erika vega | composer
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​a b o u t:

de(com)poser
Spanish citizen born in México
based in the UK and Belgium
 ​violin is my instrument
finished the PhD in music, Oxford
I've been to Japan :)



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​Press:
An Erika Vega moment by Alex Ross 
The New Yorker 
University of Oxford 
Instagram La Phil






​Prensa en Español: 
INBAL Prensa
El Uninversal por Iván Martinez
Excelsior 
La escaleta
Pressreader 




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02.03.25
I’m thrilled to be doing a short residency in Bordeaux, France with Ensemble Proxima Centauri, working on my electroacoustic piece La Constellation du Son, created as part of their Métissage cycle. This residency will include a series of talks and concerts, exploring new sonic landscapes. See you in Bordeaux!



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22.02.25
I was honoured to be a finalist at the Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition in Vienna with my piece, The Book of Imaginary Beings, inspired by Borges. The pianist Ogi Tumur-Ochir brought it to life through a stunning performance.
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15.01.25
The Urrestarazu-Lenzin Duo (saxophone & piano) will premiere a new commissioned work in Basel, Switzerland. Renowned for their innovative programs and dedication to contemporary music, they continue to push artistic boundaries.


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15.09.24
For the very first time, I've composed a piece for toy piano  🧸! El Elefante que predijo el nacimiento de Buda is written to   Neus Estarellas, who will bring it to life at the Festival Cultura UNAM in Mexico City!
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22.08.24
My new composition Jiak Noki—a piece inspired by a short story from the Yaqui tradition of Sonora, northern Mexico 🌵 is written for saxophone and guitar and will be performed by Duo Omicron XXI .
Jiak Noki will have its world premiere in Pamplona, Spain, at NAK Festival.

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29.03.24
Award-Winning Music at Sveriges Kortfilmfestival!
I am thrilled to announce that my original score for the film The Source has won the Original Music award at the Sveriges Kortfilmfestival in Sweden! 
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04.07.24
I’m beyond thrilled to share that I’ve successfully passed my PhD viva examination at the University of Oxford! 🎉
I’m so grateful for the support of my mentors, colleagues, friends, and family throughout this journey. Time to celebrate and look forward to new musical adventures ahead!
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​27.02.24
Ysaÿe’s Poème concertant project appeared in The Strad, February​! 
The violinist Philippe Graffin has commisioned me to orchestrate a work for violin and orchestra by Eugène Ysaÿe that had remained undiscovered for more than a century. The piece was recorded by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. 
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​22.02.24
​Thrilled to have been commissioned to write a new piece for the fantastic ensemble Proxima Centauri. It'll be premiered late this year in Mexico.  
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12.01.24
The eclectic duo OMICRON XXI Elisa Urrestarazu (sax) & Pilar Rius (guitar), presents a new collaboration, set to premiere at the NAK Festival in Navarra, Spain. 

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27.11.23
Premiere of LEONORA autorretrato, inspired from the self-portrait Inn of the Dawn Horse (1937-1938). This is the second work written to SIGMA Project this year and is part of a cycle of pieces inspired by Leonora Carrington. Premiered at El Colegio Nacional, the Mexican honorary academy.Info 
Composed thanks to the support of the National System of Art Creators, Mexico. ​​
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01.04.23
Leonora, 5 historias de ensueño for guitar orchestra is commissioned by the Jugend-Gitarrenorchester, Baden-Württemberg directed by Christian Wernicke. Premiere tbc. 
The piece is based in the short tales by the British-born painter and novelist Leonora Carrington.
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28.01.23
I'm beyond happy for the new commission by Cultura UNAM for the fantastic Sigma Project Quartet and narrator. A collaboration with the Spanish playwright and poet Alberto Conejero. The piece will be based on the life of the artist Leonora Carrington. 
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​18.10.23
I presented my piece Danza Mestiza at the Oxford international Song Festival. Written for baritone and piano the piece draws its inspiration from a poem by the Aztec philosopher and poet Nezahualcoyotl (b.1402-1472).

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​21.05.23
Leonora, oratorio sonámbulo en las tierras de España. 
Commissioned by Música UNAM. This music theatre explores life and work of the British-born surrealist painter Leonora Carrington.The work in progress will be premiered at Festival el Aleph.
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​12.10.23
I was commissioned a piece to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fantastic ALEPH Gitarrenquartett. La polca de los osos will be premiered at the ZeitGenuss Festival. 
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​21.06.23
World Premiere Recording
This recording features my orchestration of Ysaÿe's *Poéme Concertant*, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, with Philippe Graffin and Jean-Jacques Kantorow. This project was a collaboration between musicians and musicologists, where I reconstructed the orchestration based on the annotations left by Ysaÿe on his manuscripts.
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07.02.23
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Los Angeles Philharmonic

No oyes ladrar a los perros 
​-based on the homonym story by Juan Rulfo- and commissioned by LA Phil, world premiere at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
About this piece                               
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01.11.22
Recording of my piece for solo cello Rarámuri by Katharina Gross, premiered at the Gaudeamus Musiekweek and later performed in South Korea. Enjoy!





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25.07.22
I'm very honoured to receive the 2022 Mapleton-Bree prize for work in the Creative Arts at St John's College Oxford. 
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28.05.22
World premiere of my piece Cuentos Rulfianos o la ficción de la oralidad written for Edith Ruiz (piano) and it is based on Rulfo's short-stories. Composed thanks to the support of SNCA. 
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26.03.22
Los Angeles Philharmonic

My recent commission from the LA Phil No oyes ladrar a los perros 
​-based on the homonym story by Juan Rulfo- will be premiered at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 02/23. Can't wait!!!










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18.03.22
I'm currently writing the music for the short film by Gilda Stillbäck and Sofia Norlin. Will be premiered at the Bergman Week 2022 in Sweden.
​More... 




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​24.03.22

I'm thrilled to announce two new commissions for 2023 with the amazing: ALEPH guitar quartet and the Jugend-Gitarrenorchester, Baden-Württemberg 
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10.03.22
During the last years I've been working with violinist Philippe Graffin on the transcription upon the discovery of an unknown solo Sonata by Ysaÿe at The Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. 
​Watch the documentary
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18.02.22
​UK Premiere of LA COYOTADA by ISIS ensemble. The piece is inspired by the key figure of the Mexican Revolution el gran Pancho Villa -a bandit who became a general-. La Coyotada is the town he was born.
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10.02.22
World premiere of ​B L A N C O II for violin and tape, written for Clara Levy and supported by FONCA. 
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© Nancy Horowitz
01.11.21
I've been commissioned to write a new piece for the wonderful cellist and woman Katharina Gross. It'll be premiered at the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2022. 
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18.09.21
I am so honoured to be selected to enter the National System of Art Creators from the National Fund for Culture and Arts of Mexico (FONCA).





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15.09.21
Writing music for a dance film by Gilda Stillbäck and Sofia Norlin.
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​11.09.21
​Finally a premier with audience! 
World premiere of LA COYOTADA ​commissioned by the amazing CEPROMUSIC Ensemble.
​Anthropology Museum Mexico. 
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11.06.21
I am finalist of the 4th Henfrey Prize for Composition at the University of Oxford with my piece Queen Alice, written for Trio ATEM 
 
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20.03.21
​CRHYSALIS: AMERICAS  Oxford/NY

New commission by the Oxford Alternative Orchestra.
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19.03.21
De oído en oído ​for an early and contemporary music ensembles. Commissioned by Música UNAM.


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19.02.21
New commission by the LA Phil Voices of the Americas at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 


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​25.01.21

For a second year, I co-organise the World's Music at Oxford concert series at the University of Oxford. 



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21.01.21
​Coloquio Salvador Contreras
Arte sonoro y creación musical en México. 
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Erika Vega · B L A N C O for voice and piano (2019)





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Festival Vértice, México
B L A N C O for voice and piano (2019)
Based on a poem by Octavio Paz
Written and premiered by Sarah Maria Sun.
​Commissioned by Festival Vértice UNAM. 
more... ​




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Kammer Klang, London
Allégorie a piece of chocolate for solo violin (2013) performed by Clara Levy
UCLA, California.​ 
The love song for violin and viola (2019) 
Based on the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot. Commissioned and premiered by Aperture Duo at BrumanFestival. 
more... 
 









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Mexico City
I've been commissioned to write a new piece for the ensemble 
CEPROMUSIC (Center of Experimentation and Production of Contemporary Music) Jose Luis Castillo conductor. 
Royaumont, Paris
Trailer of the Prototype created in collaboration with the Swedish choreographer Gilda Stillbäcka from the 
Choreographic Research and Composition Programme of the Fondation Royaumont.



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​I am thrilled to announce that I have been awarded the Young Creators Fellowship 2020 (Jovenes creadores) by the National Fund for Culture and Arts of Mexico (FONCA). 
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​It is a great honour to be awarded the 2019 Henfrey Prize for Composition at the University of Oxford with my piece Ceci n'est pas un duo ​for violin and piano. 
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​World premiere: The minimum distance -said she- 
for clarinet and timpani is dedicated to Luis Mora and will be premiered by CEPROMUSIC ensemble at Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. 
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B L A N C O (for voice and piano) is written for Sarah Maria Sun and it is based on the poem Blanco by the Nobel Prize Octavio Paz. Will be performed on the 25th October at Festival Vertice 2019, UNAM. 


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Music and dance:
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PROTOTYPE VI at ROYAUMONT

Session 3/3 – Building in progress and public presentation (from Wednesday 13 August to Sunday 1st September 2019). During my residency at Royaumont I have worked/collaborated with the Swedish and French choreographers Gilda Stillbäck and Clémence Baubant respectively. 
​Visit the gallery!
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​Writing music for dance, choreographing dance to music.
I am currently taking part of a research residency Prototype VI ​at Royaumont. Applying different methodologies for engaging the music-making body and incorporating physical movement as material for composition, enacting both physical movement and sound-production (action/sound relationships), as well working on gestual analysis. 
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.ManiFeste-2019
For second time, I will take part  at ManiFeste 2019​​ IRCAM, with a new piece for Ensemble Nikel (electric guitar, piano and electronics). 



PictureISLE © Jinjoon Lee




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KLANGVEJE   
​A musical hike throughout Denmark
I received a grant by the Danish art foundation for an artistic residency in Denmark during 2019, in collaboration with the guitarist Frederik Munk Larsen 
​more...



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intermedia composing at the University of Oxford 
I am collaborating with the corean artist JinJoon Lee and  Peter Price from the Ruskin School of Art as a part of ANIMA new music with animation at Oxford. 

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​The love song for violin and viola is based in the poem of T. S. Eliot The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Will be premiered by Aperture duo


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Past video & recordings:


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Four darks in red
In many ways I have incorporated image into the music practice. ​The relationship between music composition, and art is explored through subject matter, materials, and the overall interaction of the elements within the  creative process. Premiered by Elision ensemble.
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Icebergs breaking under cloudy skies
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Premiered by Wild Up ensemble at the Noon To Midnight Festival, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, 2017.
As a result of my participation at the LA Phil's National Composers Intensive 2017.  







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Federico Garcia Lorca se llamó polvo se llama

Premiered by MUSIQUES NOUVELLES, Jean-Paul Dessy, direction. Selected at TACTUS 2017 Young Composers Forum in Belgium. 








©2013 Erika Vega
  • home
  • concerts
  • bio
  • pictures
  • works
    • solo works
    • Chamber music
    • Works for ensemble
    • Vocal
    • Orchestra
    • Cinema >
      • The source
      • Symphonie Versatile
    • Dance >
      • Prototype VI
      • Crhysalis
  • tracks
  • Videos
  • contact