Juan Carlos Mendoza - Finding a Voice - Mexican Song Cycles After 1920 (2021)

This recording focuses on song cycles composed in the decades following the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), a period in the country’s history that drastically changed the political and cultural climate in México. The included composers expanded on European compositional styles to create their own identity as Mexican composers. They infused modality, harmonic dissonance, and polytonality into impressionism and romanticism to highlight the meaning of the poetry they chose to set.

Juan Carlos Mendoza, Tenor, is a native of Muscatine, Iowa. Stage roles include Aarón/Javier in the world premiere of Tienda by Reinaldo Moya with The Schubert Club, Freddy in My Fair Lady with the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra, Tigranes in the North American premiere of Cavalli’s La Doriclea, Gloster Hemming in The Mother of Us All, and Bill in A Hand of Bridge at The Juilliard School. As a concert soloist, Mendoza has performed the Tenor Evangelist in Pärt’s Passio, and the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, the Magnificat and Mass in G minor by J.S. Bach and Bolts of Melody by Ford. As a choral performer, Mendoza has performed in Wagner’s Tannhäuser with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, Orff’s Carmina Burana, MacMillan’s Quickening and Elgar’s The Kingdom with the Grant Park Music Festival. As a recitalist, Mendoza has appeared in New York City and throughout the Midwest, regularly performing under-represented works in Spanish and English. He was a two-time finalist in the Schubert Club’s Bruce P. Carlson Student Scholarship Competition in the Graduate and Pre-Professional divisions. Mendoza received a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Arts degree from The University of Iowa, a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and additional studies at the Aspen Music Festival and School. His research interests include Spanish-language art song from Latin America, particularly those of México. In addition to performing, Mendoza has served on the voice faculties of Augustana College, Drake University, Kirkwood Community College, Knox College and Monmouth College. Additional recordings by Mendoza include Five Masefield Songs on Songs By Me, For You: A Selection of Art Songs by Thomas F. Savoy.

Jessica Monnier holds a Masters of Arts in piano performance from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Northern Iowa. Her study has focused on Hungarian folk music, particularly as used by Franz Liszt and Bela Bartok. Her music has taken her world-wide including performances in Brazil with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra, performances in Spain with the UNI Varsity Men’s Glee Club, and solo work in Germany. She won the People’s Choice Award at the UNI Performance Competition Finals and placed in the UNI Concerto Competition Finals. Jessica has held positions at Kirkwood Community College and the Southeastern Iowa Symphony Orchestra. She is currently a piano instructor and accompanist at Cornell College. Along with being an active collaborator, Jessica also teaches and judges at area festivals.