Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic

Alumnus Juan Pablo Contreras (DMA ’21) premieres MeChicano, a piece honoring Mexican-American communities, with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on May 7. Contreras is one of the seven composers selected by New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices, a program supporting composers of underrepresented backgrounds. His work was co-commisisioned by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the California Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tucson Symphony and the Fresno Philharmonic.

Contreras says, “It is the first piece that I composed as a Mexican-American composer, having finally become a U.S. citizen after living here for the past 15 years. On one hand, it commemorates my journey to become MeChicano. On the other, it is an exuberant celebration of Mexican-American communities that have flourished in the U.S.”