We are excited to continue our collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC). This month, we present a piece by Dr. Melanie Mitrano.
Melanie Mitrano. Photo courtesy Melanie Mitrano.
Bio
Dr. Melanie Mitrano is a performer, educator, and award-winning ASCAP composer whose work spans classical, electroacoustic, jazz, theater, and pop. Fluent in Portuguese, she also writes and performs Brazilian-inspired songs and fado, the traditional music of Portugal. Dr. Mitrano holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory, where she became the first woman to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. As a performer, she has appeared with numerous contemporary music ensembles and has participated in international premieres and tours. In addition to her performing and composing career, she teaches voice and maintains a private studio in New Jersey.
Featured Work: El Desafío for violin, cello, and piano
COMPOSITION DETAILS
- Title: El Desafío
- Composer: Melanie Mitrano
- Year of Composition: 2015
- Instrumentation: violin, cello, and piano
- Movements: 1
- Duration of Work: 3 minutes
- Number of Measures: 101
- Number of pages: 9
- Tempo: Quarter = 150
- Difficulty Level: very technically accessible
- Highest Position Reached: depends on fingering, but stays in neck position
- Techniques Employed: “Latin jazz rhythmic vocabulary (rumba groove), steady unvarying tempo, syncopation, cross‑rhythmic interplay, extended jazz harmonies (7ths, 9ths, altered chords), functional jazz progressions, modal mixture, improvisatory‑styled melodic writing, motivic development, call‑and‑response between violin and cello, piano comping textures, layered ensemble writing, jazz‑influenced articulations, and percussive piano timbres.” – Melanie Mitrano
- Publisher: Self-published (Ivy Cottage Press)
- Where to Purchase the Score: Sheet Music Plus and Sheet Music Direct
- Cost of Score*: $14.99
Program Notes
“El Desafío (“The Challenge”) was born from my desire to capture the energy and color of Cuban jazz within a classical trio. My aim was to create a piece that feels like a Latin jazz ensemble—complete with a locked‑in rumba groove—while using only violin, cello, and piano. The piano part is written to emulate a comping jazz pianist or guitarist, providing harmonic support and rhythmic propulsion. Against this backdrop, the violin and cello act as duet soloists, maintaining a lively musical conversation throughout.
Writing for the cello in this idiom was especially rewarding. Its expressive range allows it to move seamlessly between warm, vocal lyricism and the crisp, rhythmic articulation associated with jazz phrasing. The piece invites the performers to embrace both precision and spontaneity, mirroring the spirit of the music that inspired it.
I live between classical and jazz worlds as a performer, composer, and educator, and I love bringing those traditions together for classical musicians. El Desafío reflects my passion for what I call “jazzical” writing—classically notated chamber music infused with the rhythmic language and expressive freedom of jazz. Because I speak Portuguese fluently and perform a great deal of Brazilian jazz, Latin‑based styles feel like a natural extension of my musical voice.
One of the joys of composing this piece was the challenge of making a piano trio sound like a Latin jazz rhythm section with two improvising soloists. Writing for the cello in this context is especially rewarding; its warmth, agility, and vocal quality make it an ideal partner in the kind of conversational, jazz‑inflected dialogue that drives the piece.” – Melanie Mitrano
Performance Notes
“El Desafío should be performed with the feel of a Latin jazz tune: the tempo is counted off at the start and must remain absolutely steady throughout. The pianist functions as the rhythm section, playing with the clarity and drive of jazz comping—crisp articulation, clean attacks, and a strong sense of forward motion. The violin and cello act as duet soloists, shaping their lines with the flexibility and rhythmic vitality of improvising players. Syncopation, off‑beat accents, and lifted articulations are essential to capturing the rumba groove.
Balance and ensemble interaction are key. The piano must provide a solid rhythmic foundation without overpowering the strings, while the violin and cello project with the presence of soloists engaged in a lively musical conversation. Articulations should reflect jazz phrasing rather than traditional classical legato, and both string players should lean into the conversational, call‑and‑response nature of their lines. When the trio locks into the groove together—tight rhythm, clean articulation, and responsive interplay—the piece takes on the energy and immediacy of a Latin jazz ensemble within a classical chamber setting.” – Melanie Mitrano
Melanie Mitrano’s Other Work with a Prominent Cello Part
Cafajeste for flute, cello, and bass
How to Follow, Support, and Contact Melanie Mitrano
-
- Website
- SoundCloud
- YouTube: @melmitrano
A Collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC)
The NYWC series at the Cello Museum was created to showcase its members who have composed works for cello, informing cellists seeking new music to add to their repertoire, and helping listeners find new favorites. Many thanks to the NYWC for this wonderful collaboration.
Read other installments in the series here.
Enjoying the Cello Museum?
Don’t miss an article, announcement, or exhibition. Sign up for our newsletter.
*Prices are accurate at the time of article publication, but the Cello Museum cannot take responsibility for subsequent price changes.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Please see the footer for more information. Thank you for your support.
