My life as a musician began as a metal guitarist in the 90’s, where I became familiar with composing for drums. When I began my journey as a composer of contemporary music, I ventured to include drum compositions in my works. I always had the desire to compose a concerto for orchestra with drums as a soloist. However, being so powerful, the risk of overpowering the orchestra with so many drums and cymbals made me doubt the wisdom of such an undertaking.

 

Then, I was fortunate enough to be commissioned by Brian Messier to compose a piece for the Dartmouth College Symphonic Band. Unlike an orchestra, a symphonic band is as powerful as the drums, so the idea of creating my dream concerto came back to me, one where the drums could take the lead, as a soloist, and pound it as hard as a rock band.

 

Mutante is a musical spawn, whose genetic code originated in heavy metal, but was transformed with cyclical permutations of a dodecaphonic series, to become a concerto for drums and symphonic band.

 

Dedicated to Luis Miguel Costero, with admiration and gratitude.