At some point in life, any one of us may be faced with illness and the responsibility of caregiving. Anne Marie Gabriele, second oboe for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, came face-to-face with these circumstances in 2019 when her husband, Mike Pandolfi, was diagnosed with cancer.  

“The time we had left went by far too quickly,” Gabriele wrote. “How can one say how much is enough and how much is not? It will never be enough.” 

After Pandolfi’s passing in 2022, Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting commissioned local composer Nicolás Lell Benavides to write a chamber piece as a legacy to Pandolfi and Gabriele’s relationship. 

Benavides’ new work, Sueño en mi sueño, is a collection of six love sonnets by Nobel Prize-winner Pablo Neruda—one of Gabriele’s favorite poets—that explores the depth of love in times of sickness.  

In this intimate, behind-the-scenes conversation, Benavides and Gabriele discuss the backstory of the piece and encourage us all to cherish every precious moment—even the difficult ones—with those we love dearest.