# Felipe Lara

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**Felipe Lara** (born 1979)[1] is a Brazilian-American composer and professor. He was a finalist for the 2024 [Pulitzer Prize for Music](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Music).

## Early life and education

Lara was born in [Sorocaba](/source/Sorocaba), [Brazil](/source/Brazil).[2] He moved to the United States in 1997 from [Moema](/source/Moema_(district_of_S%C3%A3o_Paulo)) to enroll at the [Berklee College of Music](/source/Berklee_College_of_Music), initially intending to study [jazz guitar](/source/Jazz_guitar) and [arranging](/source/Arrangement) but earning a [Bachelor of Music](/source/Bachelor_of_Music) in composition in 2002.[3][4] He recalls falling in love with contemporary classical music after hearing the [Boston Symphony Orchestra](/source/Boston_Symphony_Orchestra) perform [Olivier Messiaen](/source/Olivier_Messiaen)'s [Turangalîla-Symphonie](/source/Turangal%C3%AEla-Symphonie).[5]

Lara earned a [master's](/source/Master_of_Music) in composition from [Tufts University](/source/Tufts_University) and a [Ph.D.](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) in composition from [New York University](/source/New_York_University).[6]

## Works

Lara's contemporary work makes use of nontraditional instrumentations for classical settings, including [electronics](/source/Electronic_music).[7] He is known for compositions that make contextual use of their performance space and experiment with new methods for producing sound.[8][9] He has described his philosophy as "trying to exploit zones where 'timbre becomes harmony,' and harmony, in turn, becomes noise.'"[10]

In 2014, the [International Contemporary Ensemble](/source/International_Contemporary_Ensemble) premiered Lara's *Voz dos Ventos* and performed his *Livro dos Sonhos* (Book of Dreams) at [The Phillips Collection](/source/The_Phillips_Collection). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)* noted the pieces featured "shrieks and slides, hissing, flutter-tonguing and almost percussive sounds that stretch the limits of instrumental possibilities."[11] In 2015, the ensemble's bassoonist Rebekah Heller performed Lara's *Metafagote,* which pairs a solo bassoonist with six pre-recorded bassoon tracks, at the [Abrons Arts Center](/source/Abrons_Arts_Center).[12]

In 2018, the Talea Ensemble performed Lara's *Fringes*, in which performers surround the audience on three sides, at the [Baryshnikov Arts Center](/source/Baryshnikov_Arts_Center) in [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan).[10]

In 2019, Lara was commissioned by the [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress) for the large ensemble composition *Brutal Mirrors,* which was inspired by photography of [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) architecture*.*[1][13]

Lara was widely acknowledged for his *Double Concerto*, written for vocalist and bassist [esperanza spalding](/source/Esperanza_Spalding), flautist [Claire Chase](/source/Claire_Chase), and orchestra. The piece, written in 2019, premiered under the baton of [Susanna Mälkki](/source/Susanna_M%C3%A4lkki) at the [Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/Helsinki_Philharmonic_Orchestra) in 2021. It incorporates significant soloistic improvisation and modernist soundscapes, producing what *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* critic [Zachary Woolfe](/source/Zachary_Woolfe) called "a miniature universe of sounds."[14] Chase wrote that the entanglement of the soloists in the work causes them to become "a many-tentacled creature.”[14] The piece received a [Pulitzer Prize](/source/Pulitzer_Prize) nomination in 2024.[15]

His compositions have been performed at the [Tanglewood](/source/Tanglewood) and [Ars Musica](/source/Ars_Musica_(festival)) festivals.[4]

## Career

Lara is associate professor and chair of composition at the [Peabody Institute](/source/Peabody_Institute) at [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University).[6]

In 2003, he and four other graduate students formed áltaVoz, a consortium to increase the presence of [Latin American music](/source/Latin_music) in the [Boston](/source/Boston) area. The group released a CD featuring compositions performed by the [JACK Quartet](/source/JACK_Quartet) in 2014.[5]

## References

1. ["Felipe Lara"](https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0027452/). *Library of Congress*. 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. ["Felipe Lara"](https://enciclopedia.itaucultural.org.br/pessoa559201/felipe-lara) (in Brazilian Portuguese). *Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural*. February 16, 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

1. ["Felipe Lara"](https://college.berklee.edu/people/felipe-lara). *Berklee College of Music*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Ghivelder, Deborah (June 20, 2014). ["O compositor paulista Felipe Lara se destaca no circuito internacional"](https://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/o-compositor-paulista-felipe-lara-se-destaca-no-circuito-internacional-12932683) (in Brazilian Portuguese). *O Globo*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Weininger, David (September 4, 2019). ["Boston-born áltaVoz offers disparate sounds on new CD"](https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/09/04/boston-born-altavoz-offers-disparate-sounds-new/lRgKNfaaBRY98afl1xrVEP/story.html). *The Boston Globe*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. ["Felipe Lara"](https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/6791/felipe-lara). *LA Phil*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Tommasini, Anthony (March 4, 2010). ["At Ease in T-Shirts or Suits, and With the Medieval or Modern"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/arts/music/05jack.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 7, 2024.

1. Schweitzer, Vivien (June 11, 2014). ["A Mesh of Sounds"](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/arts/music/voices-winds-and-paths-at-the-chelsea-music-festival.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 7, 2024.

1. Grella, George (April 3, 2023). ["New York Philharmonic delivers fun and excitement at David Geffen Hall — review"](https://www.ft.com/content/e698786a-e62a-4092-84cf-3ab036cbd89a). *Financial Times*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Colter Walls, Seth (August 17, 2018). ["At This New-Music Festival, You Can Count on Variety"](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/arts/music/time-spans-festival.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Reinthaler, Joan (April 7, 2014). ["International Contemporary Ensemble vividly showcases distinct styles of Lara and Balter"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/international-contemporary-ensemble-vividly-showcases-distinct-styles-of-lara-and-balter/2014/04/07/8d0a690e-be5c-11e3-9ee7-02c1e10a03f0_story.html). *The Washington Post*. Retrieved May 7, 2024.

1. Allen, David (September 17, 2015). ["Review: ICE Features Levy Lorenzo on Teacups and Rebekah Heller on Bassoon"](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/arts/music/review-ice-features-levy-lorenzo-on-teacups-and-rebekah-heller-on-bassoon.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Swed, Mark (May 4, 2022). ["Commentary: Thomas Adès' fantastical 'Dante' at the L.A. Phil makes Gen X proud"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-05-04/los-angeles-philharmonic-thomas-ades-dante-gen-x-festival). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

1. Woolfe, Zachary (March 30, 2023). ["Review: A Concerto Makes Two Soloists a Many-Tentacled Creature"](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/30/arts/music/review-new-york-philharmonic-lara-malkki.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 7, 2024.

1. Chinen, Nate (May 7, 2024). ["Tyshawn Sorey wins 2024 Pulitzer Prize in music for 'Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith)'"](https://www.npr.org/2024/05/07/1249559785/tyshawn-sorey-wins-2024-pulitzer-prize-in-music-for-adagio-for-wadada-leo-smith). *NPR*. Retrieved May 7, 2024.

## External links

- [Felipe Lara's website](https://felipelara.com/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Felipe Lara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_Lara) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_Lara?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.