Glenn Ilorente is an American composer based in Los Angeles, he participated in a rehearsal recording session with his Piano concerto ( David and Goliath ) with the Danube Symphony Orchestra in Budapest-Hungary which was conducted by Maestro Samer Hatoum.
Glenn Llorente is a composer, influenced by Eastern and Western music cultures. He writes music for concert, commercial, and sacred aesthetics. He is a theorist and an educator—currently serving as a Teaching Associate at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music (2013-current), and has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Life Pacific College (2010-2012). He is an active orchestrator—both commercially and ecclesiastically—and a keyboardist, having performed for artists such as Shirley Ceasar, Cece Winans, Marla Reid, and Eric Lige. Llorente holds degrees from Life Pacific College (B.A., 2005), California State University-Fullerton (M.M., 2011), and is currently a PhD candidate in Music at the Herb Alpert School of Music, University of California-Los Angeles (2012-2016). Llorente has studied composition with Pamela Madsen, Ian Krouse, Roger Bourland, David Lefkowitz, and Richard Danielpour. In 2015, he attended the Upbeat! International Summer School for Composition with Joel Hoffman in Croatia (Summer 2015).
Llorente has received numerous awards, such as the Mannason Scholarship for Composition (2009-10), the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship (2012-2016), University Fellowships (2013-2015), as well as grants (University Grants, CSUF 2009-11) and scholarships (Graduate Dean’s Scholarship, UCLA 2012-14). Llorente is also winner of the CSUF New Music Festival Orchestra Competition, with his score, Solace for orchestra, premiered by the University Symphony Orchestra (March, 2011). In 2012, Llorente was commissioned by the Orange County Collegiate Orchestra and premiered Marie for saxophone and trumpet (March, 2012). Llorente’s electro-acoustic video installation, Humanus Pravitas, was featured in the 12th Annual World Electro-Acoustic Listening Project at the Grand Central Arts Theater, Santa Ana, CA (March, 2013). Llorente was commissioned by the Vanguard University Symphony Orchestra for his piano concerto, David and Goliath, to be premiered by pianist, Gina Lord. His trio, Equilibrium, for tenor saxophone, electric guitar, and xylophone, was premiered at the Crystal Cove State Park’s Evironmental Study Loop Grand Opening (February, 2014). Recently, Llorente’s flute/piano duo, Metamorphia, was performed by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (April 2015), and his string quartet, Ang Bakus ni Orion (2014), was performed by the Amarath String Quartet at the Eureka! Musical Minds of California conference (May, 2015).
Glenn Llorente is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, the Phi Beta Delta international scholars honor society, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s Young Composer’s Forum. While interested in researching Eastern and Western music cultures, Llorente is also interested in experimental and improvisatory electro-acoustic music. Currently, he is writing his dissertation on the hybridization of Eastern and Western aesthetics, researching gamelan music and its influence to twentieth-century composers.
To hear more samples of Glenn Llorente's work, go to: http://glennllorente.com/compositions
David and Goliath: A Tone Poem for Piano and Orchestra
By Glenn Llorente
Program Notes
David and Goliath is a tone poem for piano and orchestra, programmatically based on the story of King David from Ancient Israel. This tone poem attempts to symbolize the infamous fight between David and Goliath. The form of the score loosely follows the narrative in 1 Samuel chapters 16 and 17 (NRSV)—highlighting some aspects about King David and Goliath.
[A] The first section symbolizes the struggle between the nation of Israel and their seemingly undefeatable enemy, the Philistines (1 Sam. 17). It also symbolizes the transference of kingship from King Saul to the ruddy shepherd boy, David (1 Sam. 16:1-13).
[B] Since Saul lost his right to rule, evil spirits tormented him—only to be comforted by David playing his lyre (1 Sam. 16:14-23). This section then symbolizes the inherent tension that David faces, as the newly consecrated King, along with all the responsibilities that comes with being empowered King of Israel (1 Sam. 17).
[C] This section symbolizes a metaphorical unity and an inevitable tension between David and Goliath. While David of Israel is in covenant with the God of Israel, Goliath the “uncircumcised Philistine” is not (1 Sam. 17:36). Nevertheless, David and Goliath are both descendants of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. David’s Israeli lineage, along with other Semitic people, can be traced to Shem. Goliath’s lineage can be traced to Ham, as a descendent of Casluhim (of whom came Philistim) and and of Caphtorim (Gen. 10: 1, 6, 13, 14; Amos 9:7). The [C] section also allegorizes a kind of romanticism one might make with their own “Goliath”—unifying and compromising with, rather than dividing and conquering with their worst enemy. Just as the Israeli army (under King Saul) failed to rely on their covenant with God, so can one compromise victory by befriending their worst enemy.
Section [D] reveals the metaphorical enormity of Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4-7), and David’s confidence in defeating him (1 Sam. 17:31-37).
Sections [D] and [E] also symbolizes the fear that gripped Israel as they faced the seemingly undefeatable Goliath, but also represents the irony of David’s courage in facing Goliath. Instead of wearing heavy armor, David chose not to. Instead, he was only armed with a shepherd staff and a mere slingshot with five smooth stones (of which he only used one to kill Goliath).
Section [F] symbolizes David’s utmost confidence in his covenant with the God of Israel, facing Goliath boldly. Instead of fearing and trembling the Philistine champion (as did the Israeli army under Saul), David overconfidently and quickly ran towards the battle line to meet Goliath (1 Sam. 17:48).
Section [G] symbolizes David’s swift attack against Goliath, sling shooting one smooth stone to the giant’s forehead—and then cutting Goliath’s head off with the giant’s own sword.
Section [H] symbolizes the fall of Goliath as well as the resulting peace and tranquility that David brought to Israel. This section also represents the rest after war, having been in many long, difficult, and seemingly unconquerable battles. After David defeated Goliath, he also faced new challenges from Saul, who still unrightfully ruled over Israel.
Glenn Pates Llorente
March 11, 2013