Osvaldo Golijov
Osvaldo Noé Golijov (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡoli'xof]; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor known for his vocal and orchestral work.
Also recorded as Osvaldo Noe Golijov · Osualdo Golijov · Osvaldo Noé Golijov
Osvaldo Golijov
- Born
- 1960. · La Plata.
- Nationality
- Argentina.
- Occupation
- composer, music educator and musician.
- Fields
- opera.
- Education
- University of Pennsylvania.
- Honours
- MacArthur Fellows Program, Grammy Awards, Vilcek Prize, Stoeger Prize and Guggenheim Fellowship.
- Languages
- Spanish.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Osvaldo Noé Golijov (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡoli'xof]; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor known for his vocal and orchestral work.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Osvaldo Golijov (born 1960) is an Argentine composer, music educator and musician. The composer was born in La Plata.
Osvaldo Golijov studied at University of Pennsylvania. The composer worked for Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Tanglewood Music Center.
Genres include opera. Languages used include Spanish. Osvaldo Golijov received Grammy Awards, Guggenheim Fellowship and MacArthur Fellows Program, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Osvaldo Golijov. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
museum · df0b2cf8-0c74-4245-924b-bea7371295f1 · wikidata · Q701257 · wikipedia · Osvaldo Golijov
In this article
Biography
Biography
Osvaldo Golijov studied at University of Pennsylvania. The recorded working language is Spanish. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Employment is recorded with Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Tanglewood Music Center. Distinctions recorded are MacArthur Fellows Program, Grammy Awards, Vilcek Prize and Stoeger Prize.
Osvaldo Golijov was born and raised in La Plata, Argentina, to a Jewish family that immigrated to Argentina from Romania and USSR. His mother was a piano teacher, and his father was a physician. He studied piano in La Plata and studied composition with Gerardo Gandini. In 1983, Golijov emigrated to Israel, where he studied with Mark Kopytman at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. Three years later, he studied with George Crumb at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1991, Golijov joined the faculty of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was named Loyola Professor of Music in 2007. During the 2012-2013 concert season, he occupied the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall. As of 2016, Golijov lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. Golijov is married to author Leah Hager Cohen. He was previously married to architect and designer Neri Oxman, and he has three children with his first wife, Silvia, who is a Special Education teacher.
Music career
Music career
Golijov grew up listening to chamber music, Jewish liturgical and klezmer music, and the nuevo tango of Ástor Piazzolla. His Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind was inspired by the writings and teachings of Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor. In 1996, his work Oceana was premiered at the Oregon Bach Festival. He composed La Pasión según San Marcos for the Passion 2000 project in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2010, he composed Sidereus for a consortium of 35 American orchestras, to commemorate Galileo. Golijov had a long working relationship with soprano Dawn Upshaw, who he called his muse. She premiered some of his works, often written specifically for her. These included Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra and his popular opera, Ainadamar, which premiered at Tanglewood in 2003. Starting in 2000, Golijov composed movie soundtracks for documentaries and other films, including The Man Who Cried, Youth Without Youth, Tetro and Twixt. He also composed and arranged chamber music, including for the Kronos Quartet (Nuevo) and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Golijov's song cycle "Falling Out of Time" was inspired by a novel by Israeli author David Grossman. Golijov composed the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" which he subsequently developed into a symphonic work premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on November 8, 2024. Coppola was present at the world premier of this work.
Controversies
Controversies
Golijov came under scrutiny in 2011 for a series of commissions that were either delayed or cancelled. A violin concerto written for the Los Angeles Philharmonic was not completed in time, Golijov missed a second deadline the following year in Berlin, and a third composition missed its January 2013 premiere at Disney Hall. This followed a similar cancellation in 2010, when a scheduled song cycle had to be removed from the program when it was not completed in time. The March 2011 premiere of a new string quartet for the St. Lawrence Quartet was also postponed, though the work, Qohelet, was completed later that year and premiered by the quartet in October 2011. Around 2006, the Metropolitan Opera commissioned Golijov to compose an opera, to be performed in the 2018–19 season. In 2016, the Met cancelled the commission because of the composer's lack of progress. Tom Manoff, a composer and critic, and Brian McWhorter, a trumpeter, alleged that Golijov's Sidereus was largely copied from Michael Ward-Bergeman's composition Barbeich. Alex Ross of The New Yorker reviewed both scores and wrote, "To put it bluntly, 'Sidereus' is 'Barbeich' with additional material attached." Ross added that Ward-Bergeman knew of and did not object to Golijov's borrowings, having written, "Osvaldo and I came to an agreement regarding the use of 'Barbeich' for 'Sidereus.' The terms were clearly understood, and we were both happy to agree. Osvaldo and I have been friends and collaborators for years. I don’t have anything else to say about the matter." A consortium of 35 orchestras had paid Golijov $75,000, supplemented by a $50,000 grant from the League of American Orchestras, to write a 20-minute work. The work that Golijov produced was only 9 minutes long. Golijov had used that same musical material in his 2009 composition Radio. Golijov responded to these questions by explaining that he composed the original musical material jointly with Ward-Bergeman for a film score which in the end did not include the material, and that he used it by agreement with Ward-Bergeman, who did not comment publicly on the matter. Golijov cited Monteverdi, Schubert and Mahler as other composers who used existing musical material to create new music.
Opera
Opera
Ainadamar (2003), One act opera, libretto by David Henry Hwang
Orchestral & concertante works
Orchestral & concertante works
Last Round (1996) for string orchestra Tenebrae (2002) for string orchestra (also version for string quartet) Rose of the Winds (2007) for ensemble and orchestra Youth Without Youth Suite (2007/2011) for chamber orchestra ZZ's Dream (2008) for chamber orchestra (also version for piano) Sidereus (2010) Phoenix (2010) Megalopolis Suite (2024)
Concertante
Concertante
The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (1994) for clarinet and string orchestra Azul (2006), Concerto for cello, obbligato group and orchestra Sign of the Leviathan (2015) for horn and string orchestra The Given Note (2024), Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra
Chamber music
Chamber music
Yiddishbbuk (1992) for string quartet The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (1994) for klezmer clarinet and string quartet Fish Tale (1998) for flute and guitar Mariel (1999) for cello and marimba (also version for cello and orchestra) Lullaby and Doina (2001) for flute or soprano, clarinet and string quartet Tekyah (2005) for chamber ensemble Air to Air (2006) for ensemble Radio (2009) for hyperaccordion, laptop and string quartet Qohelet (2011) for string quartet Um Dia Bom (2021) for string quartet Ever Yours (2022) for string nonet (also version for string quartet and string orchestra) Laika (2024) for mixed ensemble Tintype (2024) for string quintet
Solo instrument
Solo instrument
Omaramor (1991) for solo cello Levante (2004) for piano Wasserfluth (2016) for piano The Last Moho Brachatus (2022) for solo cello
Vocal music
Vocal music
There Is Wind and There Are Ashes in the Wind (1991) for clarinet, piano and narrator Sarajevo (1993) for voice and ensemble Oceana (1996), Cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra La Pasión según San Marcos (St. Mark's Passion) (2000) for soloists, chorus and orchestra Tenebrae (2002) for soprano, clarinet and string quartet Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra (2002) (also version for soprano and string orchestra) Ayre (2004) for soprano and chamber ensemble Drag Down the Sky (2016) for baritone and string quartet Falling Out of Time (2019) for three singers and amplified ensemble
Arrangements
Arrangements
She Was Here (2008), an orchestration of four songs by Schubert Se Me Hizo Facil (2013) by Agustín Lara, arranged for string quartet Two Bagatelles (2016) by Beethoven, arranged for two violins
Selected discography
Film soundtracks The Man Who Cried soundtrack (Sony Classical/SME SK 61870) Youth Without Youth soundtrack (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics, 2007) Tetro soundtrack (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics, 2009) Twixt soundtrack Megalopolis soundtrack Voice, chamber music and orchestral Yiddishbbuk (EMI Classics 7243 5 57356 2 1) – nominated for a 2003 Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance Oceana (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics, 2007) Ayre (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics 477 5414)—nominated for a 2006 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition Ainadamar (Dawn Upshaw, Robert Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics)—won two 2007 Grammy Awards for recording and for composition La Pasión según San Marcos The Passion according to St. Mark (live & studio) (Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics 479 0346) The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind performed by the Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch/Elektra 79444) Voices of Light, Lúa Descolorida sung by soprano Dawn Upshaw (Nonesuch/Elektra 79812) Night Prayers, K'vakarat on recording of the Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch/Elektra 79346) Caravan arrangements for the Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch/Elektra 79490)
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- <i>Reconfiguring Myth and Narrative in Contemporary Opera: Osvaldo Golijov, Kaija Saariaho, John Adams, Tan Dun.</i> By Yayoi Uno Everett, Music and Letters, 2018
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2018
- Review: Reconfiguring Myth and Narrative in Contemporary Opera: Osvaldo Golijov, Kaija Saariaho, John Adams, and Tan Dun, by Yayoi Uno Everett, Journal of the American Musicological Society, 2018
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2018
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q701257: Osvaldo Golijov
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Osvaldo Golijov”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Osvaldo Golijov
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Awards and recognition
Awards Guggenheim Fellowship (1995) MacArthur Fellowship (2003) Musical America Composer of the Year (2006) Grammy Awards x2 (2007): Ainadamar, Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Contemporary Composition Vilcek Prize in Music (2008) Appointments Merkin Hall (New York), composer-in-residence (1998) Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Alive Series, composer-in-residence (2001) Ravinia Festival, composer-in-residence (2002) Spoleto Festival USA, composer-in-residence (2002, 2011) Ojai Music Festival, composer-in-residence (2006) Mostly Mozart Festival, composer-in-residence (2007) Chicago Symphony Orchestra, composer-in-residence (2007–2010) Holland Festival, composer-in-residence (2008) Carnegie Hall, Debs Composer Chair (2012–13)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra. Los Angeles Philharmonic.
- 2.Osvaldo Golijov. Silkroad.
- 3.Osvaldo Golijov Named Loyola Professor of Music at Holy Cross.
- 4.Lovett, Laura. An exploration of sound and sense: Brookline composer Osvaldo Golijov. Brookline TAB.
- 5.Surface Magazine. Neri Oxman Is Redesigning the Natural World. June 6, 2016.
- 6.Beggy, Carol. Newton composer bowls over Bowie. The Boston Globe. 2006-10-27.
- 7.Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra LA Phil. www.laphil.com.
- 8.Golijov's Yiddishbbuk. ClassicsToday.com.
- 9.Osvaldo Golijov's 'St. Mark' Passion finally reaches Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times. 25 April 2010.
- 10.Horsley, Paul. HOMAGE TO HENRY: Orchestras, League commission top composer to honor visionary leader. Kansas City Independent.
- 11.Daniel J Wakin. Joyful Noise. College of the Holy Cross Magazine. Spring 2013.
- 12.Schweitzer, Vivien. Singers and Composers in a Stylistic Mix and Match. The New York Times. 17 April 2007.
- 13.Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna da. After a Decade of Silence, a Composer Reappears. The New York Times. 2020-11-05. 0362-4331.
- 14.Osvaldo Golijov Violin Concerto Delayed Again. The Strad. 2012-11-30.
- 15.Ng, David. Osvaldo Golijov Misses yet Another Deadline for Violin Concerto. Los Angeles Times. 29 November 2012.
- 16.Los Angeles Philharmonic Hit by Wave of Cancellations by Artists. Los Angeles Times. 2011-03-14.
- 17.Kozinn, Allan. One Fresh Score in Place of Another. The New York Times. 2011-03-09.
- 18.Midgette, Anne. Developing New Operas Is an Art in Itself. The Washington Post. 2013-10-16. 0190-8286.
- 19.Midgette, Anne. Et tu, Golijov? The Met's Bumpy Road with New Opera. The Washington Post. 2016-11-30. 0190-8286.
- 20.Alex Ross. The Golijov Issue: Borrowed Music, or Stolen?. The New Yorker. 2020-01-10.
- 21.Wakin, Daniel J. Musical Borrowing Under Scrutiny. The New York Times. 2012-03-07.
- 22.MacDonald, David. The Golijov Problem. 24 February 2012.
- 23.Weininger, David. Longwood Gets Its Turn with Sidereus. The Boston Globe. 2012-03-16.
- 24.Laura Barnett. I love it when music brings people to blows. The Guardian. 2008-04-02.
- 25.Smith, Steve. Concerto Retinkered (for Youthful Soloist). The New York Times. 3. 31 July 2007.
- 26.Wakin, Daniel J. Philharmonic Steals a Page From the Art World With a New-Music Biennial. The New York Times. 23 January 2013.
- 27.Golijov's Yiddishbbuk. ClassicsToday.com.
- 28.Musical Shadings and Unusual Textures – World Music Central.org. worldmusiccentral.org.
- 29.Osvaldo Golijov – Oceana. www.boosey.com.
- 30.Osvaldo Golijov's 'St. Mark' Passion finally reaches Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times. 25 April 2010.
- 31.Kozinn, Allan. La Pasión según San Marcos; A Work Unbounded By Musical Categories. The New York Times. 1. 20 August 2007.
- 32.Golijov, Osvaldo N. "Tenebrae (2002)", osvaldogolijov.com Retrieved on 16 February 2018.
- 33.LA Philharmonic notes
- 34.Kozinn, Allan. CLASSICAL MUSIC REVIEW; Skipping Across the Globe and Through Time. The New York Times. 4. 6 February 2006.
- 35.Carr, David. Anthony Minghella, 54, Director, Dies. The New York Times. 19 March 2008.
- 36.New Music News Wire. NewMusicBox. 15 February 2008.
- 37.Crebo, Anna. Osvaldo Golijov: A busy composer finds it all a little 'scary.'. American Record Guide. 2002-11-01.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
VerifiedInstitutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Osvaldo GolijovMetaBrainz Foundation
Verifiedscholarly publication
Verifiedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q701257: Osvaldo GolijovWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,307 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Osvald ChlubnaPerson
- Osvaldas BalakauskasPerson
- Osvaldo FattorusoPerson
- Osvaldo FresedoPerson
- Osvaldo LacerdaPerson
- Osvaldo PiroPerson
- Osvaldo PugliesePerson
- Oswald Astley CheesmanPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Osvaldo Golijov?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.