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About
About
D. J. Rodriguez is a composer, community organizer, and baritone whose work explores queer history, sacred tradition, and music as collective remembrance. His compositions center community storytelling and healing, blending traditional choral forms with contemporary social narratives. His current and debut composition project, Requiem for a Lost Generation, honors those lost during the AIDS crisis through a new setting of the Latin Requiem Mass.
Outside of music, D. J. Rodriguez acts at his local Renaissance Faire, engages in a multitude of nerdy pursuits, and explores Chicago. At home he is surrounded by a dog, a cat, his amazing author husband (check out his work here), and their wonderful adult son.
Current Project
Current Project
Requiem for a Lost Generation is a new ~ 30-minute choral work that honors and remembers those lost during the AIDS crisis. Set using the structure of the traditional Latin Requiem Mass, the piece traces the arc of the epidemic through nine movements— moving from liberation and sudden fear to grief, activism, compassion, and hope. At a time when sacred ritual was often denied to queer people, the work reclaims the Requiem as an act of witness and healing. By weaving together liturgical form, remembrance, and lived LGBTQ+ experience, the piece transforms historic ritual into a space where a generation is neither silenced nor forgotten.
Requiem for a Lost Generation is moving toward its first performance. A Kickstarter campaign supporting its premiere and recording will launch soon, and those who wish to be part of bringing this work into the world are invited to join the mailing list for updates and opportunities to support the project.
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