Performance: Portrait of Mariana of Austria

Composed by Martí Noguer with violist Albert Coronado Daza and harpist Cristina Montes Mateo

Written by Martí Noguer, a Spanish composer based in Los Angeles, Portrait of Mariana of Austria encapsulates the extraordinary life of Queen Mariana through four introspective vignettes: Childhood, Marriage, Political Influence and Retirement.

Filmed in the Norton Simon Museum’s exhibition Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen from the Museo Nacional del Prado in March 2025, the performance features two musicians from Spain: violist Albert Coronado Daza, a 2024-25 member of the Spanish Young Music Talents program, and Cristina Montes Mateo, principal harpist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. An introduction by Martí Noguer highlights his approach to writing this musical narrative.

Presented in collaboration with SPAIN Arts & Culture, the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC, the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Norton Simon Museum.