For the next collaboration in our series of Texas and Mexico commissions, Golden Hornet is working with one of the premiere chamber ensembles in Latin America, Onix Ensamble. The plan includes two new commissions, concerts in Mexico and Texas, and an album release, all on the theme of Horror Stories. Video game and film composer Jimena Contreras is creating a suite inspired by Mexican folk monsters, while Graham Reynolds is adapting and developing his score for Ballet Austin’s “Poe”, inspired by the life and work of Edgar Alan Poe. Onix is a Pierrot ensemble, featuring flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano.
Sponsor the Austin premiere: $12,000
Sponsor Jimena’s commission: $10,000
Sponsor Graham’s commission: $10,000
Sponsor the Album: $10,000
Considered one of the best chamber music projects by the Royal Philharmonic Society of London and many other institutions, Ónix Ensamble is a well-known and acclaimed group of Mexican musicians dedicated to promoting contemporary Latin American and international music, with special emphasis on music from Mexico and the rest of the American continent. All of its members are soloists of their instruments. Ónix Ensamble is made up of Alejandro Escuer, flutes (artistic director and founder of the group), Fernando Domínguez, clarinets, Abel Romero, violin, Edgardo Espinosa, cello, Edith Ruiz, piano, lván Manzanilla, percussion and frequent guest artists such as Rodrigo Sigal, electronics.
Jimena Contreras is a composer, music producer, and founder of Archway Studios in Mexico City, where she specializes in composing and producing music for film, television and video games, as well as concert music.
Her compositions have been performed at national and international music festivals, as well as on the radio.
In the field of film and television, she has made original music for films and documentaries. She currently writes music for Metropolitan Television in Mexico. Many film productions with her original music have been in the Official Section and have been awarded at various Film Festivals in Mexico and around the world.
She is also part of the collective of composers and performers "Las Montoneras", where she composes and produces concert music, in addition to hosting with them the radio program "Nada Clásicas" at Mexican Institute of Radio.
Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the London Independent, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. He recently scored Richard Linklater’s Hit Man (Netflix) with Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), Grimm Tales (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance. Amidst his many other projects, Graham also serves as the Artistic Director of the new music focused non-profit Golden Hornet. In 2020, Graham signed with London-based record label Fire Records and released his original score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic, The Lodger. His most recent release with Fire, Music for Prophet (Parts 1-4), dropped earlier last year, offering a glimpse into a forthcoming full-length solo album slated for release in March 2025.