Acclaimed and beloved composer Daniel Catán passed away suddenly on Saturday April 9 at the age of 62. He was in Austin, TX at the time where he was teaching for a semester at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas. At the time of this statement, cause of death is still to be determined.
Catán is known best for his lyrical romantic style and especially his operas, the most recent of which, Il Postino, premiered with great success at Los Angeles Opera in September 2010, starring Plácido Domingo. His second opera Florencia en el Amazonas was frequently performed and garnered great acclaim when it premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 1996. Florencia en el Amazonas has the distinction of being the first opera in Spanish commissioned by a major American company. The success of that opera led to the commission of Salsipuedes for Houston Grand Opera. Catán had recently created a new chamber version of his first opera La Hija de Rappaccini and was currently at work on his fifth opera Meet John Doe which was due to premiere in October 2012.
Born in Mexico, and later an American citizen, Catán studied philosophy at the University of Sussex in England before enrolling in Princeton as a PhD student in composition. Following his studies he served as music
administrator at Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts (1983-89).
His death is a great loss to the music world and to the many friends and fans who knew him to be a very talented, kind, erudite and generous person. He lived in Pasadena, California and was on the faculty of College of the Canyons. He is survived by his wife Andrea Puente, three children Chloe, Tom, and Alan, and four grandchildren.
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Mark Swed's appreciation in the Los Angeles Times
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