It’s an ancient word with a modern message. 

“It’s a Spanish word, but Arabic in its origins, Acequia literally refers to an irrigation canal, and the system we use to manage it,” Nicolás Lell Benavides said of his new music, recorded earlier this year, but out now in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, you can also listen to it on SoundCloud or watch it below! 

According to the composer, the music speaks as an allegory for climate change, in reference to the older system of water sharing. “How often and how long one can access Acequia water from the ditches is how water is shared, and everybody is given something. It’s a beautiful form of sharing,” Benavides added. This is in contrast to the first-come-first-served method mostly used today.

The piece was commissioned by the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music for the SFCM Orchestra with support from Justus and Elizabeth Schlichting, as part of the Academy's Composing Earth initiative. 

Nicolás Lell Benavides. Photo by Maggie Beidelman.

Benavides was thrilled to return to SFCM, where the composer graduated in 2014. “I actually cannot tell you how thrilled I was to return. It was really awesome to come back to a place that I'm very comfortable and familiar with,” Benavides continued. “I love working with high-level student orchestras like this because I know they are going to practice the piece and do an amazing job.”

“It was a great pleasure to premiere Acequia with the SFCM Orchestra,” said Music Director Edwin Outwater. “It's a piece that's full of life and a sense of place, and I hope there are many future performances.”

For students, being part of the world premiere of a new piece was both exciting and informative. “I was not familiar with the Acequia style of irrigation which the piece is named after,” said Jason Wilcox (‘25) a clarinet player. “That is, in my opinion, one of the many great powers of music. It has the ability to inform audiences about problems faced by communities often ignored, perhaps even inspiring them to help out or assist in the preservation of these fading traditions.”

"Acequia was a really interesting challenge for the orchestra with its imaginative soundscapes and extended techniques, dipping crotales in water was a personal highlight,” said violinist Daniel Tan (‘24), who served as concertmaster. “It was evident how Nicolas' own experiences and upbringing shaped its composition, resulting in a piece that was both narratively clear and aesthetically satisfying to perform."

Hannah Wendorf.

Violist Hannah Wendorf (‘24) called the experience inspiring, “I thought the way he incorporated both traditional cultural influences and modern commentary on climate change was very impactful,” Wendorf continued, “It was thought-provoking for the performers, and I hope it was for the audience as well.”

“The piece does feel like the water in nature,” said violinist Diego De La Cruz Iwadare (‘25). “It’s light, shimmering, and full of color. What’s truly extraordinary is how Acequia captures that ethereal, almost sacred purity of New Mexico’s landscapes—an homage and reminder to its spirit, timeless and untamed.” 

Seeing his musical work come to life with its powerful message was a special experience for Benavides. “With the steady march of climate change and ever dryer summers, we must conserve as much water as possible.” 

Getting to return to the halls of SFCM where he was a student was an added bonus. “SFCM’s growth has been staggering. I haven't been back in a while and it's amazing what is being offered to students,” Benavides continued. “But the most important thing to me is the quality of music, and being back here in the orchestra and hearing how good they sound, they sound better than ever.”