Desiree Gonzalez Garza

Desireé González Garza has taken top prizes in the Parnassós National Piano Competition and the Young Virtuosos UANL Piano Competition. While she was studying at BYU the music faculty twice awarded her the honor of "Reid Nibley Scholar." Now she’s currently pursuing a Musical Arts doctoral degree in piano performance at the University of Utah. This year she’s also a committee member for the Music Teacher’s National Association Conference. In celebration of Mexican Independence Day today’s show features music of the earliest internationally successful Mexican composer of classical music: Manuel Ponce. The story of his music making is an interesting one. He began as most musicians: composing, conducting, teaching—even writing music criticism. But after spending several years studying genteel salon-music in Europe he decided to do something different. Using the same concise structures of formal classical music he crafted compositions using sounds and folk melodies from his Mexican homeland.  And this wasn’t something that he did on the side. He wrote mounds of culturally rich classical music. Which in turn encouraged a whole generation of composers to do the same. A sort of musical lesson in not trying to be something you’re not. Repertoire: Prelude and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Intermezzo No. 1 in E minor Scherziono Mexicano Arrulladora Balada Mexicana Follow Highway 89 on twitter @byuH89