[2] Chapela received his bachelor's degree in composition from the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Musicales (CIEM) and studied classical guitar at the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music in England.
[4] The composer has been commissioned to create works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic (where he was an invited guest in 2008), Dresdner Sinfoniker, Carnegie Hall, Britten Sinfonia, Wigmore Hall, Berkeley Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, Orquestra Sinfônica de São Paulo, City of Birmingham Symphony, University of Cincinnati's CCM Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Carlos Chávez, Entrequatre, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, ONIX Ensemble, New Paths in Music Festival, Vail Music Festival, and the National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing) .
[6][7] Chapela's music is exclusively published by Boosey & Hawkes, and has been performed in multiple countries in the Americas, Asias and Europe.
[1][3] His influences include John Cage, whose philosophy of composition he admires,[6] along with the works of Carlos Chávez and Silvestre Revueltas.
[6] Magnetar was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and is “raunchy, orchestral heavy metal.”[4] The cello is electric and hooked up to a wa-wa pedal.
[7] The work Ínguesu is based on the final game of the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, when Mexico won over Brazil at the Estadio Azteca.
[6][13] He has had some trouble having it played in Mexico because it is considered "naco" (low-class) especially a short series of notes near the end that reference a common insulting whistle.