French-Argentinian composer Esteban Benzecry has built up a distinctive body of work, from symphonies to works for solo piano. He stands as a worthy successor...

French-Argentinian composer Esteban Benzecry has built up a distinctive body of work, from symphonies to works for solo piano. He stands as a worthy successor to such masters as Ginastera, Villa-Lobos and Chávez, with music that is suffused with ‘imaginary folklore’, flashes of color, fieriness and reverie. The autobiographical Violin Concerto draws on South American folk motifs and rhythms, whereas in Ciclo de canciones he explores the meeting of two cultures, Argentinian and Japanese. The breathtaking dialogues between soloist and orchestra in the Clarinet Concerto recall Andean and pre-Hispanic times.