Musical Exchange: Conversation with Cristóbal MarYán

On April 28,  NYU Shanghai’s recital hall filled with the sounds of Mexican music as Mexican diplomat Cristóbal MarYán NYUAD ’15 performed with the NYU Shanghai String Ensemble and then shared his story of using music to bridge cross-cultural exchange in a dialogue with Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen. 

MarYán said he sees himself as a true global citizen. Born and raised in Mexico, he attended high school in Hong Kong. After graduating from NYU Abu Dhabi with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, he also studied at NYU Steinhardt and currently lives in Beijing as the First Secretary in the Mexican Embassy, overseeing cultural and press affairs.

MarYán, who began writing music at the age of 12, went on to compose music for world-renowned musicians, films that have won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and TV shows like “The Walking Dead.”

Before his career as a diplomat, MarYán’s works were played by Yo-Yo Ma, Johnny Gandelsman, The Orchestra of the Americas, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jeffrey Zeigler, and the String Orchestra of New York City, among others. He recently composed an orchestral work called “Golden Porcelain” to commemorate 51 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and China.

During the event, MarYán led the performance with the “jarana huasteca,” a five-string Mexican instrument similar to the mandolin that can play both high harmony and percussion. Together with a string ensemble composed of members from the NYU Shanghai Chamber Orchestra, he performed five Mexican pieces that he had arranged and introduced the background story of each piece.

The pieces were all traditional Mexican songs. “Xochipetzáhuatl” ( Tender Flower) is a traditional dance performed at weddings and “15 años” (fifteenth birthday) celebrations. . “La Llorona” ( The Crying Lady) originated from a Mexican legend about a spirit who roams the earth in search of her drowned children. And the folk song “Cielito Lindo” ( My Tender Sky) has become an iconic symbol of Mexican culture.

During his conversation with Provost Waley-Cohen, MarYán discussed his passion for music and how his life as a musician led to his career in diplomacy. In 2019, he was commissioned by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a piece commemorating the 75 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Canada. During the process, he realized the immense impact that a symphony could have in using music to celebrate a historical relationship. This realization inspired him to pursue work in diplomacy with the embassy’s cultural section. 

MarYán explained that his work as a musician feels like the complete opposite of being a diplomat, as the former is generally driven by impulse and enjoys complete freedom of expression, while the latter requires a logical and diplomatic approach to address situations carefully. He reflected that as a diplomat, every action and gesture must be considered as they all carry meaning and a responsibility to represent one's country.

The concert and conversation was part of the New Sounds in Qiantan performance series, a string of short musical performances and talks to celebrate the 10th anniversary of NYU Shanghai and to mark the first semester at the New Bund campus. Organized by the NYU Shanghai Arts and Sciences department, four concerts of varied musical genres and styles were presented in various campus venues.