Born on October 23,1981, in San Cristobal, Venezuela; Currently resides in Valencia, Spain.
Morocota
Composed: 2018
Estimated length: 5 minutes
Best known as one of today’s most dynamic brass soloists, Venezuelan trumpeter Pacho Flores is a champion of new music who regularly commissions composers to expand the trumpet repertoire. He is a Deutsche Grammophon recording artist and plays custom-made instruments by the Spanish firm Stomvi, with whom he collaborates on innovative designs.
An active composer himself, Flores draws on his Venezuelan heritage while embracing a wide spectrum of musical influences. By blending classical forms with the dance rhythms and melodies of Latin America, Flores creates music that showcases the trumpet’s brilliance while speaking with an unmistakable voice of his own.
Morocota, which Flores both composed and performs, takes its name from a Venezuelan gold coin of the 19th century. He explains that while it is difficult to determine the exact monetary or historical worth of such a coin today, “in short, it is a treasure that has become a fantasy.”
Flores originally wrote Morocota for trumpet and guitar, and it first appeared on his 2017 album Entropía (Deutsche Grammophon). The arrangement for solo trumpet and orchestra appears on his 2022 album Estirpe.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
Flores describes Morocota as “a simple and pleasant ‘delicate waltz’ in which sentimental inspiration gradually emerges.” He dedicates the piece to his mother, Mireyita, calling her “the muse of this music… a delirium of love.” At the same time, he acknowledges the deep influence of Venezuelan guitarist and composer Antonio Lauro, whose waltzes “resonate in my subconscious” and who represents the lyrical beauty of his country’s musical heritage.
Scored for solo trumpet and string orchestra.
− Thomas May is the Nashville Symphony's program annotator.
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