Italy

Luigi Porto His musical world equally includes art music and popular idyoms, often in a border land between them.
Luigi started composing for electronics and small ensembles in the late 90's, producing demos and playing guitar and keyboards with several bands in Italy, also being composer in residence with some theatre companies.
After appearing in some compilations and split albums, he released a couple of full-length as Mond (My My After World, 2004) and Appleyard College (Look At Me, Cold Current, 2006) before starting using his own name (Respirano, self, 2007; Scimmie, Cineploit, 2014)
and collaborating with the Italian band Maisie (Balera Metropolitana, Snowdonia, 2008; Maledette Rockstar, Snowdonia, 2018).
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Starting as a guitarist and keyboardist, Luigi studied later with Ivano Morrone, Edgar David Grana, Ray Lustig, Conrad Cummings, Jude Vaclavik.
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His chamber music, defined "uncanny" has been performed in Italy, Belgium, US,
also featured in films, documentaries, advertising, art videos,
and distributed worldwide on supports and digitally.
Luigi performs from time to time with some ensembles,
playing guitar, bass, keyboards and piano.
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Since 2013 he is resident composer and Chief Sound Designer
at NY International Brazilian Opera company.
​He​ lives and works in New York City.​​

Spain

First Prize winner of the prestigious Dimitri Mitropolous International Competition for Composers (Athens, 2007) and Composer in Residence of the Percussion Ensemble "Opercussion" at the Bayerische Staatsoper (2013-2015), the composer and pianist Oriol Cruixent (Barcelona, 1976) has an extensive catalog of more than 75 opuses that include compositions for solo, chamber, choir, orchestra and opera. His works have been commissioned, performed and broadcast internationally (Philharmonie Berlin, Die Glocke Bremen, Siemens Auditorium München, Musiksaal in der Kongresshalle Nürnberg, Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, Auditori Nacional de Barcelona, Megaro Mousikis Athens, CCM Cincinnati, NCPA-Festival Beijing, Theatre of the City of Shanghai, Evian Music Festival, Auditorio de la USACH Santiago de Chile, Academy of Music of Zagreb, Conservatory Bucarest, Bayern4-Klassik, NDR, Catalunya Ràdio, Radio Nacional de España, ERT Greece),by internationally renowned orchestras (Münchener Rundfunkorchester, Bremer Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Schwerin, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Detmolder Kammerorchester, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Orchestra of Colours Athens, Orquesta de la USACH-Santiago de Chile, OBC-Barcelona). Recordings of his works have been released by the Labels FCEC, Fuga Libera Outhere, EMI, Audite and Naxos/BR-Klassik.Oriol Cruixent studied piano (Prof. Carme Vilà) and music theory in Barcelona, graduating “summa cum laude” in 1999. He also studied the violin and voice. He participated in piano masterclasses with Ramon Coll and Paul Badura-Skoda and in conducting (choir and orchestra) with Manel Cabero and Uwe Mund. In addition, he was a member of the chamber choir “Capella de Sta. Maria del Pi”, a vocal ensemble specialized in ancient vocal music.In 2004, he obtained a diploma in Composition and in 2006 he completed the “Meisterklasse” with Prof. Dr. Dieter Acker at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, being supported by the German fund Alexander von Humboldt DAAD. In addition, he participated in conducting classes for orchestra with Prof. Ulrich Nicolai, being his assistant in 2004-2005.In addition to his intense work as a composer, Oriol Cruixent has worked as musical assistant to Markus Poschner, Oswald Sallaberger, Ulf Schirmer, Alexander Liebreich and Christoph Hammer at the Prinzregententheater in Munich (2005-2008); as an accompaniment instructor at the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding (during his time there, his Continuo and Recitative play -Cembalo, Positive, Hammerklavier- brought him to Rouen and Versailles -Opéra Royal- as a Chef de Chant and continuo player); as conductor in studio recordings (Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg); as recording producer (O-Celli, Fuga Libera Outhere) and as a pianist, performing and recording with renowned international musicians (Kolja Blacher, Jens-Peter Maintz, Claudio Estay), as well as with the symphonic Latin Jazz ensemble "Banda do Patio", performing on tour with symphonic orchestra (2010-2014). Oriol Cruixent has won several international competitions, including:1st Prize of the International Competition for Composing FCEC in Barcelona (1996),2nd Prize of the Franz Josef Reinl-Stiftung competition for composing in Vienna (2001),1st Prize of the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition for Composing in Athens (2007),Finalist of the Johann Joseph Fux Opera competition for composing 2009 in