ÓNIX Ensamble - Felipe Pérez Santiago: Mass-Acre (2022)

Obtained the Composition Diploma at the Center for Musical Research in Mexico City (CIEM) and the Theory of Music diploma of the Royal School of Music of London (1992-1996), the Contemporary Composition Diploma at the Rotterdam Conservatory in Holland (1996-2001) and the Masters in Electroacoustic Music at the same institution (2001-2003).

Winner of several international prizes; scholarships of the National Fund for the Arts in Mexico, grants from cultural funds in Holland, the Residence Prize of the Electroacoustic Music Institute in France, the Composition Prize of the Kronos Quartet, USA, the “Music for Dance competition” of the Onassis Foundation in Greece, a distinction prize by the International Music Council in France, a nomination for the “Mozart Medal” given by the Austrian Embassy in Mexico, a Platinum album, a Honorary Member Distinction by the National System of Art Creators in Mexico, and in 2014 he was considered as one of the 7 most relevant artists in Mexico being the only musician in this category. In 2017 he was selected as one of the three artists for the “Keep Walking Mexico” campaign for Johnnie Walker and in 2019 was considered one of the most successful Mexican artists to represent the “Monte Xanic” wine brand internationally.

Has been Resident Composer at the Center of Musical Creation Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Paris, the Center for Electronic Music (CEM) in Amsterdam, the Pompeu Fabra University (PHONOS) in Barcelona, the Staatstheater in Munich, and the Studio for Electro:Instrumental Music (STEIM) in Amsterdam.

Has worked with internationally renowned ensembles: the Dutch Chamber Choir, the Rotterdam Philharmonic String Quartet, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Czech National Choir, the Choir of Madrid, the Cello Octet “Conjunto Iberico”, the percussion quartet “Tambuco”, the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, and the worldwide known Kronos Quartet, amongst many others.

His work also includes music for dance and he has collaborated with companies such as Prototype Status in Switzerland, Ballettheater Muenchen in Germany, Scapino in Holland, Thomas Noone Dance in Spain, Foramen in Mexico, Harlem Dance Theater in New York and Norrdans in Sweden.

His music can also be found in several films in Mexico, Latin America and Middle East and has been a nominee to an “Ariel” prize and a “Silver Goddess” for best music for film, as well as a prenomination to an “Oscar” for the music of the film “Rudo y Cursi” by Director Carlos Cuarón.

He is founder and artistic director of the “Mal’Akh” and “Vórtice” ensembles, multidisciplinary formations that includes musicians and artists of several nationalities and disciplines combining chamber music with free jazz, rock, improvisation, multimedia and a very strong element of electronic music. With these projects he has collaborated with musicians from many nationalities and disciplines, toured extensively and have won several international prizes.

In 2013 his album “Mantis”, a compilation of his electroacoustic work, was released. This album was considered in Mexico as one of the most important contemporary music albums of the year, and in 2018 he released with Navona Records and Naxos, his album “Formika”, a compilation of his chamber music, with excellent international reviews.

The Music of Felipe Perez Santiago has been commissioned and played in more than 40 countries including concert halls such as the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, the Forbidden City Music Hall in China, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, the Sydney Opera House, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, the Staatstheater of Munich and the Carnegie Hall in New York and its included in more than 20 recordings all around the world.

Currently he is Artist in Residence at the SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in California, where he is leading “The Earthling Project”, consisting on collecting voices from all over the world, to make online global compositions and send them into space as a representation of the sounds of humanity.