The recipient of the Award in Music by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, composer and Puerto Rican native Roberto Sierra’s works have been performed by major orchestras around the world. Formerly the Composer-in-Residence of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Sierra currently teaches composition at Cornell University.
The Joyce Award supported a partnership between the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Latino Arts/United Community Center to commission a symphonic composition by Sierra. For this project, Sierra will compose a full symphony (four movements) based on the music from three Spanish-speaking islands: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
Celebrating its 45th year during the 2003-04 season, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has achieved national acclaim through touring and broadcasting, but its tradition, strength and energy are deeply rooted in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The MSO reaches out to audiences diverse in age, culture, socioeconomic status, community and musical interests through symphonic performance and a variety of education and outreach programs.