Drs. José Valentino Ruiz & Silviu Ciulei Win First Prize in Beethoven International Music Competition

Dr. José Valentino Ruiz, Associate Professor of Music Business & Entrepreneurship in the University of Florida School of Music and Associate Member of the AI for Health Institute at the University of Florida, and Dr. Silviu Ciulei, Assistant Professor of Guitar, received the Absolute First Prize® from the Beethoven International Music Competition for his album The Cry & The Reed.

Released in June 2026, the six-composition album explores centuries of musical and cultural exchange extending from the Middle East through Spain, across Puerto Rico, and into Brazil. Rather than attempting to recreate historical traditions, the project presents contemporary musical reflections on the sounds, rhythms, instruments, and cultural intersections that have connected these regions across generations.

Drawing inspiration from the expressive tradition of Spanish cante jondo, the album brings its emotional character into dialogue with saxophone, flute, oud, flamenco guitar, darbuka, hand percussion, Mediterranean-inspired strings, and contemporary jazz and production practices. Its six original works—Jazz at the Alhambra Place, Las Cuevas de Sacromonte, Cry of Borikén, From Samba to the Souk, Sands of Memory, and The Cry & The Reed—trace different dimensions of this cross-cultural musical journey.

Ruiz served as Album Concept Creator, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Executive Producer, Saxophonist, Flutist, Electric Bassist, Keyboardist, Oud Performer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, and Mastering Engineer, in addition to creating programmed percussion and Mediterranean string elements. Dr. Silviu Ciulei contributed as Co-Producer and Vocal Coach, bringing additional expertise to the project's vocal and stylistic development.

At its core, The Cry & The Reed explores music as a form of cultural memory—examining how musical ideas travel, adapt, and acquire new meanings as they move among communities. The album's guiding concept, “One Reed. Many Lands. One Soul,” reflects its broader emphasis on finding artistic continuity across geographically and culturally distinct musical traditions.