Named in 2018 a Puerto Rican Heritage Ernesto Malave Scholar of the Arts by Comité Noviembre in N.Y.C., Rodríguez’ music is inspired by the factual human experience. His latest compositions have been focused on social justice and activism, having in their inner spirit his Puerto Rican musical heritage. His most recent orchestral piece, A Metaphor for Power, has the current Latinx experience as well as the ongoing equality issues in the USA as a central thesis and, was selected for 2019’s prestigious Edward T. Cone Composition Institute to be premiered by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the renowned conductor, maestro Cristian Măcelaru. Rodríguez’ commitment to human rights, equality and, justice has led him to collaborate with the Vision Collective on their first German tour through Nigerian, Iraqi, Georgian, Syrian, and Turkish refugee camps. Additionally, his musical focus on his Puerto Rican heritage led Musica de Camara, Inc. to commission his Concerto for Puerto Rican Cuatro and Strings Orchestra premiered at El Museo del Barrio in N.Y.C. in 2016. Rodríguez’ works have been commercially recorded by acclaimed trumpeter Luis “Perico” Ortiz, guitarist John Rivera Pico.
Iván Enrique Rodríguez received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, studying with Alfonso Fuentes. His Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Melinda Wagner and Robert Beaser and, is currently pursuing his Doctor in Musical Arts degree in Juilliard’s prestigious C.V. Starr doctoral program where he has been recipient of the Gretchaninoff Memorial Prize, the Bernard Jaffe Scholarship and Commission, the James D. Rosenthal and Marvin Y. Schofer Scholarship, the King Doctoral Scholarship and, the C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellowship.