Meet the Composer: Gabriela Lena Frank

BACKGROUND

Gabriela Lena Frank was born in Berkeley, California in 1972. She has Lithuanian, Chinese, and Peruvian heritage and often speaks about how this multicultural background influences her musical compositions. Due to her own experiences with hearing and vision loss, she has become an advocate for the disability community. In addition to composing, she is an accomplished pianist. Gabriela Lena Frank is often commissioned by both large and small ensembles, which means they pay her to compose music especially for them. She has also won numerous awards and prizes for her works.  

Gabriela Lena Frank currently lives in northern California on an animal farm. She also started her own music academy to help other composers.  

MUSIC

1. In her piece for string quartet called Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, Gabriela Lena Frank mixed elements of western classical and folk music from the Andes mountains in Peru. Notice all the different techniques the string players use, including pizzicato. The whole piece is over 20 minutes long and contains different movements, or sections. The video below shows some excerpts (select portions) of the piece.  

2. For her piece Escaramuza, Gabriela Lena Frank was inspired by the kachampa music and dance from the Andes mountains in Peru. The piece is exciting and joyful. It begins with a bass drum solo, which you can see and hear in the excerpt below.  

3. Hilos means “threads” in Spanish. Gabriela Lena Frank composed a piece called Hilos. It’s a collection of 8 short pieces that are intended to weave together, like threads, a musical picture of everyday life in Peru. The movement (or section) called “Zumballyu” is named after a spinning top, which is a popular children’s toy in Quechua Indian culture. As you listen, see if you notice any sounds that remind you of a spinning top.   

4. Gabriela Lena Frank is an environmental activist and has spoken about the need to address climate change. Her piece Contested Eden was composed in part as a response to wildfires that affected her home state of California. Filmed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the piece is performed by a virtual orchestra. As you watch and listen, think about what current events might inspire you to compose music. Older students are encouraged to read the composer’s own notes about writing this piece, found here.  

CREATE, CONNECT & RESPOND

1. Climate change is a theme in Gabriela Lena Frank’s work, especially as wildfires have impacted her home in California. Take a look at this collection of themed music lessons and think about what themes you would like to incorporate in your compositions. Discuss in class, journal independently, or share with a friend.  

2. Gabriela Lena Frank has written pieces that mix elements of western music with Peruvian folk traditions, including those of the Quechua people. This next piece is sung in the Quechua language and features the charango, a high-pitched cousin of the guitar used in Peru and nearby countries. Watch and listen to Hanacpachap Cussicuinin. Notice when the charango enters, around 30 seconds into the piece.  

3. Older students might enjoy listening to this short episode of Composers Datebook that gives a little background on Frank’s piece Three Latin American Dances.