellow composers and musicians as conductor in chamber ensembles and in other
creative roles. Since August 2018, he has been writing writing a blog: Músicas Inservibles
(Useless Musics), dedicated to the performance of contemporary music and the talent of
young Puerto Rican musicians.
 Proposal for Call for Proposals 2019 by the Mid-American Freedom Band

Proposed Piece:

Considering that next year’s season titled “Kyngs and Qweens” will feature music that
among other things “…satirizes pomp and circumstance, war and peace, sacred and
profane…”. The piece I propose will deal with these issues in our polarized modern society, by
juxtaposing styles and musics from different genres in a way that reflects the consistent
inconsistency that we live through. I’m considering a piece with a spiral form, that while
repeating patterns or themes already established in the piece, each repetition will feature
new elements that outline a consistently fast-paced structure, just like social and news media
drive our day to day lives. Amidst the buzz and eclectic energy of this piece I’d also like to
develop a reflective benedictus-like hymn that contrasts with the rest of the piece but that
also reflects on the unity of the people against oppressive reigns or governments.