Composer and South Pas Resident Unexpectedly Dies

Composer and South Pasadena resident Daniel Catán, 62, died unexpectedly Saturday in Austin, TX, where he was living for a semester while teaching at the Butler School of Music, the Los Angeles Opera has reported. 

While the LA Opera said the cause of his death is still to be determined, the LA Times reported today that he died in his sleep with no foul play suspected. 

"On behalf of Plácido Domingo and the entire company, we are shocked and grief-stricken at this terrible loss," Marc I. Stern, Chairman of the LA Opera, said in a press release posted to its website. "All of us at LA Opera were truly fortunate to have worked very closely with Daniel as he prepared Il Postino for its world premiere in Los Angeles last year."

Catán's latest piece of work was the critically acclaimed Il Postino, which premiered at the LA Opera in September 2010. Born in Mexico to Sephardic Jewish parents, Catán left for England at the age of 13 to study music.

In October, Patch sat down with Catán to discuss his work and why he loves South Pas. He and his wife, professional harpist Andrea Puente, have two local residences—one for family living and the other he kept as a studio to practice his music on a baby grand piano. "The house is our main residence," "That is where my wife practices and we hold musical gatherings. The other is where I write. It satisfies my need for space and for silence." 

Catán's academic background is both sophisticated and diverse. He has degrees from the University of Sussex in England, the University of Southampton and Princeton University. Following his schooling, he served as an administrator at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts, according to the LA Opera. 

As a part of his residency with the University of Texas, Catán was commissioned  to work on Frank Capra's comic drama, Meet John Doe. He was also working with the Butler Opera Center on its upcoming production of his earlier opera Rappaccini's Daughter, which was slated to open at the university February 2011, said Butler School of Music News. 

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children—Chloe, Tom and Alan—as well as four grandchildren.