Esabel Valverde, Mari
Mari Esabel Valverde (b. 1987) has composed choral, vocal, orchestral and chamber works, including two song cycles. Her music has been described as a “gem,” known for “depth” and a distinct urge “towards ecstasy.”
In 2011, her song "Månskenskväll (Moonlit Evening)" was premièred at the Chorus America conference, and in 2014, her song "Hold the Vision to Our Hearts" was premièred at the Texas Music Educators Association convention.
Her first published work, "The Cloths of Heaven" has been performed by ensembles across the States and abroad, including a performance with the Oregon Bach Festival’s Strangeland Family Youth Choral Academy.
With a passion for languages, she is fluent in French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. She has translated Messiaen’s cantata "La Mort du Nombre" and Ravel’s opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges among other works and documents from French to English. She has also written IPA transcriptions and recorded pronunciation guides for songs in French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
A native of Texas, she holds degrees from St. Olaf College, the European American Musical Alliance in Paris, France, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Tim Mahr, Justin Merritt, Philip Lasser, Narcis Bonet, David Conte, and David Garner.
As a singer, she has sung in the world-renowned St. Olaf Choir, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and Vox Humana. She also maintains a private studio of high school singers in Keller ISD (Texas).
Ms. Valverde is a member of ASCAP, ACDA, TMEA, and the American Composers Forum.