Manuel Rocha Iturbide

version en español

 

CURRICULUM

Born in 1963 in Mexico City. Manuel Rocha Iturbide studies composition at the Escuela Nacional de Música in the University of Mexico with Julio Estrada, Ratko Tichavsky and Federico Ibarra. During three years he works in the collective photography workshop of Pedro Meyer and he participates in various exhibitions in Mexico, Brazil, Cuba and Italy. His interest for electronic music, experimental video, sound installations and sound sculpture take him to the University of Mills College in the USA, where thanks to a grant from the OEA and UNAM, he studies with Alvin Curran, Anthony Braxton, David Rosenboom and Larry Polansky, and obtains an MFA in electronic music and composition (1991). Then in Paris, he takes a one-year course in composition and computer music at IRCAM, where he studies with Bryan Fernyhough (1991-92). In 1992 he starts his doctoral thesis on "Granular synthesis techniques" with Horacio Vaggione at the University of Paris VIII. In 1993 he wins a grant from the Mexican cultural foundation to compose three electroacustic pieces. In France, he works at studios UPIC, GRM and IRCAM to produce works. Besides producing music in Paris, between 1991 and 1996 he was invited to produce other compositions at different studios in different countries, such as LIEM in Madrid Spain, SFU University in Vancouver Canada, University of Herefordshire in UK, etc. He worked as a researcher at IRCAM developing GiST (1994-95) and later as a professor at the University of Paris VIII where he taught synthesis and computer programming (1995-96). In 1996 and 1997 he was nominated at the Bourges Electronic Music Contest in the categories of program tape music and tape with instruments respectively, in 2006 he receved the frist prize in the category of progam music. In 1996 and 1997 he won the 2 prize at the Russolo Electronic Music Contest in the category of composition for instruments and electronics and tape alone. In 2009 he won a mention at the Ars Electronica digital music contest, and in 2013 he won the 1800 Cuervo first t prize at the MACO art fair in Mexico City in the category of Mid Carrer Artist. He has been invited to different international conferences to present his work (The tuning of the world, 1993; The biennial of art and technology, Connecticut 1994; ICMC 1995, 1996, 1997) and to electronic music festivals such as ABSOLUTE MUSIK in Austria, Experimental Intermedia (2001, 2007) and REDCAT in USA (2004), VAE in Peru (2005), Experimenta Club in Madrid (2009) etc. Besides composing, he his a renowned sound artist and has created installations and sound sculptures presented in galleries and museums such as Artists Space in NY NY (1997), the Crousel gallery in Paris, (1993), The Sidney Biennial in Australia (1998), the ARCO art fair in Madrid Spain (1998), SURGE gallery in Tokyo (2000), Kyoto Art Center in Kyoto (2000), Avatar in Quebec Canada (2002), Bienal do Mercosul in Brazil (2005), McBean Galleries in San Francisco (2009), Xing Dong Chaeng Space for Contemporary Art (Beijing China 2011), Le Laboratoire Gallery (México DF, 2011, 2014), Prada Foundation in Venice (2014),  etc. He has also written articles published in magazines such as "New Journal of Music Research" and in the proceedings of ICMC. His music has been played in Mexico, USA, Canada, Italy, Austria, Australia, Slovakia, Greece, France, Brazil, Hong-Kong and Spain. Some of his outstanding electroacustic pieces are: "Avidya" for tape, 23’00, 1989. "Atl" for tape, 10’00, 1990. "Frost clear energy saver", for refrigerator, tape and double bass, 17’00, 1991. "Bandas de pueblo", for tape, French horn, trombone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, trumpet, percussion, and a Mexican Village Band, 17’00, 1991. "Ligne d’abandon", tape composition for an installation, 30’00, 1993. "Transiciones de fase", interactive composition for brass quartet and computer, 12’00, 1993-94. "SL-9", work for digital tape using granular synthesis techniques, 1994. "Móin Mór", for digital tape, 10’00, 1995. "Tetraktis", for string quartet and 4 digital tracks, 14'00, 2006. "Ashimakase", for piano and electronics, 9'30, 2010. In 1998, he had a commission from the Banff Center for the Arts to compose an oboe and tape piece, and another commission from the XXVI Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato Mexico to compose an instrumental piece for violin, alto, chelo, flute, clarinet, and percussion, which was performed by the Mexican Contemporary Ensemble ONIX. In 2000 Rocha spent 7 months in Japan with a Japan Foundation Fellowship where he composed new pieces and worked on sound installations. In 2002 he did a two-month residency in Caracas Venezuela with a grant in order to compose a radio artwork. Manuel Rocha Iturbide lives currently in Mexico City, where he works as composer and sound artist, and where he has been the curator of the international sound art festival and other sound art and electroacoustic music events. He taught at the University of Morelos State in Cuernavaca Mexico undergraduate and postgraduate courses on computer music and the history of sound in the arts (2003-2004), Composition at the National School of Music in UNAM (2003-to present day), Audio at the Ibero Americana University and at the Claustro de Sor Juana in the Communication Bachelors, and he is currently a full time professor in Digital Art at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) in Lerma Edo. Mex.

He has been member of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores three times (2004-2007, 2008.2011, 2012-2015). Since 2012 he is a member of the Le Laboratoire Gallery in Mexico City. In 2013 he published his first book "El Eco está en todas partes"- ALIAS Editorial directed by Damian Ortega.

 

 

PARTICIPATION IN OUTSTANDING MUSIC FESTIVALS (SELECTION)

 

2014.- Festival Zeppelin. Barcelona Spain. 14-16 de Noviembre.

2013.- Efímero Pianico. Premiere of a compositioin for 10 pianos, comissioned by the Germinal Festival . Casa del Lago. México DF.

2013.- Aural Festival . Premiere of the work La rama del tamarindo. México City.

2011.- Experimental music festival TSONAMI. Valparaíso Chile.

2010.- Tokyo Opera Concert Hall. Premiere of Ashimakase (Piano and electronics), by Aki Takahashi.

2010.- 26 Music Festival of Alicante. Premiere of the radiophonic work Hieros Logos.

2009.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the "Experimenta Club" electronic music festival at Madrid Spain.


2007.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the "IX Festival internacional de música de Bogotá Colombia".

2007.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the Synthèse electroacustic music festival in Bourges France.

2006.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival.

2005.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the Video Arte Electronica (VAE) in Lima Peru.

2005.- Manuel Rocha Iturbide performing at the Synthèse electroacustic music festival in Bourges France.

2004.- “Arte Sonoro”. Five Mexican electronic music composers-performers at the REDCAT concert series.

2004.- “Sound Trips: a travelogue through sonic landscapes”. Exploratorium, SF California.

2004.- “Mutek”. Fetsival of electronic music. Mexico City.

2003.- “Puddles Festival”. Tokyo Japan.

2003.- “CCM Songline Series”. SF California. USA.

2002.- “MexArtFest”. Kyoto Japan.

2001.- “Experimental Intermedia”. NY, NY.

2001.- “International conference for computer music” ICMC La Habana Cuba.

2001.- “Festival internacional de Bourges”. Bourges France.

2000.- The bridge between artificial language and natural. Hill Side Terrace, Toko Japan.

1999. - "XI Festival Internacional de Música de Morelia". Morelia Mexico.

1998. - "SEAMUS Electroacustic week Concert". North Carolina State University.

1998. - "Foro internacional de música nueva". Mexico City.

1998. - XVI FESTIVAL CERVANTINO. Guanajuato Mexico.

1998. - "Seventh Annual Florida Electroacustic Music Festival". University of Florida.

1997. -"International conference for computer music" (ICMC) in Salonica Greece.

1997. -"Bourges International festival of electroacustic music ". Bourges, France.

1997. - "Foro internacional de música nueva". Mexico City.

1996. -"Bourges International festival of electroacustic music ". Bourges, France.

1996. - ABSOLUTE MUSIK electroacustic music festival, Allenstaig Austria.

1996. - "International conference of computer music" (ICMC) in Hong Kong.

1995. - "International conference for computer music" (ICMC) in Canada in collaboration with the Banff arts festival. Performance of "Transiciones de Fase".

1994. - Paralelo Madrid. Madrid Spain. Otras músicas, "Música y realidad". Performance of compositions "Atl" for digital tape and "Frost clear" for double bass, tape and refrigerator.

1994. - Concert at IRCAM. . Performance of "Transiciones de fase" by the ensemble Court circuit directed by Pierre André Valade.

1994. - "A Wrinkle in the air". A concert of electroacustic music presented by "The school of contemporary arts" at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver Canada.

1993. - "The tuning of the world". Electroacustic music concert in Banff Canada during the international conference of acoustic ecology.

1991. - "Contemplation and Action" Multimedia concert of electroacustic music at Mills College Concert Hall. Oakland, CA.

1991. - Mills College concert Hall in Oakland California, with the "Magellan string quartet".

1990. - "Seventh Species composer group". Sherman Clay Recital Hall at SF California, USA.

1989. - Final exam to receive composition diploma at "ENM "UNAM.


INDIVIDUAL ART EXHIBITIONS

 

2014.- Geografías Agrestes. Centro de Cultura Digital. México DF.

2014.- Geografías Agrestes. MACO Museum. Oaxaca Mexico.    

2014.- Zona Vacía. Le Laboratoire Gallery. April 1st. México DF.           

2014.- La tensión extendida. Three Walls. San Antonio Texas EUA.

2013.- CON.TENSIONES. Fonoteca Nacional. November. México DF.                                      

2012.- Casi Nada. Experimentation space. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo MUAC. UNAM.

2011.- Cualquier semejanza con el original es pura coincidencia. Le Laboratorie Gallery. December. México DF MEXICO.

2011.- I Play the Drums with Frequency. Xing Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art. Beijing China.

2008.- Composiciones. Exhibition with sound installations and photography. El Eco, DF.

2004.- Intervención en el fuerte de San José. 23 zonas project. Campeche, Campeche.

2003.- Recognition of Space. In collaboration with Luciano Matus. Instituto de Mexico. Miami, Florida, USA. A parallel activity of Art Bassel Miami.

2002.- Reconocimiento del espacio. In collaboration with Luciano Matus. Templo de San Agustín, Centro Histórico, Mexico DF.

2002.- “Offbeat Japan”. An internet exhibition at ZoneZero.com

2002.- LASCAS, un arte mexicano actual. AVATAR Space, Québec Canada.

2000.- "Rebicyling". Surge Galery. Tokyo Japan.

1999. - Reconstrucción de los hechos. Casa de la Cultura. Juchitan Oaxaca.

1999. - Reconstrucción de los hechos. Sixth international contemporary music festival of Bogotá Colombia.

1999. - In a fraction of a friction. ARCO 99. Project Rooms. Madrid, Spain.

1998. - Impasse. A one-person exhibition at the alternative space "Regina 51", Curated by Santiago Sierra.

1991. - Contemplation and Action. Mills College Concert Hall, Oakland, CA. Presentation of Video Art and a Video-Sound-Installation.


COLLECTIVE ART EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

 

2015.- Différance. Galería Le Laboratoire. México DF. Curators: Manuel Rocha and Bárbara Perea.

2015.- Bruit Noir. Black Noise. Espacio México. Montreal Canada.

2014.- SONOPLASTIA. Museo MACO. Oaxaca MEXICO. Curators: Manuel Rocha Iturbide and Roberto Arcaute.

2014.- Art or Sound. Prada Foundation. Venice Italy. Curator: Michel Celano.

2013.- Zona Maco. Le Laboratoire  Gallery at the MACO Art Fair. Centro Banamex. México City.

2013.- El Futuro hoy. Aldea Digital. Art and technology show at Infinitum Fair. Mexico City. Curated by Daniela Elbahara.

2013.- Cabinet de Curiosités. Le Laboratoire Gallery. México DF.

2012.- Futbol arte y pasión.MARCO Museum. Monterrey México.

2012.- The Return of the Gods. Arcaute Arte Contemporáneo. Beijing China.

2012.- El Baño de Frida. Frida Kahlo Museum, Coyoacán. México DF.

2012.- Serie de intervenciones para sitio específico. 50 Aniversario del centro cultural del bosque, Mexico City. Curated by Bárbara Perea.

2011.- Tiempo de Sospecha. Modern Art Museum. MAM. México DF.

2011.- Non Campos Mentis. Una mirada lúdica a la obsesión y otras delicias mentales. León Guanajuato MEXICO. Curated by Bárbara Perea.

2011.- Disponible. I kind of Mexican Show. School of the museum of fine arts. Boston USA.

2010.- Disponible. I kind of Mexican Show. McBean Galleries. San Francisco USA.

2007.- Principio de incertidumbre. Forum Internacional de las culturas. Monterrey México.

2007.- “Dimensión Sonora”. Koldo de Mitxelena, San Sebastían Spain.

2006.- "Plataforma Puebla 2006". La constancia. Puebla.

2006.- Ayer mañana. Cuenca, España

2006.- Los Angeles / México: complejidad – heterogeneidad. Colección Jumex. México DF.

2005.- “Mercosul Art Bienale”. Porto Alegre Brazil.

2005.- Juego Doble. Cultural Spain Center. Mexico City.

2004.- La Colemena. Colección Jumex. Mexico City.

2003.- "I Cube Project. Puddles". Tokyo Japan.

2003.- "Sound-Image". Laboratorio de Arte Alameda. Mexico City.

2003.- El Sentido y los sentidos. Gallery of the Universidad Latinoamericana, Mexico City.

2003.- Salon de Arte Bancomer. Modern Art Museum. Mexico City.

2003.- Winners of the Bienal Monterrey Femsa. Amparo Museum. Puebla Mexico and Museo de Arte de Zapopan. Guadalajara Mexico.

2002.- Experiencia Sonora. Museo de Bellas Artes. Caracas Venezuela.2001.- Nothing. Roseeum art building. Malmo Suiza. Curated by Graham Gussin.

2001.- Nothing. Roseeum. Malmo Art Space. Switzerland. Curated by Graham Gussin.

2001.- 4th FEMSA Biennale. Monterrey, Mexico.

2001.- Asamblea. Centro Cultural de Mexico. Paris France.

2001.- Eso…Third international sound art festival. Ex-teresa Arte Actual. Mexico DF.

2001.- Channel n. Kyoto Art Center. Kyoto Japan.

1999. - Ruido...First International Sound Art Festival. Sloan Galery.Mexico City.

1998. - 11th Biennial of Sidney. Sidney Australia.

1998. - "DOMESTICA". Project involving 9 artist’s interventions in 9 houses of La Condesa in Mexico City. Curated by Tomás Rivas.

1997. - "Lines of Loss". Art exhibit of 5 Mexican artists at Artists Space in New York. Curated by Gabriel Orozco. Participation with Sound installation in situ and music performance.

1997. - La resurrección del San Martín. San Martín building. México, DF. Sound installation in situ.

1997. - Third biennial of three-dimensional art. National Center for the Arts. Mexico City.

1995-1996. - Distant Relations. Itinerary Art exhibition presented at Icon Gallery, London. The Dublin Museum of Modern Art, Ireland. The Santa Monica Museum of contemporary Art, Sta. Monica, CA. The Carrillo Gil Museum. Mexico City.

1996. - En torno a Luis Buñuel". Art exhibition celebrating Luis Buñuel at Museo del instituto cultural de Morelos, Jardín Borda. Cuernavaca Mexico.

1996. - En otro lugar muy lejos de aquí. World trade center, Guadalajara MEXICO. Art exhibition at the international Art Faire FITAC. Curated by Guillermo Santamarina.

1995. - Cultural Center of Mexico. Paris France.

1995. - Filth biennial of art and technology in the University of Connecticut. 1995.

1994. - Figures d’origines. Chapelle de la Salpetrire, Paris France. Realization of a sound score for a multimedia luminografic concert by Jorge Orta.

1994. - Gallery Chantal Crousel, Paris France. Presentation of the sound installation "Ligne d’abandon" in collaboration with Gabriel Orozco.

1990. - The Day of the Dead. Galería de la Raza. San Francisco, CA. Art exhibit. Presentation of Performance "El Rey del Mambo".

1989. - Siete fotógrafos Latinoamericanos. in Festival Latinoamericano de Arte y Cultura" at Brasilia Brazil. Collective Photo exhibition.

1989. - A PROPOSITO. 14 obras en torno a JOSEPH BEUYS. Art installations exhibit in Convento del desierto de los Leones. Mexico City. Curated by Guillermo Santamarina.

1988. - Taller de los lunes. Collective photo exhibition at the Consejo Mexicano de fotografía (CMF) in Mexico City.

1987. - Ojos que no ven at the Fototeca in Havana Cuba. Collective Photo exhibition.

1986. - A un año del temblor. Milan Italy. Collective photo exhibition.


ORGANIZATION OF SOUND ART SHOWS AND

ELECTRACOUSTIC MUSIC CONCERTS

selection

2015.- Différance. Le Laboratoire Gallery. México DF. Curators: Manuel Rocha and Bárbara Perea.

2014.- La deconstrucción del paisaje. Photo show. Estampa Art Fair, Madrid España and Foro Sur, Cáceres España.

2014.- SONOPLASTIA. Museo MACO. Oaxaca MEXICO. Curators: Manuel Rocha Iturbide and Roberto Arcaute.

2013.- Soledades. Aislamientos Múltiples. Cuartor. Centro Cultural de España. Ciudad de México.

2011.- Transitio. Co-Curator of the electronic arts biennale. Centro Nacional de las Artes. Mexico City.

2006.- Oasis Sonoro-Sound Oasis. Co-Curator of a sound art installation with 12 international compositions for a 3D spacialization system. Bellas Artes. Mexico City.

2006.- Audio Elf. Curator. 10 comissions for 10 international composers. 5.1 Soccer based audio pieces shown in the exhibition scorecologne.net

2006.- Corredor Sonoro. Curator. 10 comissions for Mozart (The Magic flute Opera) based audio pieces shown in the music festival "Instrumenta Oaxaca 2006" (posponed for 2007).

2003.- II Festival Radar. Curator of the first retrospective of electroacustic music in México.

2002.- Generación espontánea. Curator of a electroacustic music concert with insect sounds for the international congress: Conocimiento Antiguo/Mundo contemporáneo in Oaxaca México.

2002.- Habitat Sonico…Cuarto Festival internacional de arte sonoro. Sound art festival co-organized with Guillermo Santamarina, director of the Ex-Teresa Museum in Mexico City.

2001.- Eso…Tercer festival internacional de arte sonoro. Sound art festival co-organized with Guillermo Santamarina, director of the Ex-Teresa Museum in Mexico City.

2000.- Humor y Aliento…Segundo festival internacional de arte sonoro. Sound art festival co-organized with Guillermo Santamarina, director of the Ex-Teresa Museum in Mexico City.

2000.- XII Festival Internacional de Música de Morelia. Curator of a international electroacustic music concert in Morelia Michoacan.

1999. - La Radia. Curator. Sound Installation and electroacustic music concert for the festival "Arte postal, hacia un nuevo Milenio". Oaxaca Mexico.

1999. - Ruido… Primer Festival Internacional de Arte Sonoro. Sound art festival co-organized with Guillermo Santamarina, director of the Ex-Teresa Museum in Mexico City.

1999. - "ACOUSMONIUM". Two Electroacustic Concerts at the "XI Festival Internacional de Música de Morelia". Morelia Mexico.

1998.- Encounter of Sound Art. A small festival of sound art in San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato, co-organized with Michael Bock.

1998. - Vox Electroacústica. A mega sound-installation acusmonium for diffusing sound poetry and electroacustic music based on language sounds. Antiguo Colegio de San Idelfonso Museum, Mexico City.

1997. - Distant Relations. Electroacustic Music of Mexican and Irish composers. Two concerts at the Carrillo Gil Museum of contemporary art.


CD's

MEXICO ELECTROACUSTICO. Mexican electroacustic music history. 3 CD´s. 2008. You can buy here in this page, write to info@artesonoro.net.

PERSONAE. Mexican electroacustic composers in collaboration with mexican poets. 2006. Buy.

RAS No. 7. Revista de arte sonoro. Centro de creación de música experimental. Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Cuenca España.2005. Buy.

A través otra vez. CD of the sound installation presented in Centro cultural de España. Limited Edition, 50 CD’s.2005.

Computer music journal. DVD Anthology. Volume 27 (4), 2003. DVD edited by the magazine Computer Music Journal. USA.

Histories of the Future. Cabinet Magazine, NY EUA.

Boom Box Project. Compositions of electroacustic soundscapes by Manuel Rocha Iturbide. Produced by the art foundation BVA Bancomer. México 2003.Limited edition, 300 CD's. Buy.

Machin1. Obras electroacústicas de Manuel Rocha Iturbide, Salvador Rodríguez, Guillermo Acevedo, José Manuel Mondragón, Miguel Hernández y Víctor Romero.

Eso. Antología de obras sonoras del tercer festival internacional de arte sonoro. Ex-Teresa Arte Actual. México 2001.

Humor y Aliento . Antología de obras sonoras del segundo festival internacional de arte sonoro. Ex-Teresa Arte Actual. México 2000.

Ruido ... . Antología de obras sonoras del primer festival internacional de arte sonoro. Ex-Teresa Arte Actual. México 1999.

Ver. Revista audiovisual. No.2. Namdee Publishing Station. Bangkok Tailandia. 2001.

Computer music journal. Sound Anthology. Volume 23, 1999. CD editado por la revista Computer Music Journal. USA.

XIX CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE LUIGI RUSSOLO DI MUSICA ELETTROACUSTICA. 1997.

XVIII CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE LUIGI RUSSOLO DI MUSICA ELETTROACUSTICA. 1996.

"Ligne d’abandone". Electroacoustic Sound Art Work in collaboration with Gabriel Orozco. CD Edited by the gallery Crousel. Paris, France. 1996

"Distant Relations". Two electroacustic compositions by Manuel Rocha Iturbide and Roger Doyle for the art exhibition "Distant Relations". CD Edited by Curator Trisha Ziff. 1995.

"Figures d’origine". Luminographic concert in collaboration with Jorge Orta. CD Edited by the gallery Ivon Amor-Pallix. Paris, France. 1994.