On today’s episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by composer Nicolás Lell Benavides.

Nicolás is a 2024–25 Guggenheim Fellow whose music has been commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, West Edge Opera, and many more. His work spans opera, orchestral, and chamber music, often drawing on cultural history, folk storytelling, and regional memory. Upcoming projects include Dolores, an opera about civil rights icon Dolores Huerta premiering in 2025, as well as new commissions for Eighth Blackbird, the LA Phil, and an album with Friction Quartet and mezzo-soprano Melinda Martinez Becker.

In this conversation, Nicolás reflects on why his music is rooted in curiosity and dialogue rather than autobiography. He shares stories of writing about cottonwoods and irrigation, sage grouse and New Mexican Catholic folk figures — and how that exploration connects to his own family and heritage. He also speaks candidly about the opera process, the challenge of revision, and how working with brilliant collaborators has helped him embrace humility, growth, and a sense of purpose in the work.

Find out more about Nicolás and his work at https://nicolasbenavides.com/

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