We are thrilled to welcome Gabriel Bouche Caro as our new artist in residence! Born in Puerto Rico and now based in the vibrant hub of New York City, Gabriel is a remarkable PhD candidate at the esteemed CUNY Graduate Center. His unique exploration of personal and musical identity through language, literature, and diverse cultural elements, especially in the context of a colonized society, has captivated audiences across North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
Gabriel’s proposal is based on a new performance for solo instrument and narrator/singer, resembling a captivating blend of stream-of-consciousness and musical theater monologue. The vocalist will skillfully represent the complexities of the Puerto Rican identity and current situation. Through an inspired fusion of political, artistic, and folk elements from Puerto Rican culture, the narrative will be woven from the rich tapestry of CENTRO’s collections, resulting in a dynamic and thought-provoking artistic expression.
“I’m overjoyed to be taking part in CENTRO’s artistic residency for Fall 2023. I’m looking forward to working with new materials from various collections that will not only help build a new work, but hopefully inspire more in the future. The breadth of CENTRO’s collections allows for a deep dive into elements of Puerto Rican experience and the experience of the diaspora that wouldn’t be available anywhere else. These will give a whole new dimension to my work and creative process. I’m so happy to share this process wit CENTRO an invaluable piece of Boricua culture in NYC and the world.” said Gabriel Bouche Caro
“We are very excited to have a resident artist who, through a musical composition project, will contribute sonic connections to the vast historical collection housed in the Centro archives. Gabriel Bouche Caro’s project will not only make use of the immense music collection, which includes records, research, and archives of great music masters but also the poetic and political heritage preserved there. All of these are expressions that affirm Puerto Rican cultural identity.” said Ángel A. Ruiz Laboy Director of Arts and Culture at CENTRO.
Artist Bio:
Born in Puerto Rico, Gabriel Bouche Caro is based in New York City, where he is a PhD candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center. Gabriel explores his personal and musical identity by responding to language and literature, external artistic expressions, and the elements of other cultures seen through the filter of life as part of a colonized people and society. Identity, authenticity in a non-native environment, and the concept of foreignness are all tints that color the artistic conception and eventual discourse that is communicated in his work. His music has been performed in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. In December 2022 his hour-long Song Cycle Que tus ojos no se cansen de brillar, was premiered at Americas Society in New York. Gabriel’s music has been featured in the Havana Contemporary Music festival, Banff Evolution:Quartet, sound SCAPE, and New Music on the Point festivals. He has been commissioned by Americas Society, Peabody Institute, Baltimore Classical Guitar Society, Canvasounds Collective, and the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts. His music has been performed by various ensembles and soloists including the JACK Quartet, Treske Quartet, Loadbang, Marina Kifferstein, Gleb Kanasevich, Thomas Giles, Aliana de la Guardia, and Evan Runyon. He is the recipient of the CUNY Graduate Center Provost enhancement Fellowship, the Randolph S. Rothschild Award in Composition (Peabody Institute) and the Augusto Rodriguez Prize for musical achievement (University of Puerto Rico). Gabriel holds an MM in Composition from the Peabody Conservatory and a BA in Music from the University of Puerto Rico.