Mikel Urquiza

 

Mikel Urquiza (1988, Bilbao) studies composition first at Musikene (San Sebastian) with Gabriel Erkoreka and Ramon Lazkano, later at Paris CNSM with Gérard Pesson. He has received the Spanish Institute for Scene Arts and Music commision and the French Academy in Rome award, living at Villa Medici.

He works closely with L'Instant Donné ensemble, exploring the fragility of memory in Les lueurs se sont multipliées and the delicate violence of love gestures in Serpientes y escaleras (serenata), premiered at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik. He stablishes also a rich collaboration with Diotima Quartet, that premiers both of his string quartets and, along with Sarah Maria Sun, his quintet White nights. 

Thanks to a commission of the BOZAR Brussels and ECHO, he writes Contrapluma for pianist Mariam Batshasvili, who plays it during the season 2016/2017 at the ECHO halls, such as Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna Musikverein and Philharmonie de Paris.

His music is also played by Ensemble Intercontemporain, Mosaik Ensemble, Basque National Orchestra, Spanish Youth Orchestra, etc. at the San Sebastian Fortnight, Paris National Opera season, Gaudeamus Muziekweek and Lucerne Festival.