Testimonials – Carlos Cordero
Thank you for stopping by this page, friends! People have been kind enough to offer a few words about our collaboration and I would like to share them with you. I hope we get to work together to create something meaningful for all.
Dr. Betsy Cook Weber
“The University of Houston Concert Chorale and I had the great pleasure of enjoying Carlos Cordero’s talent as a singer and tenor section leader during his years as a graduate student at UH. During that time, Carlos’ enthusiasm and leadership were integral to any successes we enjoyed. Even more importantly, it was our privilege to perform, and sometimes premiere, a number of his compositions. Carlos has an affinity for beautiful texts, which he sets with great skill, understanding, and sensitivity. His compositional voice is vast; he writes with great facility, whether the music is biting, energetic, and angular or languid, sweet, and lyrical. I believe that Carlos is one of the most talented choral composers of his generation.”
Dr. Betsy Cook Weber / University of Houston Moores School of Music, Madison Endowed Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies. Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus.
Dr. Craig Hella Johnson
“Working closely with him as I was preparing to lead and shape a performance of his work “Holding our Breath” revealed to me the many layers of depth and breadth of his talent, imagination, and humanity. He is a beautiful and dynamic human being –his spirit is gentle, generous, and kind and his musical gifts are fierce, formidable, and compelling. It is clear that his expression and compositional voice come from a place deep within him and I am confident that his music will continue to find a prominent place in our repertoire for years to come. I experienced a great sense of joy and meaningfulness through our collaboration and because of his soulful artistry.”
Dr. Craig Hella Johnson Conspirare, Artistic Director. Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, Music Director. Texas State University, Artist in Residence. Victoria Bach Festival, Conductor Emeritus
Dr. Brady Allred
“Carlos Alberto Cordero is a rising star, “una estrella en ascenso,” in the dynamic world of choral composition! I am always searching for young, brilliant composers like Carlos to add new and exciting repertoire to the choral canon. His set of pieces “Songs of the Moon,” which the Salt Lake Vocal Artists commissioned, are brilliantly crafted and highly evocative. Based on texts by Sara Teasdale, “Tonight” evokes feelings of eternal love and tenderness with a rich harmonic language. The images of the luminous sky and flowering moon are beautifully represented by high lyric soprano solo, finely crafted choral lines, and Crystal Tone Singing Bowls. “Beauty Has Filled My Heart” is the contrasting movement with exciting rhythmic counterpoint and interplay built over long, harmonic progressions. The middle section recalls the mood and style of the first movement followed by a recapitulation that builds to a thrilling climax that represents the heights and depths of beauty!”
Dr. Brady Allred / Salt Lake Vocal Artists, Salt Lake Choral Artists, Artistic Director & Conductor.
Ryan Heller / Chorus Austin
“Sharing in the journey with Carlos Cordero and The Happy Composer Project has been an absolute joy. His work in partnering organizations with composers to commission new music is unparalleled, and we have been delighted with each piece we’ve had the pleasure to premiere. The composers with whom we have worked thus far have been a pleasure, always willing to consider what’s best for the ensemble, and explore options through the creative process. As passionate supporters of new music, Chorus Austin is proud to participate in this project, and looks forward to doing so well into the future!”
Danielle Marrero / Chorus Austin Singer and Operations Director
“It’s been a pleasure participating in The Happy Composer Project and experiencing the diverse voices of the composers we worked with. Each composer brought a unique perspective, which made the pieces really fun to work on. I think the opportunity for young composers to work directly with an ensemble is so rare and so important for their own personal growth, and the growth of choral music as a genre. Choral music needs more partnerships like The Happy Composer Project!”
Patrick Vu / Composer
“Participating in the Happy Composer Project was a joyful and enlightening experience. I appreciated the mentorship from both Mr. Heller and Mr. Cordero in addition to the encouraging group of composers I worked alongside. Through this project, I have learned so much valuable information regarding choral composition that I will take with me as I continue to write music.”
Ally Rose Czyzeiwcz / composer
“Working with Carlos in the HCCP was such a great experience! I learned so much along the way and gained confidence and inspiration from each conversation. Being a part of HCCP was a wonderful opportunity to write a piece that was meaningful for me, and the performance was better than I could have hoped for!”
Trevor Shaw / Inversion Ensemble, Conductor
“Working with Carlos and the “Happy Composers” the last few seasons has been a beautiful experience for Inversion. The music the composers provide us is rich in professional and artistic maturity, but it’s particularly refreshing to engage in open-minded dialog with composers at this high level in regard to their work. The opportunity, on my directorial end, to provide practical input makes the creative process exceptionally collaborative and fulfilling. The HCCP initiative is brilliantly promoting a spirit of artistic openness and has brought to my attention the talents of many outstanding composers. I know Inversion hopes to keep this mutually beneficial relationship going for a long time!”
Robbie LaBanca/ Managing Director
“Inversion is so grateful to have built a relationship with Carlos and his amazing Happy Composer Project over the last couple of years. This program affords organizations such as ours the ability to reach emerging composers when they most need their work to be heard. It allows us to deliver their art to the world through a vehicle of collaboration and education. This program is both unique and greatly needed.”
German Barboza / Composer
“Making music come alive is one of the hardest parts for a composer, and the Happy Composer Commission Project just gave me that chance. More opportunities like this should exist: where we have our first connection with other musicians, grow professionally, show our work and have a glimpse of what the real world looks like. I loved writing for Inversion, and working with Carlos is always a joy.
The Happy Composer Commission Project gave me the chance to grow professionally, show my work, and have a glimpse of what the professional world looks like.”
Anuj Bhutani / Composer
“HCCP was a pivotal experience in my career! Carlos taught me so much about choral writing that I couldn’t learn from a book, and I had my first ever live choral performance at the end with a group of musicians with who I continue to collaborate with!”
Jonathan Shaw / Composer
“It was an absolute treat to work with Carlos on this project; he is a masterful collaborator that brought in several ensembles to perform our music.
During the composition process, Carlos offered many insightful comments and suggestions that were extremely helpful to ensure the compositions remained professional, engaging, and most importantly, singable (which I’m certainly guilty of failing on more than one occasion!).”
John Flannery / Composer
“By working through this project, I’ve been able to produce a piece that I feel incredibly proud of, and have learned many, many different valuable lessons that I’ve been able to apply in all of the other compositions I have worked on. I’m so glad to have participated!”
