Introduction to Mexican Music for Solo Cello from the Performer’s Perspective (1962-2023) 

This dissertation examines, from a performer’s perspective, Mexican cello works composed in the modern or avant-garde style between 1962 and 2014 (fifty-two solo works, three written for two cellos, one for cello and actor, and one for cello and tape). These works, here contextualized and considered as a corpus for the first time, were obtained from composers and the personal library of celebrated cellist and author Carlos Prieto, as well as the Mexican National Library, National Center for Investigation and Documentation of Music (CENEDIM), and National Center for the Arts (CENART). Drawing on interactions and interviews with living Mexican composers, including Carlos Prieto, Manuel de Elias, Ana Lara, Max Lifchitz, Samuel Máynez, Lucia Álvarez, Radko Tichavský, and Iracema de Andrade, this study offers an interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of Mexican composition for cello as well as interview transcripts and a handlist of Mexican works for cello performance. Though these works have yet to make a significant impact on professional cellists outside of Mexico, this study acknowledges the vital contribution of Carlos Prieto to the growth and proliferation of contemporary Mexican cello music.