Ivette Herryman Rodríguez (b. 1982, Island of Youth (Isla de Pino): A pianist, who began studying the instrument at the age of eight, Herryman earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the Higher Institute of Arts (ISA) in Havana, in 2006, and her Master’s in Music Composition at Baylor University, in Texas, graduating with distinction in 2013. She has written music for solo instruments, chamber groups, large ensembles, electronic media, children, church music, film music, and musical theater. Her compositions have been performed in Cuba, Mexico, El Salvador, Spain, and the United States. Her zarzuela Cerca del Río, a musical play for children and adolescents, won a Cubadisco Award in 2010. (Brandon Fradd Award in Music Composition, 2015-16)