I am starting a consortium! Read below for more information
Instrumentation: SATB Chorus a cappella
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Est. Duration: 10 to 15 minutes
Tentative Delivered: Fall 2026
REGISTER HERE!
About the piece:
“Promises of Gold” will be a multi-movement choral setting of the poetry of Mexican-American poet José Olivárez, whose work beautifully explores love in its many forms—self-love, familial, romantic, and cultural. Olivárez’s writing captures the rich, often humorous, and deeply human experiences of Latiné people. Through this commission, I aim to bring these untold stories to life, sparking important conversations within the choral community and beyond.
This project is deeply personal for me. I first encountered José Olivárez’s work at a pivotal moment in my life, when I was growing more confident in my Latinx identity. His ability to find beauty in the everyday—what we often overlook—resonates with me deeply, and I hope to bring that sense of wonder and appreciation to the choral stage.
As a composer, I’ve often felt the pressure to contribute ‘idiomatic’ choral music—arrangements of folk tunes or new Spanish pieces. While I deeply respect these traditions, I’ve sometimes found it difficult to create work that feels truly authentic to my own experiences. Promises of Gold represents a way for me to honor my Mexican-American heritage while forging my own path as a composer, allowing me to express my identity on my own terms.
Please consider joining me on this journey!
Samples of work
vows | SATB chorus a cappella
My Love | TTBB chorus a cappella
in this house | SSAATTBB chorus a cappella
Commissioner Benefits:
- Name and Ensemble Recognition: Your name and ensemble will be credited in the score and on my website.
- Digital Score: All commissioners will receive a digital copy of the final score.
- Performance Exclusivity: The lead commissioner will have exclusive rights to give the world premiere of the work. Following the premiere, all consortium members will retain exclusive performance rights for one year. After that period, the piece will become publicly available for sale and performance by other ensembles.
- Video Call with the Composer: The first 3 commissioners will have the opportunity for a video call with me to discuss the piece and its development.
- In-Person Residency (Optional): You may arrange for a short in-person residency with me at your own expense (lodging and travel). While I am based in Chicagoland, I can travel within the Midwest—please note that more distant travel will require more planning and cost.
Cost:
- Lead Commissioner (One): $300
- Commissioner (Unlimited): $200
Current Commissioners:
No-Name Chorale | Dr. Andy Jensen (Lead Commissioner)
UW-Oshkosh Chamber Choir | Dr. Kristin Ramseyer
About the composer:
Cristian Larios (he/él) is a composer, conductor, and educator from Joliet, IL. He currently serves as the choir director at Plainfield North High School, where he leads five curricular choirs and oversees a variety of extracurricular ensembles and musical activities. As a composer, his work spans chamber and large-scale choral forms, centering on storytelling, identity, and human connection.
His music has been performed by ensembles including the Illinois State Madrigals, No-Name Chorale, SWIC Chamber Singers, and Tonality, and has been featured at the REDNote New Music Festival. His piece In This House was recorded by Tonality on their 2024 album America Will Be. In 2019, Cristian was selected as a fellow for the PREMIERE|Project Festival in partnership with Choral Arts Initiative. He also collaborated with Illinois State’s School of Theatre and Dance and Kristin Schoenback on a production of Ellen McLaughlin’s Oedipus.
In 2023, he was selected to participate in the New Canon Project—a national initiative by ACDA and ASTA to commission new works for developing ensembles by Black and Latiné composers. The following year, he was commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale as part of their Emerging Voices project, where he worked closely with Chicago Public Schools students to create a new choral piece grounded in their voices and experiences.
Larios is the recipient of the 2017 Harlan Peithman Music Scholarship for excellence in music theory and composition, the 2018 Illinois Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship, and most recently, the Teacher of the Year award at Plainfield North High School. He holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education (Choral) and Music Composition from Illinois State University, where he studied with Martha Horst, Roger Zare, Roy Magnuson, Joshua Keeling, and Carl Schimmel. He earned his Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he researched the experiences of secondary music educators of color in predominantly white institutions.
A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in music and education, Cristian serves on the Illinois ACDA Diversity Initiatives Committee and the PSD 202 Cultural Competency Committee.
He is also an enthusiastic supporter of ramen, fresh flowers, and the sparkle emoji ✨.
About the poet:
José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants, and the author of two collections of poems, including, most recently, Promises of Gold—which was long listed for the 2023 National Book Awards. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. Along with Felicia Rose Chavez and Willie Perdomo, he co-edited the poetry anthology, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT. Alongside Antonio Salazar, he published the hybrid book, Por Siempre in 2023. He lives in Jersey City, NJ.
In 2018, he was awarded the first annual Author and Artist in Justice Award from the Phillips Brooks House Association and named a Debut Poet of 2018 by Poets & Writers. In 2019, he was awarded a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Paris Review, and elsewhere.
As a performer and educator, Olivarez has delivered workshops and performances across the United States and México at festivals like the San Antonio Book Festival, the Wisconsin Book Festival, The National Book Festival, the O Miami Poetry Festival and more. He has presented at universities including Northwestern University, The University of Missouri- Kansas City, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, SUNY College at Geneseo, Napa Valley College and more.
cristian larios | composer 