Jonathan Borja Releases New Flute Music Album

The UW-La Crosse professor explores works by Mexican composer Arturo Rodríguez in a new digital release.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Classical

Jonathan Borja Releases New Flute Music Album

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Does listening to music by international composers make your own music experience more enjoyable?

Jonathan Borja, a flute professor at UW-La Crosse, has released a new album titled Vientos: The Flute Music of Arturo Rodríguez. The project features a variety of flute compositions by the Mexican composer.

Why it matters

Borja commissioned these works to increase the performance frequency of music by Mexican composers and provide flutists with greater access to this repertoire.

The album features the 15-minute solo piece Flying Solo and includes the work Canto de la Noche, which utilizes the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. The consortium commission supported performances across 15 universities, with nine schools participating in a single semester.

The players

Jonathan Borja

He is a professor of flute at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse who has been playing the instrument for 30 years.

Arturo Rodríguez

He is a Mexican composer based in Los Angeles whose works are featured on the new album.

The details

The album, released via Urtext Digital Classics, includes works such as Tango Sentimental and Canto de la Noche. For Canto de la Noche, Borja recorded his flute performance over an existing orchestral track, utilizing a click track during the process.

Jonathan Borja programmed the piece Introspection for a recital in 2021.
The piece Quando Hablan los Vientos premiered with an orchestra in June 2026.
The album Vientos was released in October 2026.

Industry Dynamics

This album utilizes the academic music consortium commissioning model, a strategy often employed to ensure new compositions receive multiple performances across various institutions. It highlights a broader shift toward independent academic artists leveraging digital platforms to preserve and distribute regional repertoire.

Listeners can access the new compositions through the Urtext Digital Classics distribution network. The release provides flutists and students with direct access to sheet music and recordings previously limited by availability.

The takeaway

This project demonstrates how university faculty can bridge gaps in music education by commissioning works that celebrate international composers. It serves as an example of how academic research can directly expand the global performance repertoire.