FLOATING SOUND GALLERY

Vienna

Mirtru Escalona-Mijares

Mirtru Escalona-Mijares is a Franco-Venezuelan composer, performer, and educator whose work explores the intersections of contemporary music, digital arts, and multidisciplinary performing arts.
He began his musical journey in Duaca, Venezuela, through the orchestral training program “El Sistema.” After initial studies with Rafael Saavedra and Gerardo Gerulewicz, he continued his musical education in France, invited by José Manuel López-López and Paul Méfano. He studied with Philippe Leroux, Ivan Fedele, and Christine Groult, and earned a master’s degree in composition (specializing in electroacoustic and computer music) at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon under the guidance of Robert Pascal, Michele Tadini, and Denis Lorrain.
He has been recognized with numerous international composition awards, including First Prize at the Métamorphoses Acousmatic Composition Competition (Belgium), the Kuhmo Chamber Music Competition (Finland), the ICOMS International Composition Prize (Italy), the Earplay Donald Aird Memorial Prize (USA), the Sun River Composition Competition (China), the Symphonic Composition Prize of the City of Caracas, and the Composition Prize of Simón Bolívar University (Venezuela).
His music has been commissioned by institutions in France and abroad, such as the Curtis R. Priem EMPAC (USA), Lumínico (Mexico), the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Trio Feedback (Spain), Radio France, INA-GRM, Art Zoyd Studios, SACEM, the Versailles Conservatory, CNSMD Lyon / Opus XXI, Ensemble Regards, and Ensemble C Barré (France). His works are published by BabelScores, Henri Lemoine, and L’Harmattan.
For Escalona-Mijares, electronics are a natural extension of acoustic instruments. Digital technologies in music and non-Western musical traditions are key sources of inspiration that inform his artistic exploration of diverse worldviews.
He also engages in free improvisation and real-time electronic performance, and collaborates across disciplines with visual artists Ana Navas, David Coignard, Ricardo Benaim, Daniela Prost, Inana Petkof; storytellers Camille Neymarc and Albert Sandoz; poet Daniela Díaz Larralde; and performer Maro Théodosieu.
In 2021, he co-founded the Compagnie Conticinio with artist Charlotte Testu. The company focuses on creating and presenting multidisciplinary works in the field of live arts, with a strong emphasis on innovation, digital practices, and meaningful engagement with local communities. Through this platform, he develops projects that weave together music, performance, dance, storytelling, and visual art, exploring new forms of expression and intercultural dialogue.
He is a permanent faculty member affiliated with both the City of Versailles and the Versailles Regional Conservatory. He is also actively involved in cultural outreach and education, regularly leading workshops and collaborating with institutions such as the Centre national de création musicale La Muse en Circuit, Insula Orchestra, and the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France.