Announcing Our Four Call for Scores Winners!
Announcement
October 18, 2025
Juventas is proud to present our Call for Scores Winners: Daniel Cueto, Adrian Wong, Jesse Plessis, and Isabelle Ryder! The selected pieces will be performed in May 2026 as part of our Mainstage program, Around the World in 80 Minutes, which features music for solo piano from across the globe. Read more about each of the composers below!
Congratulations, Daniel, Adrian, Jesse, and Isabelle! We look forward to sharing your pieces.
Born and raised in Lima to a Peruvian father and American mother, Daniel Cueto’s music reflects his deep roots in both Western Classical and Latin American traditions. His works, performed in over 20 countries and in 27 U.S. states, have been described as “cleverly melding rich traditional Peruvian melodic and rhythmic elements with a contemporary flair, creating a personal style that is both pleasing and accessible to the listener and performer.”
Daniel’s piece, Rio, tells the story of a river in the Peruvian cordillera.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Adrian Wong is a composer who aims to create engaging and moving music full of imagery, drama, and unapologetic conviction. Adrian takes inspiration from a wide array of subjects, from the impending climate crisis to matters of identity, as well as the smaller things in life, from the lullabies his mother sang to the tastes and textures of his favorite foods.
Adrian’s piece, Childhood Sweet, is inspired by his favorite Hong Kong desserts growing up.
Jesse Plessis is a pianist and composer currently living in Montréal. He spends his days writing music, performing concerts and recitals, and teaching young people the art of making music. He is currently pursuing studies at McGill University (D.Mus in music composition with Philippe Leroux) where he has participated in special mentorship projects with Ana Sokolovic (thanks to the Opéra de Montréal) and Jocelyn Morlock (thanks to the Canadian Art Song Project).
Jesse’s piece, Te Pari ("Les Falaises/The Cliffs"), was originally composed for the film Flora Aurima Devatine, les étoiles de l'aurore - Te feti'a taiao 'averau, a documentary about the life and work of the Tahitian poet, writer, and scholar Flora Aurima Devatine.
British award-winning classical and jazz composer Isabelle Ryder is an unusual creative voice, bringing to bear her field experience as a former earthquake scientist on her honest and compelling music. Isabelle has a deep urge to re-imagine through music the sights and sounds that she was privileged to witness around the world. As well as composing, Isabelle teaches as a Visiting Professional in Piano at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
Isabelle’s piece, Fjord, is inspired by a journey through the iceberg-strewn fjords of northeast Greenland.
About Juventas:
Juventas New Music Ensemble is a contemporary chamber group with a special focus on emerging voices. Juventas shares classical music as a vibrant, living art form. We bring audiences music from a diverse array of composers that live in today’s world and respond to our time.
Press Contacts:
Oliver Caplan
Artistic Director
oliver.caplan@juventasmusic.org
Kyla Blocker
General Manager
kyla.blocker@juventasmusic.org