Latino-American composer Josh Armenta writes music of and about our time.
He finds inspiration in themes such as worker’s rights, urban tragedy, loss of life and the juxtaposition of the sacred and profane.
The recipient of several national and international awards, Josh’s music has been performed in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2012, his two-act opera, “The City of God”, which chronicles the life and death of David Koresh, was premiered at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC. The libretto was noted by DC Theatre Scene as having “powerful stuff driven by a building drum beat that is unmistakably warlike,” while “the music…generated real emotion”.
Also a conductor, published author, software developer, and speaker, from 2011-2013, Josh served as Director of Music at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family in Washington, DC. He has presented papers and works at the International Computer Music Conference, the Aspen Composers Conference, and the New York Electroacoustic Music Festival, and guest-lectured at institutions such as the University of Nebraska, the Peabody Institute, the Catholic University of America, and the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, Pakistan. He has contributed source code to the Lilypond Project and assisted on several recordings.
Josh earned his Bachelor of Music degree in composition from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he studied conducting with Murry Sidlin, David Searle and Leo Nestor, and composition with Steven Strunk and Stephen Gorbos. Additionally, he holds a Masters of Music in Composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Michael Hersch, and a Masters of Music in Computer Music Research and Technology, where his thesis was directed by Geoffrey Wright.
His research interests include the sociological impact of public art in the developing world, algorithmic computational applications to composition, and traditional First Nations liturgy and sacred music.
During the 2018-2019 Season, he is expecting performances of his music in Indianapolis, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, as well as conducting engagements in Europe and the United States. He lives and practices in Mexico City.