Bridging Cultures Through Choral Music: The Work of Hugo Madera ’19

By weaving his Latin American heritage into the choral music he creates, Hugo Madera ’19 – conductor, composer and educator – builds a harmonious bridge between two cultures: his roots in Jalisco, Mexico, and the musical training he refined at Hastings College.

“My diverse background in Latin American and, ultimately, American music provides a door to new music,” said Madera, director of choral activities at Adams Central Middle and High Schools in Hastings.”One of my goals is to make a dent in the choral canon, particularly since there’s not much choral music that reflects Latin American and Spanish-speaking influences.”

!Hugo madera ’19

A Hastings College graduate in music education and vocal performance, Madera composes distinctive works such as “In My Absence,” “Toma Mi Mano” (Take My Hand) and “Pastoral” (based on a 16th-century poem by Christopher Marlowe) that have been performed by ensembles from Texas to Nebraska to Minnesota.

In 2023, he was selected for the New Canon Project, which commissions new works by Black and Latine composers for choir and orchestra. Madera’s piece, “I Am Home,” a choral setting of a poem written by Hannah Jensen-Heitmann ’15, premiered at Booker T. Washington High School for the performing Arts in Dallas, Texas.

He won the Cantus Young & Emerging Composer competition in 2023 with his piece, “El Cenzontle,” which tells the story of the mockingbird according to Mexican folklore. The male a cappella ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, premiered the song and will release it on an upcoming CD.

Selections of “Alebrijes” (fantastical creatures of Mexican folk art), a collection of choral works Madera wrote for his master’s degree in music education at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will premiere at Hastings College’s Nebraska high School Band and Honor Choir Concert in January 2026 under the direction of Dr. Raoul Carlo (Miggi) Angangco.