Luis Saglie

The Chilean composer Luis Saglie was born on October 4, 1974. He emigrated from Chile to the USA with his family in 1981. He studied piano with Professor Vitaly Margulis and composition with Prof Ian Krouse at the University of California, Los Angeles. Afterwards he studied conducting at several music schools in Vienna, Austria; since 1999 he has focused on composition and several of his works have been recorded on CD. In 2001 Saglie was commissioned by the Herbert von Karajan Centrum in Vienna and the company Alcatel-Austria to compose Labyrinth for trumpet and organ: this piece was included in the CD "Sweet Suite". His other works for trumpet are Overture for Eight Trumpets (2003) and Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano (2004).

The Sonatina (Reminiscence from Childhood) has three movements – Games, Desire and Run – each depicting a vivid experience within our childhood. All three movements are constructed upon the expansion of one or more specific rhythmic and motivic elements. The first movement offers an intense rhythmic dialogue between trumpet and piano while the second searches for elements of colours in the piano which stand as a support for the trumpet’s long melodic lines and cadenzas. The third movement creates a non-stop motoric effect built upon on-going 8th and 16th notes from the very first measure to the last.

Carole Dawn Reinhart was at the premieres of Luis Saglie’s trumpet pieces at the Herbert van Karajan Centrum in Vienna. She writes: "The composer Luis Saglie first came to my attention in October 2001, when my student David Szalkay performed Labyrinth for Trumpet and Organ at the Herbert von Karajan Centrum in Vienna. It was truly an exciting and invigorating musical experience. Pulsating rhythm drives the work forward to its brilliant climax. The harmonic progressions and melodic lines serve the concept of the work well.

"These same basic elements are found in his Overture for Eight Trumpets, which my students premiered in May 2003. It’s refreshing to have a contemporary composer using the specific trumpet techniques, double and triple tonguing, most effectively. This work offers solo passages as well as precise ensemble sections. The Overture is a worthy addition to trumpet ensemble repertoire.

"In Sonatina (Reminiscence from Childhood) for trumpet and piano, Luis Saglie has produced another interesting work for the trumpet literature. Again, rhythm is one of the most important elements and it lends itself perfectly to the trumpet. While his compositions are not easy, they are crafted in a way that is idiomatically suited to the instrument , and the effectiveness makes the extra practice worthwhile. Trumpeters are fortunate to have this young, talented composer setting down his exceptionally interesting musical ideas into our chosen medium."

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Luis Saglie

Updated 23 September 2006 to add website