About this Piece

Born in Novelda (in Alicante), Spain, Oscar Navarro came to Los Angeles for post- graduate study in film music at the USC Thornton School of Music. He has worked with composers such as Joel McNeely, Michael Giacchino, and Christopher Young, and has been commissioned and performed by leading orchestras and wind ensembles around the world. His film scores include La Mula (Michael Radford, 2013). His Downey Overture was premiered in 2011 by the Downey Symphony Orchestra under Sharon Lavery, and has since been widely performed, particularly in its wind band transcription by the composer.

Downey Overture is a Latin-American fusion with which I have wanted to link my birth country, Spain, and California, the land that, as a result of the two years I lived there, has left a permanent imprint on my heart.

An amalgam of rhythm and musical color wrapped in an atmosphere of dance is the essence of this piece. It is joyful, energetic and written with all my enthusiasm and dedication. It could not have been any other way for the Downey Symphony Orchestra. — Oscar Navarro