Costa Rican composer and guitarist, he studied composition with Luis Jorge González, Leon Kirchner, Ivan Tcherepnin, and Curt Cacioppo. He graduated from Harvard University and has a Master’s in Image Synthesis and Computer Animation from the Utrecht University of the Arts. He lived for many years in Mexico where he developed research on popular Meso-American and Caribbean music. As a composer, he has participated in numerous international festivals. His music is published by Editorial Nuestra Cultura in Costa Rica and Gebrüder Stark Musikverlag in Leipzig. Recordings of his music have been released on Quindecim, Urtext, Global, Ludiqrecords, and White Pine. Since 1986 he has worked at the National University of Costa Rica, Cultural Identity, Art and Technology Programme and Music School. He has also been a Researcher in the CENIDIM Center in México, and has been engaged in teaching at universities of Latin and North America.

Major works: Milonga for piano (1980), Pindos y athos for orchestra (1980), Guerrilleros 1–2 for guitar (1981–82), Arena americana (son mestizo) for orchestra (1982–93), Xikiyeua in xochitl for piano (1983–89), Son mestizo II for orchestra (1984–85), Son del encachimbao for two amplified guitars (1985), Son de los condenados for orchestra (1986–87), Las siete vidas del gato mandingo for four multipercussionists (1987–88), Los soliloquios del gato mandingo for guitar (1989), String Quartet no. 1 Bajo sombras (1989–90), RinoSONoronte (Homenaje a Benny Moré) for piano, string quartet and double bass (1989–92), La delgadina, variations for piano, clarinet and viola (1991–92, also version for piano and orchestra; rev. 2001–2), String Quartet no. 2 (1992–93), Rikkita kongo yeri kongo for cello and percussion (1993), Zachic 1 for violin and piano (1994), Zachic 2 for wind quintet (1994), Códices (son mestizo III) for string quartet and orchestra (1995–96), El silencio que hay en todas las soledades for piano (1996–97), Lamento, esperanza, celebración, electroacoustic film music (1997–98), Moyugba orisha for cello (1997–98), String Quartet no. 3 En el eco de las paredes (1999–2001), El rayo dormido (Dos corridos) for piano (2001–2), Cabalgando vientos for string quartet and guitar quartet (2002–3), Presagio de fuego for double mixed choir and piano (2003), Zachic 3 for orchestra (2003–4), Oche for guitar and string quartet (2004), String Quartet no. 4 Ruidos... voces... canciones lejanas (2005), Tlanehuatl 1–3 for piano (2005–6), Zachic 4 for flute / alto flute / piccolo), clarinet / bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2006), Tres rolas para seis cellos for six cellos (2006), Tres pequeñas piezas for violin and cello (2007), Canto y danza de los innúmeros abuelos for clarinet (2007), Zachic 5 for flute and strings (2007), Anancy, dances by Hermano Araña for flute (alto flute), clarinet / bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2007), Corrido con variaciones for string quartet (2007), Sweet tijuana, danzas fronterizas for viola and chamber orchestra (2007), Orfeo y Euridice (el destierro de la serpiente) opera for solo voices, flute /alto flute, / bass flute, clarinet / bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano and tape (2008), String Quartet no. 5 Historias mínimas (2008), El vuelo de mackandal for orchestra (2009), Laberintos de soledades for viola and piano (2009), String Quartet no. 6 Otras historias mínimas (2010), Nocturno (Omar Hernández-Hidalgo in memoriam) for piano (2010), Binni záa for orchestra (2010), Aquí entre los huesos for flute and string quartet (2010), Sawutanaka (Tejidos rebeldes 2) for Andean native instruments orchestra (2011), String Quartet no. 7 Loteria (variaciones migrantes) (2010), Las letanìas de Ciudad Juarez, acousmatic music (2011), Rítmicas paceñas (Tejidos rebeldes 3) for Andean native instrument ensemble (2012), Axolotl for piano, violin, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet (bass clarinet) (2012), Oche II (JH in memoriam) for electric guitar and tape (2012), Tejidos rebeldes 4, acousmatic music (2013), Cantos enterrados for cello and chamber orchestra (2013), Hojas sueltas 1 for piano (2013), String Quartet no. 8 Fandango y francachela (2014).