(b. 29 April 1938, Caracas – d. 27 June 2015, Caracas).

Venezuelan composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and electroacoustic works that have been performed throughout the world.

Mr. Del Mónaco studied composition with Primo Casale and piano with Moisés Moleiro in Venezuela. He also earned a degree in law from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas in 1961. He later studied electronic music with Mario Davidovsky and Vladimir Ussachevsky at Columbia University, where he received his DMA in 1974.

Among his honours were the Premio Nacional de Música in the vocal category José Ángel Montero from the government of Venezuela (1968, for La Noche de las alegorías), the Premio Nacional de Música from the government of Venezuela (1999) and the Premio Tomás Luis de Victoria from SGAE (2002, for his œuvre). His music has been performed twice at the Interamerican Music Festival in Washington, D. C. (1974, 1980) and three times at the ISCM World Music Days (1976, Boston, Massachusetts; 1993, Mexico City; 1995, Germany).

He was also active in other positions. He began research into electronic music at the Estudio de Fonología Musical in Caracas in 1966 and worked at the Computer Music Center of Columbia University from 1969–75. He founded the section in Venezuela of ISCM in 1968 and was a founding member of the Colegio de Compositores Latinoamericanos de Música de Arte in 2000.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Dos Fugas académicas, string orchestra, 1964

Cromofonías II, 1968

Túpac Amaru, large orchestra, 1977

Tientos de la noche imaginada, guitar, orchestra, 1990–91

Memorial, 2000–02

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Sonata, string quartet, 1965

Alternancias, piano, string quartet, fixed media, 1971

Dualismos, flute, clarinet, trombone, piano, fixed media, 1971

Syntagma (A), trombone, fixed media, 1971–72

Syntagma (B), trombone, 1972

Solentiname, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 3 percussion, 1972–73

Encuentros del eco, 2 pianos, 2 percussion, 1976

Chants, flute, 1988

Tientos del véspero, guitar, 1991

Lyrika, oboe, fixed media ad libitum, 1992

Visiones del caminante (I–VI), 2 guitars, 1995 (its six sections may be performed separately)

Aforismos, bass flute, guitar, 1998

CHORAL:

La Noche de las alegorías (phonogram, text by José María Eguren), 8 mixed voices, 1968

Cuarteto para voces, 4 mixed speakers, 1978

VOCAL:

Cantos de la noche alta (text by Ángel Palacios), female voice, orchestra, 1992

PIANO:

Tláloc, 1991

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Cromofonías I, fixed media, 1966–67

Estudio electrónico I, fixed media, 1968

Estudio electrónico II, fixed media, 1970

Metagrama, fixed media, 1970

Tres Ambientes coreográficos para Sonia Sanoja, fixed media, 1970

Trópicos (música-testimonio), fixed media, 1972

Synus 17/251271, fixed media, 1972

Estudio electrónico III, fixed media, 1974

CONCEPTUAL MUSIC:

Cronoformantes, 1978