Biography

Born in Mexico City in 1965, Juan Trigos is the principal conductor of the "Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato" (Mexico) and of the Eastman BroadBand Ensemble (Rochester, NY-USA). With this ensemble he recorded for Bridge Records a monographic CD with music by Zohn-Muldoon (released in 2010 and finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize) and participated in various international tours as Festival Internacional Cervantino (Mexico 2010), Festival Internacional de Chihuahua (Mexico 2008), and XXVI Festival Spaziomusica of Cagliari (Italy 2007).  As a conductor, he has specialized particularly in contemporary music and in music from the 20th century and he premiered and promoted an extensive catalogue of new works, both in live performance and recording. He worked with numerous choirs, ensembles and symphony orchestras in Canada, USA, Europe, and Mexico. He was Conductor and Music Director of the Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes (National Chamber Orchestra) in Mexico City. Founder, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Sinfonietta  de las Américas. With this orchestra he recorded for Global Entertainment and BMG Entertainment three CD’s with chamber and orchestral music byr Gerhart Muench. Principal Guest Conductor of the ensemble La Camerata de las Américas, dedicated particularly to contemporary music. With this ensemble he recorded several CD’s with music by Revueltas, Rasgado and himself. He premiered and presented the chamber opera El Conejo y el Coyote (The Rabbit and the Coyote) by Víctor Rasgado in various venues as well the Smithsonian Museum (Washington DC, 2009) and the Festival Humánitas (Oaxaca, Mexico 2007).

He is also a very active composer, creator of the concept Abstract Folklore.  His music has been performed in several cities in Europe, and North America, central and south. Among his most representative works are his Cantatas Concertantes N. 1 Magnificat Guadalupano, N. 2 and N.3 Phos Hilarón,  Missa Cunctipotens Genitor Deus, 6 Chamber Ricercares, several Concertos for different instruments, his Symphones N.1 and N.2,  and his Hemoficction Operas: DeCachetitoRaspado (CheekToStubbledCheek) and the trilogy Mis Dos Cabezas Piensan Peor Que Una (My Two heads think worse than one). In 2011 he premiered and conducted his Cantata Concertante N.3 Phos Hilaón, commissioned by the Diocesan Institute of Music and Liturgy of Reggio Emilia (Italy) and his Clarinet Concertino, commissioned by the Festival Internacional Cervantino and played by the Finnish “Avanti! Chamber Orchestra”.  He has conducted, presented, recorded and produced DeCachetitoRaspado. Festival Internacional Música y Escena (Mexico 1999), 22 Music Biennale Zagreb (Croatia 2003), XXXI Festival Internacional Cervantino (Mexico 2003) and   XXV Foro Internacional de Música Nueva “Manuel Enríquez” (Mexico 2003). The work was recorded on CD and DVD in 2004 in Saint Petersburg (Russia) with the participation of the Academic Choir Saint Petersburg-Concert and the State Symphony Orchestra of Saint-Petersburg. Mis Dos Cabezas Piensan Peor Que Una had its European and Mexican premieres in October 2005 at the Lisinski Hall (Zagreb City), at the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City) and Teatro Juárez (Guanajuato) as a part of the Festival Internacional Cervantino. In this production, Mexican and Italian soloists participated, the Academic Chorus “Ivan Goran Kovacic”  and the Zagreb Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, all conducted by the composer.

He organized and produced Franco Donatoni International Festival of Contemporary Music, four consecutive years (1993-96) in Mexico City that was attended by a large number of national and international composers, ensembles, and soloists.  He has taught composition at the Instituto Cardenal Miranda (1993-2001), at University of Guanajuato (1995), and taught composition courses and lectures on his music in Europe, Canada, Mexico and the United States. His teaching experience includes being Franco Donatoni's Teaching Assistant at the International Composition Courses in Mexico City.