Performance: The Annex Quartet – Stanislav Pronin, violin; Yuri Cho, violin (guest); Yunior Lopez, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello

Presto II began as the final movement of Del Aguila’s String Quartet No. 2 before being expanded at the request of the Cuarteto Latinoamericano. The piece is dance-like and playful, driven by Latin American rhythms.  

About Miguel del Aguila:

“Three-time Grammy-nominated American composer Miguel del Aguila (b. Montevideo, 1957) is a leading figure in contemporary classical music, celebrated for his distinctive style influenced by his Latin American roots. With over 140 compositions, his rhythm-driven, dramatic works blend modernity with elements of Latin heritage, offering a fresh perspective on classical music.

Aguila’s music has been performed by thousands of soloists, ensembles, and orchestras worldwide, with hundreds of live performances yearly. Recorded on 66 CDs, his music has been praised as ‘brilliant and witty’ (New York Times), ‘sonically dazzling’ (LA Times), and ‘expressive and dramatic’ (American Record Guide). His recordings have topped the Billboard Classical Charts, including Windsync Plays Miguel del Aguila, which reached #1 in 2024. His recording of Conga-Line in Hell (Camerata de las Américas/Joel Sachs), is approaching half a million streams worldwide.

In 2010, his album Salon Buenos Aires and his Clocks received two Latin Grammy nominations. In 2015, his Concierto en Tango (Buffalo Philharmonic/JoAnn Falletta), earned him a third Grammy nomination. Aguila has received the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award, New Music USA’s Music Alive and Magnum Opus Awards, and many others.

His works have been performed by over 100 orchestras worldwide, including BBC Symphony, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Royal Concertgebouw, and Los Angeles Chamber, and by Kiev, Odessa, Royal Liverpool, Mexico City, Buffalo, Chicago, Toronto and São Paulo Philharmonic orchestras; conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Lukas Foss, Gerard Schwarz, JoAnn Falletta, Marin Alsop, Giancarlo Guerrero, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jorge Mester, Guillermo Figueroa, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya among others.

Chamber ensembles performing his works include Sphinx Virtuosi, Windsync, Imani, New Juilliard Ensemble, PNME, SOLI and the Dalí, Pacifica, and Verona quartets, featuring his music at festivals like Aspen, Breckenridge, Ravinia, Cabrillo, Vienna Festwochen and Prague Spring.

Aguila is 2025 Composer in Residence at Lynn University and France’s Du Vert A L’Infini Festival. He has held residencies with Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, ISU Festival, Ensemble Storstrøm, Orchestra of the Americas, Chautauqua, and others. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory and Vienna’s Universität für Musik. Early Vienna premieres at Musikverein and Konzerthaus, were followed by his Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1989.

Upcoming performances include Cambridge, Springfield, Santa Fe, Toledo, Lubbock and Duluth Symphony Orchestras, Sphinx Virtuosi, Chelsea Symphony; and premieres at Canberra International Film Festival, National Flute Convention, Bielefeld and Kristiansand Orchestra Series in Germany and Norway.”

– migueldelaguila.com