SALEM — Javier Marquez has come a long way since his father gave him a small keyboard for his 14th birthday.
A decade and a music degree later, Marquez is a performer and composer whose recent composition, titled "Veni, Sancte Spiritus," won a New England-wide competition and will make its public debut this weekend.
"I'm pretty excited," said Marquez, 25, of Salem.
The Cantemus Chamber Chorus will perform Marquez's piece during its spring concert series on Saturday and Sunday. The Ipswich-based chorus launched the music competition last spring as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, and culled submissions from college students across New England.
Marquez, who was then a senior at Salem State College, heard about the contest and sat down at the piano, hammering out the composition in four days — a personal record.
"It was the greatest four days of my life," Marquez said. "It's the fastest I've ever composed."
The eight submissions were judged by a three-member team of professional musicians and were numbered to preserve anonymity, according to Susan Nash, a Cantemus board member.
Marquez won the contest and was honored last May 17 — the same day he graduated from Salem State College with a bachelor's degree in music. With top place came a $1,500 prize, and the performance of the song at Cantemus's spring concert this weekend.
"It's a beautiful piece," said Nash, a 21-year member of Cantemus. "It kind of sings itself. That's an expression we use for a piece with a natural evolution of chords, and a natural application of the music to the text."
Marquez's song will be part of the program at Cantemus's two concerts this weekend, titled "O Music, Sweet Music: Celebrating Music in Song."
"We're really enjoying it," Nash said of "Veni, Sancte Spiritus," which means "Come, Holy Spirit." "It's not particularly difficult to sing because as you're singing, the music evolves in a natural way. It's very lovely."
Marquez is thrilled by the honor, in part, because his path to music was not conventional. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Marquez's interest in piano wasn't sparked until he was 13, when he was inspired by a friend's uncle who played. So he asked his parents for a piano.
"My dad brought me this tiny keyboard back from the U.S. It was horrible," Marquez recalled with a laugh. "It only had two octaves."
Marquez subsequently learned to play piano by ear and eventually taught himself to read music.
"Every day, I practiced," he said. "It seemed to be natural to do that."
After graduating high school, Marquez immigrated to Salem in 2002. He took ESL classes at Salem State College before starting his bachelor's degree program in 2004.
Marquez now works as the activities director at the North Shore Adult Day Health Center in Lynn, and music fills every minute of his spare time. He continues to perform with the instrumental chamber ensembles at Salem State, he sings in a choir, and he plays piano on Sundays at First Baptist Church in Salem, where he also directs the small choir.
Marquez lives with his parents, Carlos and Sonnia, in Salem. He is the youngest of five siblings.
Want to go?
Cantemus Chamber Chorus Spring Concerts: "O Music, Sweet Music: Celebrating Music in Song"
Saturday
Where: First Congregational Church of Rockport
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Sunday
Where: St. Paul's Church, Newburyport
Time: 4 p.m.
Details
Cost: $20 adults; $17 seniors
Tickets and information: visit www.cantemus.org
Before music, what were your interests?
I was a teenager, into video games and hanging around wasting time.
What kind of music do you like?
At the beginning, I was acquainted with popular Latin American music. I would play everything that played on the radio in Latin America and Dominican Republic.
What turned you on to classical music?
At Salem State I was taking a music literature class and that really made me turn to classical music and all the wonderful composers.
When did you decide to try to be a professional musician?
I think the desire just grew to a point where I realized my profession would have to do with music in the end.
Why?
It's a wonderful craft. It's art, but it's a science. It's complex; it takes years to master. I think I'm way behind.
When did you begin composing?
I downloaded free (composing) software and I told myself, "I've learned enough so I could compose." One mighty day in 2005, I said I'm going to write my own piece inspired by Mozart's Requiem. I spent three years working on that, adding movements and adding movements.
Can you describe "Veni, Sancte Spiritus"?
It's a modal piece. I like wider leaps in melody. I didn't write the text; it's one prayer that I broke into different prayers.
What did you do with the $1,500 prize money?
I went to Germany, and I was really excited because I didn't have to get a summer job.
Do you like to travel?
I did a semester in Chile, which was a great experience. And I've been to Italy, Germany and Austria. I love seeing new places and taking pictures of the architecture — the parks, buildings and churches.
Are you currently composing music?
I want to finish two or three unfinished works, and I have at least 10 projects in my head. I try to compose at night on the keyboard in my house, but sometimes I'm too tired in the evenings after work and all I want to do is play PlayStation.
Favorite composer?
Bach. His music embodies what music is to me.
Favorite genre?
I love Italian baroque music. If I had a choice to be born in a certain place and time, it would be in Italy around 1670.
