Composer

Awilda Villarini has composed works for piano, voice, choir, chamber music, orchestra and theater using both traditional instruments and computer music. She was invited to participate at the American Composers Orchestra Festival Sonidos de las Americas, Carnegie Hall (March 1997), and she has received commissions from several foundations in Puerto Rico and the U.S.A. Among them: The National Endowment for the Arts, The Louis Vogelstein Foundation and The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. Villarini has received excellent reviews by major newspapers in the United States and Europe.

Reviews:

"She showed herself to be a highly resourceful composer who handles with ease the high voltage rhythms of her native Puerto Rico. Villarini’s composition is a stylish, sophisticated work literary bursting with vitality."

Washington Post

"Ms. Villarini’s Suite Portoricinses, based on four Puerto Rican dances, was couched in a moderately acerbic and fairly conservative idiom… striking sparks of real imagination."

New York Times

"In her work, she used dissonant chords as one can expect in Debussy and Bartok. In some passages, it was evident her preference to play with rhythmical elements. Simple themes were repeated with rhythmic variations, resulting in charming effects."

Neue Zürcher Zeitung

"I was especially impressed by the Two Love Songs by Awilda Villarini on texts by Julia de Burgos and Pablo Neruda. I believe the composer’s experience resulted in not hurrying the text, in taking time for the phrases to breathe; in not gambling it all on a couple of special effects. The Villarini’s songs are also kind to the singer. Also, for this reason, I think they are completely successful."

Donald Thompson, San Juan Star

"Dialogue, by Awilda Villarini (poem by Pat Parker), is a dramatic song that impacts the listener."

Peter Bloch, New York Impacto

"Her Suite Portoricinses consist of four pieces full of variety which reminds us of Prokofieff."

Neue Zürcher Nachtrichten

"The world premiere of Awilda Villarini’s composition for orchestra, Cinquillo Dramático, was an important and successful event. This fascinating and captivating composition was received with great enthusiasm by the audience. It is contemporary classical music rooted in the heritage of the Antilles."

La Razón

Compositions

Orchestra

Cinqüillo Dramático (2002) 10’
3(picc.)-2-3 (b.cl.)-2; 4-3-3-1; timp.,3 perc., (solo timbales), hp.; str.

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in one movement (1990) 10’
3(picc.)-3(eh)-3(bcl);4-2-3-1; timp.-3perc.-hp-pft,(solo); str.

The Legend of the Indian, Symphonic Poem (1991) 15’
3(picc)-3 (b.cl.)-3 (cbn); 4-4-3-1; timp-3 perc, hp; strg.

Large Chamber Ensemble

Cinqüillo Dramático for chamber orchestra 10’
2-2-2-2; 2tpt. - 2fh, 2 perc. str.

Small Chamber Ensemble

Bomba from Suite Portoricinses
String Quartet (1977) 5 min.
2 vln, vla, vc

String Quartet one movement (1997) 5'
2 vln, vla, vc

Seduction and Tango (1986) 5'
pn., harmonica

Seduction and Tango (1987) 5'
arr. pn, and sax.

Sonata for Flute and Piano (1987) 11’
fl, pn
Allegro, Adagio, Allegro.

Suite for Four Trombones (1992) 5'
3 tbn., b tbn.
Preamble, Danza, Fanfare,“Salsa".

Visiones (1992) 10’
Woodwind Quintet in seven movements
fl., picc., alto fl., ob., eh.,cl., hn.,bn.

Choral with Percussion

Jesusito Borincano (1998) 2’23”
soprano, alto, tenor, bass, two percussionists

Choral with Piano

Es un Lamento (1997) 2’23”
soprano, alto, tenor and bass

Voice with Piano

Jesusito Borincano (1998) 2’23”
high voice and piano

Two Love Songs for Soprano and Piano (1986)
Es un Lamento 2’18”
Poem by Julia de Burgos
Para mi Corazón 2’56”
Poem by Pablo Neruda

Two Love Songs for Mezzosoprano and Piano (1987) 5’14”
Es un Lamento 2’18”
Poem by Julia de Burgos
Para mi Corazón 2’56”
Poem by Pablo Neruda

Voices of Women seven songs for high voice and piano (1991)
I. Dialogue 2’ 90”
Poem by Pat Parker
II. Mientras Tú 2’ 03”
Poem by Bessy Reyna
III. Sin Remedio 2’ 10”
Poem by Gloria Burgos
IV. The Parakeet Trail 50”
Poem by Lillian Morrison
V. Song 1’ 20”
Poem by Daisy Aldan
VI Little Elegy 2’ 7”
Poem by Elinor Wylie
VII. Converging Spheres 3’ 10”
Poem by Patricia Barnett

Piano

Sonata (1985) 18’
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro, Andante, Allegro

Suite Portoricinses (1997) 14’ 36”
Seis
Danza
Plena
Bomba

Three Preludes for Piano (1985) 8’ 38”
I. Dramatic Dreams 3’41”
II. In and Out 3’ 03”
III. Wild Clusters 1’ 54”

Solo other than Piano

Portraits of Greenwich Village- five pieces for solo violoncello (1996) 4’ 54”

Suite in three movements, for alto recorder (1991) 5’

Theater

Incidental Music for La Muerte No Entrará en Palacio (1984) 30’
Commissioned by The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

Popular Music (Music and Lyrics)

Soledad (1983)
Quiéreme (1983)
Sonríe (1997)
Recordando Nuestro Amor (2004)