Date of Award

Fall 12-2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

School

Music

Committee Chair

Dr. Jay Dean

Committee Chair School

Music

Committee Member 2

Dr. Christopher Goertzen

Committee Member 2 School

Music

Committee Member 3

Dr. Michael Miles

Committee Member 3 School

Music

Committee Member 4

Dr. Catherine Rand

Committee Member 4 School

Music

Committee Member 5

Dr. Joseph Brumbeloe

Committee Member 5 School

Music

Abstract

Arturo Rodríguez (b. 1976) is a Mexican composer living in Los Angeles, California. His music has gained tremendous popularity in México within the last ten years and is being performed regularly by some of the most prestigious professional orchestras in México and abroad. One of the most interesting aspects of his career is that he writes music for both the concert hall and motion pictures. His compositional output is abundant and covers a variety of genres including music for symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, chamber music, and piano. Rodríguez has focused on the art of symphonic composition for the past fifteen years, writing works on commission for orchestras and institutions around the world, as well as conducting and orchestrating projects for film, TV, and multimedia.

No detailed documented information is available about the life and work of Rodríguez. As with many twenty-first-century musicians and artists, most promotion or marketing is done through the Internet or social media. This dissertation will contribute to the body of research concerning modern Mexican composers by documenting the musical life of composer Arturo Rodríguez, his influences, and his contributions to the symphonic repertoire. It will also provide a compendium of his works and an analysis of two of his orchestral nationalistic compositions: Mosaico Mexicano for symphony orchestra and Introducción, Canción de Cuna y Fiesta for string orchestra.

The purpose of the dissertation is to create awareness of the orchestral music of Mexican composer Arturo Rodríguez, particularly those that include Mexican nationalistic elements. This document represents the first comprehensive study of his life and two of his works. It will provide a detailed description of the background and analysis for both Mosaico Mexicano and Introducción, Canción de Cuna y Fiesta to be used as a resource for future scholars interested in the development of Mexican composers of the twenty-first century.

This project is ongoing as Rodríguez’s compositional output continues to expand. Future editions of this research will be released to provide an updated catalog of Arturo Rodríguez’s compositional catalog.

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