Sebastian Quesada

Sebastian Quesada is a Costa Rican composer interested in exploring the ambiguous and subjective nature of music to evoke specific imagery. Through a blend of diverse genres and processes, his compositions aim to explore musical narratives that are connected to our cultural and social perceptions. His work spans a variety of media, including large and chamber ensembles, rock music, incidental works, installations, and more. This diverse range of mediums has contributed to his intention of synthesizing different elements to explore extra-musical concepts. His music has been performed by the Harlem String Quartet, the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, the Oberlin Symphony Orchestra, the Concert Band of Cartago, and the Costa Rican Guitar Quartet, among others. 

In addition to a Future of Music Faculty Fellowship through the Sphinx Organization and the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as a Willapa Bay AiR residency, Quesada has been awarded first prize in the 2020 Barbara Wagner Composition Commission Competition and was a runner-up in the 2020 Guitar Composition Contest “Promises of the Guitar.” His pieces have been selected for performance at the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, the International Trombone Festival, and recording projects with Latin-Grammy Award winner Eddie Mora. 

Quesada holds degrees in Music Composition and Music Theory from Michigan State University, Truman State University, and University of Costa Rica. He has studied with Ricardo Lorenz, Zhou Tian, Charles Gran, Victor Marquez-Barrios, Carlos Castro and Luis José Herra.