He studied composition at the University of Illinois with Herbert Brün, Ben Johnston and Sal Martirano, and subsequently accepted a graduate fellowship at Stanford University at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) with John Chowning. Further studies in computer-generated sound led to an invitation by Pierre Boulez to work in Paris at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM). His performance with various jazz groups has inspired him to combine classical and Afro-Cuban elements in his music.