All compositions by Ben Vanden Heuvel;
American contemporary classical composer
Columbia University '18 
2018 Joseph H. Bearns Prize winner in composition
photos by Ilya Kun, Jane Ackermann, Ben Vanden Heuvel

Ben Morris is a composer whose music tells unconventional stories and crosses genre boundaries. He is Assistant Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia. Rincón Estrada has focused most of his work on chamber music with premieres by ensembles, such as Nieuw Ensemble, Les Jeunes Solistes, Trio Kai and The Barton Workshop. Mixed media chamber music involving live acoustic performance, real-time processing and fixed media is also part of his catalogue including performances among others from Ensemble Modelo62 and uiiachii. At the same time collaborations with solo performers have furnished pieces for soprano Beatriz Elena Martínez, harpsichordist Anne Marie Dragosits, and pianist Patricia von Blümroder. Electroacoustic works that include use of analog modular synthesizers to software development in SuperCollider, are also included in his catalogue. His work has been performed in venues of Europe, North and South America. Other artistic collaborations include interdisciplinary collective creation projects traversing contexts of sound art, dance and performance. Among them Invierno, described as an itinerating household sound installation and performance, as well as Restos Imaginarios, performance for solo dancer and singer. As a performer he is an active member of the CREATE Ensemble, where he has developed and performed custom-made digital musical instruments based on SuperCollider. Rhythm and timbre are recurrent materials for his compositional work, and presently both sound spatialization, especially for large multi-channel setups and microtonality are research interests of his creative work as well.


Tomás I. Gueglio Saccone is an Argentine composer currently based in Chicago

Yu Oda (b.1983) is a composer based in the the Netherlands. His activities include composing for various ensembles/musicians as well as performing live electronics. The list of his compositions has a wide range of styles, and they are characterized in exploring groove and sound colour. Such as open gallery, classic concert hall, underground venue, theatre, radio, film, and religious ceremony, his works have been presented in a wide range of occasions and recognized internationally.

In addition to working as a composer in a traditional manner, Oda has been a member of "Plastiklova", a duo consisting of vibraphone and electronics, and "Project 128", a live techno band, in which he performs live electronics. He has also co-founded a group of Amsterdam-based musicians "stichting Earvision" and worked as artistic director/composer of contemporary music ensembles "Looptail" and "Amsterdam Collage Ensemble".

International music festivals his works have been performed include: Gaudemus Muziekweek (NL), Holland Festival (NL), Oerol Festival (NL), Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), Grachten Festival (NL), Sounds of Music Festival (NL), MATA Festival (US), Darmstadt International Summer Courses (DE), Forum Neuer Musik (DE), Time of Music Festival (FI), Rainy Days Festival (LUX), and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK). And, his works have been nominated for Toonzetters (2012), Gaudeamus Prize (2011), as a finalist of Henriette Bosmansprijs and Tera de Marez Oyensprijs (2011), and awarded for the 2nd prize in Young Composers Meeting (2012) and honorable mention of the 32nd Irino Prize.

Oda has worked with groups, ensembles, musicians, and artists, such as: Noord Nederlands Toneel, Noord Nederlands Orkest, United Instruments of Lucilin (LUX), Ensemble Proton (CZ), Scenatet (DK), Joint Venture Percussion Duo, Ensemble Phoenix (CZ), orkest de ereprijs, Kölner Gagaku (DE), Ensemble10/10 (UK), Leo Smit Ensemble, and Asko | Schönberg.

Oda was born in Japan and started his musical activity playing and composing in a rock band. He has studied composition and graduated from California State University, Northridge, and Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

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