Identity has always been at the center of Gabriela Lena Frank’s music. Born in Berkeley, California, to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent, Frank explores her multicultural heritage most ardently through her compositions.

Hilos (Threads) was especially written for ALIAS Chamber Ensemble. The movements mix and match the players to allude to the beauty of Peruvian textiles, not only in their construction but also in their pictorial content of everyday life. Next is Danza de los Saqsampillos, inspired by the Peruvian “saqsampillo,” a rambunctious jungle-dweller. The emotional and mysterious Adagio para Amantaní follows, written in homage to the island—both beautiful and barren—that is situated in the middle of Lake Titicaca. The final work, Quijotadas, is inspired by Cervantes’ Don Quixote.