Javier Iha

Javier Iha Rodríguez (Cuba, 1991) is a composer, pianist, and pedagogue. He graduated in Composition from the University of the Arts (ISA) with a Gold Degree under Juan Piñera and holds a Master’s in Management of the Historical-Documentary Heritage of Music from San Gerónimo College, Havana.His work, with a strong emphasis on the piano—including concertante pieces—also encompasses chamber music, as demonstrated by his recordings Retrato, Escenas Peregrinas (Cubadisco 2021 Award for Chamber Music), and Sounds of Christmas.Iha’s musical language blends contemporary eclecticism with expressive depth, drawing inspiration from literature, visual arts, and everyday life. His compositions range from preludes, fugues, sonatas, and nocturnes to mariachis and habaneras, each carefully shaped by the form to create distinctive sonic worlds. His contributions have been showcased at major Cuban festivals and honored with awards such as the Conmutaciones Creation Grant (AHS), the Harold Gramatges Composition Prize (UNEAC), and the Musicalia Composition Prize (ISA).

We are, therefore, in the presence of a creator who, in the arduous journey of every true artist, portrays his emotional surroundings through his voice.Juan Piñera

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SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS
Connects us with the cultural and spiritual diversity of different peoples around the world through music. The remarkable presence of music in human social life and the interpretation of Christmas as a direct bridge to memories, traditions, and the warm festive spirit inspired this album, which emerged like a Christmas star. Sounds of Christmas invites listeners to explore diverse sonic identities and savor their rich nuances, using Christmas as a beautiful pretext to connect with a world that sings and resonates.^{Record label: Ihacomposer, 2024}

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RETRATOS Y ESCENAS PEREGRINASPresents cycles of pieces with an inseparable dramaturgical interconnection. This recording invites attentive listening and contemplation; its greatest treasure lies in its ability to elevate the spirit through a sensitive and precise cohesion between literature and music.^{Chamber music | Record label: Colibrí Productions, 2019 | CUBADISCO Award, 2021}

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NUEVA MÚSICAPeregrine Tales (violin, clarinet, and piano)
I. Light Is Like Water
II. The Saint
III. The Sleeping Beauty’s Airplane^{Included in the CD Nueva Música – Premios UNEAC de Composición | Record label: Egrem, 2019}

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TODO CONCUERDA MEJORSon del Llano^{by Havana Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Daiana García | Record label: Colibrí Productions, 2018}

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NETZAJSonata for trumpet and piano^{by Dúo NETZAJ | Record label: Colibrí Productions}

WORKS

• 2025

• 2024

• 2023

• 2022

• 2021

• 2020

• 2019

• 2018

• 2017

• 2016

• 2015

• 2014

• 2013

• 2012

• 2011

^{As a musician and composer, I believe in the power of diversity; this idea, along with consistent work, has accompanied me since the beginning of my compositional journey, when I wrote the Twenty-Four Preludes for Piano, a work inspired by Maestro Juan Piñera. Following this path, I have developed other projects in constant evolution (working progress), including Cuentos Peregrinos, Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues, Escenas, and Retrato de Naipes.The piano is my primary medium of creation, and I have dedicated much of my work to this instrument. The variety and combination of timbres have led me to a special interest in chamber formats. I compose with freedom and openness to extramusical stimuli, such as visual arts and literature. Guided by pictorial impulses, I created Retrato de Naipes, a sonic and narrative interpretation of the symbolism of the French playing cards. Observing everyday moments—dawn, sunset, nightfall—inspired Escenas, conceived for various instrumental ensembles. I am also interested in exploring the grotesque and caricatural in sound, which has led to works such as Homenaje a un Plátano Maduro and Historias Absurdas.Literature nourishes my vocal music, where words become sound. But I do not conceive it solely as singing or programmatic narrative: its evocative power has also inspired instrumental works, such as Cuentos para Piano and Cuentos Peregrinos. I am also drawn to classical forms, such as preludes, nocturnes, fugues, and habaneras, which always pose new challenges. I value technical learning but also give space to intuition. I seek to balance the rational and the fortuitous, creating an expressive environment even amid chaos. In the future, I hope to continue developing existing projects, embrace new creative challenges, and express in my sonic portraits all that I am fortunate enough to encounter on my peregrine journey.Javier Iha}

MEDIA

• Email

[email protected]

• Phone

(+971) 585100338

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BIOGRAPHY

Javier Iha Rodríguez (Cuba)Composer, pianist, and pedagogue. He graduated in Composition from the University of the Arts (ISA) in 2017, earning the distinctions "Gold Degree" and top graduate by overall index. He holds a Master's in Management of the Historical-Documentary Heritage of Music from San Gerónimo College, Havana (2019). As a composer, he has participated in major music festivals in Cuba, including the Festival of Contemporary Music of Havana, the Festival of the Arts, the A tempo con Caturla Festival, and the Chamber Music Festival. Javier Iha has been awarded the Conmutaciones Creation Grant, organized by the Asociación Hermanos Saíz (AHS), and the Harold Gramatges Composition Prize by the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) in 2013, 2014, and 2015.In his teaching career, he has taught Harmony, Analysis, and Orchestration. Since 2014, he has served as a Harmony professor at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) and, since 2020, as a professor of Orchestration and Analysis at the University of the Arts. He currently serves as a Yamaha Schools Supervisor in the Middle East.His professional experience as a composer includes works for piano, voice, choir, chamber ensembles, and electroacoustic media. He has dedicated several works to Cuban performers and ensembles, such as the Dúo Promúsica, Trío Emanuel, Trío Lecuona, and the Orquesta de Cámara de Las Tunas, among others. He has also collaborated with audiovisual creators and the theater company Gaia Teatro.Part of his work has been recorded under the Colibrí label, including the CD Nueva Música (a compilation of UNEAC Composition Awards) and Retrato y Escenas Peregrinas, awarded the Cubadisco 2021 Prize in the Chamber Music category.

PRESS

Centro Nacional de Música de Concierto CUBA's post

De lo irreal maravilloso: Retrato and Escenas Peregrinas by Javier Iha Rodríguez
Published in La Jiribilla — Cuban cultural magazine

Entreclaves... Notes on Nueva Música: Cuentos Peregrinos by Javier Iha
Published in Del canto y el tiempo, a space for reflection and the exchange of ideas on Cuban music — by Brenda Lorenzo. CIDMUC

EVENTS

August 14th, 2025 Mandolatino 2025 Summer Workshop

Mandoleers and Friends perform their Mandolatino Summer Workshop program at Clarendon United Methodist Church. All music arranged for the Mandoleers by Javier Iha.

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July 30th, 2025 Concert for piano solo 'Flores, Formas y Fiestas'

Solo Piano Concert by Javier Iha at the National Concert Music Center, Havana, Cuba.”

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