Biography

Winner of the Morton Gould Composition Award (ASCAP) and the Jacob Druckman Orchestral Composition Award (ASMFS), Francisco Cortés Álvarez (México 1983) has developed a diverse career as composer, arranger, producer and pedagogue.

His music has been performed in America, Europe, Africa and Asia, including presentations at the Aspen Music Festival and School, SEAMUS, Mizzou New Music Festival (EU), Music X (Switzerland), the Foro Internacional de Música Nueva Manuel Enríquez (Mexico) among others.

Francisco has collaborated with renowned ensembles and orchestras such as Alarm Will Sound, OFUNAM, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Aspen Sinfonia Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Michoacán, IU New Music Ensemble, IU Concert Orchestra, Orchestra 2001, Volti Chamber Singers, Cassatt String Quartet, Onix, Túumben Paax, among others; he has been a fellow of the Tania León's Honor Scholarship (ASCAP), and multiple times of the programs for Studies Abroad and Young Creators and Young Creators (FONCA) and currently is a fellow of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte (FONCA).

His works can be heard on professional recordings distributed by IUMusic (EU), Tempus, Urtext and Xquenda (Mexico); and he has produced recordings for Naxos, Indiana University LAMC Music Series, University of Notre Dame (USA), Tempus (Mexico) and Acqua Records (Argentina).

Francisco studied a degree in Musical Composition at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where he won the Gabino Barreda medal; and Master's and Doctorate in Music at the University of Indiana (IU) where he obtained the Dean's Prize and held a position as adjunct teacher and director of the Latin American Music Ensemble at IU. He is currently full-time professor and founder of the program in musical composition of the Escuela de Bellas Artes of the Universidad Panamericana, and professor at the Facultad de Música of the UNAM.