Samuel Zyman (b. 1956 in Mexico City, Mexico), grew up in a family with no familiarity with classical music though he studied music since the age of nine. Simultaneously attending medical school and studies of piano and orchestral conducting at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, he realized the emotional power of music as his true calling. Continuing his musical studies he earned master’s and doctoral degrees in composition from the Julliard School of Music in New York City where he has been a member of the Department of Literature and Material since 1987, teaching music theory and analysis. Zyman has received numerous awards and commissions from American and Mexican organizations and has composed symphonic and chamber works. He is acknowledged as one of the leading Mexican composers on today’s international scene. His musical style combines expressive lyricism, vigorous rhythmic energy, and jazz-influence harmonies, often displaying both his Mexican and Jewish heritage.

Sonata No. 2 for flute and piano shows Zyman’s style in which he intertwines his lyricism and Latin American heritage. Sonata No. 2 comes twenty years after his celebrated first sonata, as a piece commissioned by the Mexican flutist Marisa Canales for premiere at the 2016 NFA Convention. It has two movements, both set in A-B-A format. The opening is a flute solo, serious and expressive, somewhat mysterious, with piano joining and adding to the tension, particularly when two voices come together. Expressive melody gives place to vigorous rhythm challenging both pianist and flutist with continuous triplets, to come again and close in melancholic and somewhat sombre dialogue. The second movement contrasts the first, with a lyrical section being placed between rhythmically demanding opening and end, consisting of various slur markings, articulations, and at times jazzy beat displacements in a fast-paced and fiery finale. While emotionally engaging and charismatic, this sonata is also an endurance piece, with a heavy technical and physical demand placed on the flutist.