Growing up in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and Miami provided composer Carlos Rafael Rivera a rich cultural base for his musical maturation. His works reflect the diversity of his upbringing as well as his love for rock, and the folk music of other cultures. From the Tibetan Buddhist chants of his choral work Motet for 12 Singers, through the orchestral setting of the Mayan myths of the Popol Vuh, his compositions tend to be rhythmically charged, engaging the musician and audience at a visceral and emotional level. His music has been performed by some of the world?s most prominent ensembles, including the American Composer?s Orchestra, Chanticleer, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet; recorded by the Warner Classics, Sony Classical and Naxos Records labels; published by Mel-Bay and Doberman Editions, and awarded by the American Composer?s Orchestra, the Guitar Foundation of America, BMI, and twice ASCAP. As a guitarist, Carlos? recorded work includes per