José Peña-Aguayo Associate Professor, Composition
Composer, scholar, and project manager J.J. Peña Aguayo (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1973) studied music composition at The Peabody Institute (B.M., 1996) and at The Juilliard School (M.M., 1998), and holds a Doctorate from the Universitat de València.
His composition teachers were Morris Cotel, Ronald Caltabiano, Milton Babbitt and Christopher Rouse. His musical works have been premiered and performed by orchestras, chamber groups and soloists in concert series and festivals across the Americas and Europe, with commissions such as from the Neanderland Biennale, the Insitut Valencià de la Música, Val Tidone Competitions and the Godella Chamber Music Festival.
He has been awarded prizes from ASCAP and BMI as well as in competitions such as the Gofreddo Petrassi and the Edigio Carella competitions, among others.
His work is published By the Sociedad Latina de Comunicación Social, Bèrben and Periferia.
He has taught at the Conservatories of Alicante and Castellón, and at the TAI Institute in Madrid. He is founding member of Ars-On (arte abierto) and is currently Artistic Director of the Sonamens Puerto Rico International Musical Creativity Summit.