Luis Saglie
*4 October 1974
Works by Luis Saglie
Biography
Luis Saglie has garnered acclaim as a distinguished composer from international audiences, professional musicians, and critics alike. In addition to his composition work, he is an active conductor, pianist, and pedagogue.
October of 2024 saw the release of Luis Saglie’s 3 Piano Sonatas on the international record label, Da Vinci Classics, featuring the recording in Vienna, Austria by pianist Stefan Stroissnig. His recently completed Piano Concerto No.1 “The Kookaburra Concerto”, was commissioned by Vienna-based pianist Alexandra Silocea and conductor Alejandra Urrutia. Its World Premiere is scheduled with two performances on June 6 and 7 of 2025 along with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago in Chile’s acclaimed Teatro Municipal.
Saglie is continually engaged with commissions from instrumentalists, symphonic and chamber ensembles, universities, and artistic centers. His music enjoys widespread performance across Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Oceania, and is frequently featured in CD repertoires by international artists. His opera, El día de la liberación, premiered successfully in Vienna under his musical direction. His body of work includes symphonic works, concertos, opera, chamber music, solo instrument compositions, music for film, and musical theater. His scores are published and distributed worldwide by Universal Edition in Vienna.
Saglie’s musical education is equally distinguished. In the United States, he double-majored in music composition and piano at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) before furthering his studies in Europe at the Music and Arts University and Musikhochschule in Vienna. Although he excelled in entrance examinations for piano, conducting, and composition, he chose to focus exclusively on composition, ultimately earning a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Musical Composition.
A recipient of numerous international prizes and awards, Saglie also serves as a curator and adjudicator for global music festivals and competitions. With over thirteen years of experience as a university professor across three countries, he has held roles such as Head of the Composition Department and Music Director/Conductor. Luis Saglie was honored with the Distinguished Talent Residency by the Australian Government for his contributions to the music world. He currently teaches Music Composition at the University of Sydney, Conservatorium of Music in Australia.
About the music
Having held extended residencies in seven countries has allowed Luis Saglie to absorb and nourish himself from an array of multiple cultures. This reality has served as a strong factor in establishing the identity of his music. As a whole, it is set on ever present complex and irregular rhythmic attributes as well as being heavily chromatic while hinting at free tonality and modality. Balancing this are concepts of past musical traditions set in a new and personalised musical language. All of these characteristics set the stage for the composer's music to present itself as theatrical and programmatic at heart. Although dense and complex at its core, Saglie's music is always transparent enough for it to reach both the academic and the general public.
PIANO CONCERTO No.1, "The Kookaburra Concerto" - Recently Completed Work
Luis Saglie's PIANO CONCERTO No.1 was commissioned by pianist Alexandra Silocea and conductor Alejandra Urrutia. Along with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, they will offer its World Premiere in Chile's emblematic Teatro Municipal with a double performance on June 6 & 7, 2025.
