​El Libro de los Seres Imaginarios was inspired by the book by Jorge Luis Borges and each of the four movements is dedicated to one of Borges’s mythical creatures.  The Unicorn opens with a chaotic-sounding polyrhythm - evoking the bafflement of perhaps seeing a unicorn for the first time.  The movement then evolves into something more atmospheric and trance-like maybe evoking the eventual awe of taking in such a beautiful wonder.  The Minotaur is then heard lurking in a maze, and this second movement certainly resembles the terrifying chase between Theseus and the bull.  Fairies and Gnomes almost sounds like two movements in one, opening with Brouwer's beautiful lyricism until the Gnomes take over, tending to the earth.  The fourth movement The Gorgon and the Manticore is a stand-alone piece in and of itself.  I personally love what Brouwer does with this final movement bringing the Manticore to life—a beast whose voice, “resembles the union of the sound of the flute and the trumpet.”

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Paisaje cubano con campanas (Cuban Landscapes with Bells, 1986) is a minimalistic gem of the classical guitar repertoire that showcases the versatility of the instrument. The Cuban landscape is painted with colors unique to the guitar that Brouwer knows so well and that would not be possible on many other instruments. In it, you'll hear the beautiful campanella effect, rich timbre changes, and sections composed entirely with techniques like natural harmonics and two-handed tapping—all through Maestro Brouwer’s signature atmospheric voice. I paired and performed this piece attacca with his newly composed Preludio de las campanas, written in 2013 and dedicated to Alberto Mesirca.

Right around the time I asked about the availability of sheet music for Trois Nouvelles Études, I also inquired about Brouwer's beautiful piece for cello and guitar, Lorquianas.  Lorquianas was dedicated to Duo Villa-Lobos (Cecilia Palma & Edwin Guevara) and I saw their wonderful world premiere performance of the piece on YouTube recorded at the Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona in January 2019.  After I heard it, I knew I had to play it with Mark!  Unfortunately, I had to wait many years before the score became available, but all good things come with time.  This piece written in the memory of Federico García Lorca, has really become one of my favorite chamber works I've played recently.  Opening with a beautiful, poetic cello solo, it sets the stage for the guitar and the tranquility of the Memento movement.  The Madrigalillo is infused with Spanish dissonances akin to the music language of Lorca. 

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Trois Nouvelles Études was written in 2020 and Mtro. Brouwer notes that even though these etudes were composed as a trilogy, they don’t need to be performed as a set and can exist independently of one another, as they are not linked thematically.  They are a perfect addition to his 20 Estudios Sencillos and the 10 Nuevos Estudios Sencillos dedicated to Thibault Cauvin. To me, the first étude is a study in Cuban rhythms and thematic interpretation, the second an étude for control, tone, and odd meters, and the final étude is a study in the minimalist style.

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La Ruta de las Máscaras was written in memoriam of French philosopher and anthropologist Claude Lévi Strauss (1908 - 2009) who worked towards developing the theories of structuralism and identifying underlying patterns in the world around us.  Brouwer is a master of structure, and I think there are a lot of opportunities in this étude to bind various thematic elements to realize the whole of the work.  

El Ser y la Nada (Being and Nothingness) is one of the most important works on existentialist thought written by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. In it, Sartre proclaims that existence precedes essence and outlines what it means to truly define ourselves by the choices we make and the actions we take in life. While existential philosophy can seem bleak at times (who hasn’t had an existential crisis before, right?), I believe it is actually quite a liberating philosophy that really explores what it means to be free against the odds of the human condition.

This étude beautifully exhibits that freedom Sartre describes compositionally. The opening swells between sparse and dense textures (el ser y la nada) and Mtro. Brouwer largely presents the two main sections of this piece in odd meters of 5/8 and 7/8 breaking free of common time signatures in the process. This spacious movement also includes beautiful quotations from other notable works by Brouwer such as the 2nd movement from the Sonata del Caminante No.2 “El Gran Sertao” and the 2nd movement from Danzas Rituales y Festivas Vol. 1 “Habanera trunca.”

El diálogo eterno was written on the memory of Jacques Derrida, who is known for many philosophical contributions to law, the arts, political theory, and much more in the 20th century.  He is most commonly associated with his theory of “deconstruction” outlined in his 1967 book De la grammatologie (Of Grammatology).  Deconstruction is the process of taking apart established preconceptions we might have (usually in binary opposition) in order to understand a concept or problem as a whole. For example, Derrida suggests that we may tend to favor speech over writing or reason over passion, and by understanding the supposed lesser halves better, we can learn to see how beautifully complex the concept actually is. In music the deconstruction of elements like tension and resolution, consonance and dissonance, or tonality and atonality could similarly lead to a richer understanding of the compositional process.

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I recorded the Trois Nouvelles Études on a special instrument made by luthier Brian Itzkin. This guitar is No. 56 (2025), with a western red cedar top and an all-spruce lattice bracing system—built without carbon fiber or other modern materials. Back, sides, fretboard, bridge, and headstock veneer are all Honduran rosewood. It was a privilege to have this instrument under my fingers for a while—the range of color and dynamics it offers really comes alive with this music. Thank you, Brian and congrats on the guitar!

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Guerra del tiempo, or “War of Time,” is inspired by the Cuban author and musicologist Alejandro Carpentier and highlights the sonic possibilities of what the piano and guitar duo. Guerra del Tiempo is a beautifully written composition in the minimalist style that explores a rhythmic dialogue between both instruments using colorful extended techniques.  I also think this piece is notable with Brouwer's ability to utilize space in a way that lets both instruments speak in their own unique way.  ​​​

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Inspired by the philosophy of Albert Camus, El mito de Sísifo para guitarra is a new solo guitar work by Leo Brouwer dedicated to Matthew Kaplan. Rather than telling the story of Sisyphus literally, the piece reflects on repetition, persistence, and the search for meaning through an evocative and deeply personal musical language. The work adds a significant new contribution to Brouwer's solo guitar repertoire, drawing on existential themes through his distinctive compositional voice. Read about the commission, see the opening bars, and photos here.​

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I was thrilled to be able to include Isla de rojo coral on this record and I couldn’t be happier with how this collaboration came together. It was a real pleasure to have the incredible David Brown performing on this recording, produced by Alexey Alexandrov of rec.today. David and I go way back to our days studying together at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, so having him involved made this project especially meaningful. Huge thanks to David for bringing this music to life and for the introduction to Alexey. Alexey, the recording is incredibly well done—thank you for everything.

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Fuga cubana is an arrangement of Brouwer’s Fuga No.1, originally composed in 1959 for solo guitar. This trio version was arranged by Alberto La Rocca and published by Ediciones Espiral Eterna in 2019. The piece translates beautifully to guitar trio, showcasing the interplay of voices and counterpoint across all three parts.  A big thank you to José Maldonado and Bloomingdale School of Music for letting us record in this space! 

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Cantilena de los bosques develops the theme from the 3rd movement of Brouwer’s Pequeñas piezas para piano (1960). It fits beautifully on the guitar and Stelios Mihas of Studio 4D did a fantastic job capturing the atmosphere and colors of the piece.  He had the perfect idea to end the record with this special recording, as its calm, reflective character contrasts so naturally with the intensity of the opening and brings the album to a peaceful close. Thank you, Stelios!