Ave del paraíso (Bird of Paradise)

• Written in 2023, Ave del paraíso (Bird of Paradise) is a single-movement work for violin, cello, harp, and electronics.
• Program notes from the composer:

“Ave del paraíso” is inspired by the tropical plant of the same name, which has unique and brightly colored flowers that look like the head of a bird. This piece is part of a collection of pieces I’ve been writing for different mediums under the broader title of “Herbario Sonoro” (Sonic Herbarium), an exercise in musicalizing the striking beauty of natural forms as a way to preserve them in memory. “Ave del paraíso” also reflects on utopian and idyllic views of places that have deeply complicated histories.

The piece uses field recordings from various birds in Puerto Rico, including the Canario de Mangle (Yellow Warbler) & the Pitirre (Kingbird).

“Ave del paraíso” is dedicated to my family and friends in Puerto Rico and to Emily Levin, for making it possible for them to be the first to hear this piece.¹

• Negrón wrote the following about the piece’s instrumentation:

I wanted to create a sonic portrait of a tropical plant I love, the bird of paradise, so I thought of how I could evoke with sounds its colors and shapes as well as the impression it leaves in my memory with sounds. The palette of this trio is so unique, luscious, rich, delicate and haunting that I wanted the piece to highlight these color possibilities and write something that felt immersive and like you would want to get lost in the sound. I thought of the harp as the driving element, the essence, the motor that keeps things moving and the violin and cello highlight aspects of this motor. Sometimes they add color, texture, glitter, accents or mystery to it, but for me they both emerge from the harp. It’s like the three of them create this one new instrument that reveals itself as the piece unfolds.²

1. “Angélica Negrón,” Groundworks Music (2023), accessed October 29, 2025, https://groundworksmusic.com/composer/angelica-negron/.
2. “Q and A with Angélica Negrón,” Groundworks Music (2023), accessed October 29, 2025, https://groundworksmusic.com/2023/03/05/q-and-a-with-angelica-negron/.