Reviews
“Silencio en Juárez is masterfully written chamber music – it won the 2013 Brian M. Israel Prize – but more than that it is an honest attempt by the composer to deal with deeply troubling issues in contemporary society.”
Paul Muller
Sequenza 21
“Silencio en Juárez by Juan Pablo Contreras was a very powerful and moving composition. This poignant work was inspired by the 2010 tragedy wherein 15 teenagers were murdered in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The horror of the event and the pain that followed was captured with a lilting folk tune abruptly interrupted by gunshots and desperate cries for help and families mourning their lost loved ones.”
The Clarinet Journal
“From its sorrowful opening with echoes of Messiaen, to the rhythmically punchy finale, “Silencio en Juárez” pays homage to an event no one wants to remember—but needs to.”
Bruce Hodges
Seek and Heard
“Cast in four movements, “Silencio en Juárez” is emotionally charged and filled with catholic references such as the sorrowful mother and the liturgy. Inspired by the 2010 massacre where 15 teenagers lost their lives in Ciudad Juárez, the work represents Contreras’ introspective vision of a dark subject matter, like Messiaen’s in his Quartet for the End of Time.”
Iván Martínez
L’Orfeo
“Juan Pablo Contreras is a Mexican composer who has revolutionized classical music. One of his most important works is “Silencio en Juárez,” which pays homage to 15 teenagers that were murdered during a party in this violent city.”
Ricardo Ramírez
Página Siete
“In Silencio en Juárez, Contreras blends classical contemporary music with Mexican popular music, using clear ideas and extremely defined emotions.”
Patricia Garma
Diario de Yucatán
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