Lupita Diaz Donato

About the Project

Petite Gestures was written with the intent of taking the listener on an individual’s daily journey through the melancholic nine-to-five systematic routine.

The composition begins and ends with a low-spirited and tranquil setting that symbolizes the feeling of just waking up to a stress-free state just before remembering the world is waiting for you. The majority of the day, much like this composition, is in constant movement representing the daily rituals while also highlighting the small mental-breaks we take throughout the day. As the commuter returns home, a new sentiment is introduced, and the expression of the composition changes.

This work contains different styles to express the different states of emotions throughout the day. Its use of polyrhythmic moments is connected to the individual’s feelings of exhaustion caused by stress. The use of minimalism can be connected to the individual’s unconscious aspiration for simplicity.

About Lupita Diaz Donato

Lupita Diaz Donato (b.1992) is an American Peruvian-Mexican composer and violinist from Chicago, IL. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music in Composition at Columbia College Chicago. Her body of works includes compositions for solo instruments, various ensembles, and collaborative projects. Her music is inspired by themes in nature, especially Andean landscapes, and other experiences and anecdotes that explore her cultural heritage upbringing.

Lupita was introduced to various Peruvian musical genres at an early age, which further exposed her to its amalgamation of Andean, African, and Andean musical roots. Lupita composed some of her first works under the tutelage of Dr. Ilya Levinson and Dr. Kenn Kumpf. She has performed as a violinist and arranged numerous works for Columbia's New Music Ensemble, directed by composer and pianist Sebastian Huydts. While a student, she attended the highSCORE Festival in Pavia, Italy, where she received composition masterclasses from composers Kaija Saariaho, David Ludwig, Dmitri Tymoczko, and Amy Beth Kirsten.

Lupita's most recent composition was performed by pierrot Ensemble Concept/21 in South Bend, Indiana, under conductor Nancy Menk's direction. In 2016, she received a TUMI USA Award in the student category for advocating Peruvian culture awareness and other collaborations with the Peruvian Arts Society in Chicago. During her partnership with the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee in 2013-14, Lupita connected with her community's youth and taught music that she believed would enhance self-identity through culturally relatable music. Outside of the academic setting, Lupita performs as a violinist around the Midwest for religious events.