Musica de Palladium

Speaking with a musical vocabulary that inflects the language of post-minimalism with the traditions of Puerto Rican music, composer Dan Román is a polyglot. His work connects at the roots through rhythm: obsessive ostinatos, juxtaposed patterns that create evolving permutations, the hypnotic character of a steady pulse.

The folkloric and popular traditions of Román’s native Puerto Rico find their way into his music in less directly rhythmic ways as well, whether through the lyrical qualities of the Latin American romantic bolero or the Puerto Rican danza. His innova Recordings debut, Música de Palladium, is peppered with quotes from songs and dances from these traditions, mingled with counterpoint, shifting metrics and polychords.

For Román, drawing on these diverse sources opens up new possibilities for a unique musical style that finds the commonalities between disparate vocabularies, a shared language for communicating in innovative ways.

Román’s music has been performed throughout North America, Europe and Latin America, and has been played by ensembles and artists such as Sally Pinkas, the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Robert Black, the New World Trio, the Guitar Ensemble of Chile, the Alturas Duo, and many others. He teaches composition, music theory and electronic music at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.