Bio

Diego Ramos Rodríguez (Madrid, 1989) is a composer, violinist and performer working mainly in the fields of film, concert, theatre, performance and multimedia. His compositions have been performed throughout Europe, the USA, Kazakhstan and Japan by formations such as the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble Modern, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Spanish National Youth Orchestra or the Ensemble Garage, have won several awards, broadcast on radio (HR, SWR, SRF, RNE Spain) and recorded on CD.

His music for the film The Theory of Everything (Timm Kröger, 2023) was celebrated worldwide and highly praised by magazines such as Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily, The Guardian, Financial Times and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The film won the Independent Critics' Prize (Bisato d'Oro) at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and is being screened all over the world. In parallel, he is engaged in the reconstruction of old silent film scores. At the 2019 Berliner Festspiele, the original music to the silent film epic La Roue (Abel Gance, 1923), newly edited by him, was premiered by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under the direction of Frank Strobel at the Konzerthaus Berlin.

In the field of experimental music theatre, he works regularly with the collective Matter of Facts Studio and the Ensemble uBu, with regular performances at Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt, Theater Kampnagel Hamburg, Tanzfaktur Cologne and Theater am Delphi Berlin among others.
Composer
  • 09.2023.- Soundtrack for the sci-fi-neo-noir mystery thriller Die Theorie von Allem (Timm Kröger). Critics Prize (Bisato d'oro) at the 80th International Film Festival in Venice (Biennale di Venezia). 
  • 02.2022.- Generalpause. Mousonturm Frankfurt/Kampnagel Hamburg
  • 10.2020.- Tactile Prototypes. Gallus-Theater Frankfurt am Main.
  • 02.2020.- Matter of Facts. Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main. Performed also at the Lichthof-Theater Hamburg, Theater am Delphi Berlin, Nikolaisaal Potsdam, ZiMMT Leipzig.
  • 09.2019.- Über die menschliche Natur (with Nuno Ramos). Musikfest Eroica of the Alte Oper Frankfurt. Mousounturm. Frankfurt am Main.
  • 02.2018.- Portrait-concert at the Colegio de España en París.
  • 10.2017.- Premiere at the concert series Wortklangraum (Bonn, Germany). Améi Quartett.
  • 09.2017.- Guest composer at Ultima Oslo. Améi Quartett.
  • 06.2017.- Premiere at the Manifeste Festival. IRCAM, Paris. Ensemble Intercontemporain.
  • 08.2016.- Premiere at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. Chiara Percivati, clarinet
  • 05.2016.- Presentations and concerts at the Slowind Spring Festival. Ljubljana. Slowind.
  • 12.2015.- Guest composer at the Aula de (re)estrenos. Compositores Sub-35. Fundación Juan March. Madrid.
  • 11.2015.- Participation in the 7th Composition Seminar of the Ensemble Modern. Premiere of the film-music piece Das Jech in collaboration with Timm Kröger at the cresc... Biennale. Ensemble Modern.
  • 09.2015.- Presentations and concerts at the Takefu International Music Festival. Japan. Slowind.
  • 09.2014.- Guest composer at the Gaudeamus Muziekweek Utrecht. International Ensemble Modern Academy.
  • 09.2014.- Guest composer at the Festival der Jungen Talente Offenbach. International Ensemble Modern Academy.
Further concerts and premieres at unerhörte musik (Berlin), KunstKulturKirche Allerheiligen (Frankfurt), ZKM Karlsruhe, Frankfurt LAB, Societé de la Musique Contemporaine Lausanne...
Violin and performance
Ensembles: isenburg Quartett, Améi Quartett, Ensemble Modern, Bayerische Staatsoper, Ensemble MusikFabrik, Ensemble Interface, Ensemble Conetrchamps, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Sonemus Ensemble, Duo Ramos-Ohta, Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, Laban Tanz Project...

Festivals and venues: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Münchner Opernfestspiele, ZKM Quantensprünge Karlsruhe, Acht Brücken Cologne, Gaudeamus Muziekweek Utrecht, Fondation Royaumont, Festival Présence Paris, Accademia di Musica Pinerolo, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Stadttheater Gießen, Festspielhaus Hellerau (Dresden), Wortklangraum Bonn, Ultima Oslo, Wigmore Hall London, Kunstfestspiele Herrenhausen (Hannover), Mecklenburger Festspiele, Beethovenhaus Bonn, Colegio de España en París, Teatro Real de Madrid... Further concerts in Israel, Bosnia, Holland, Italy, Spain...
Publications, sheet music, CD-recordings, interviews
  • TEXTS:
    • 2023: »Komposition als ‚Kontingenz-Verwaltung‘. Neue Musik und experimentelles Musiktheater«, in Peter W. Schatt (ed.): Musik und Kontingenz (Studien zur Musikkultur 8). Münster/New York. Waxmann. Link (DE)
    • 2021: »Musik über ‚Bilder‘ von Musik, vom Musizieren und von Musizierenden. Musikalische Narrative als Funktion des Komponierens«, in Peter W. Schatt (ed.): Musik – Narration – Narrativ (Studien zur Musikkultur 2). Münster/New York. Waxmann. Link (DE)
    • 2021: »Notation and performance practice in works for piano and electronic media«, in Rei Nakamura, Marion Saxer & Simon Tönies (ed.): Movement to sound – Sound to movement. Interpreting Multimedia Piano Compositions. Hofheim: Wolke. Link (EN)
    • 2020: »Ausdruck als Kommunikationsmittel. Funktionen wortsprachlicher Ausdrucksbezeichnungen in Partituren«, in Peter W. Schatt (ed.): Musik – Raum – Sozialität (Studien zur Musikkultur 1). Münster/New York: Waxmann. Link (DE)
    • 2018: »Neue Gestaltungsspielräume. Einige Gedanke zur Verwandlung der zeitgenössischen Interpretationspraxis«, in: positionen. Texte zur aktuellen Musik No. 117. Link (DE)
    • 2016–2020: Pedagogical comments on selected ensemble works for the "Datenbank Neue Musik". Netzwerk Neue Musik Baden Württenberg/Bundesakademie für Musikalische Jugendbildung Trossingen. URL: www.datenbankneuemusik.de/ (DE)
    • ​2015: »RUANG SUARA – Zeitgenössische Musik in Indonesien. Ein Arbeitsbericht«, in: Ensemble Modern Magazin Nr. 42, 2015/2. Link (DE)
    • 2012: Partiels, de G. Grisey.Percepción y estructura en la música espectral. Tratamiento específico de la escritura para cuerda, in: Espacio Sonoro Nr. 27, 2012. Link  (ES)
  • CDs:
    • ​​Sonorous - for two horns. Arrangements of music by J. S. Bach, H. I. F. von Biber, T. A. Vitali, G. Ph. Telemann und H. Vieuxtemps. Gebr. Alexander. Link
    • Campanella für Akkordeon und Gitarre. CD "...und sie dreht sich doch!" (Duo Steimel Mücksch): Thorofon. Link
  • SHEET MUSIC:
    • Sonorous - for two horns. Edition DIEWA. Link
    • Campanella für Akkordeon und Gitarre. Bella Musica Edition (in preparation)
  • ​INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS:
    • 12.2018.- Sonorous - Magazine Review (Das Orchester). Link (DE)
    • 05.2018.- Sonorous - Radio review (Hessischer Rundfunk). Link (DE)
    • 01.2017.- Radio Interview in Musica Viva (Radio Nacional de España): Link (ES)
    • 12.2016.- Interview in El Compositor Habla. Link (ES) 
Teaching and research
  • 2022.- Response-Project at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt.
  • 2020–2021.- Response-project at the Städtische Musikschule Frankfurt.
  • 2016–2020.- member of the advisory board of the Datenbank Neue Musik: database with methodological/pedagogical notes on works of contemporary music for student ensembles. Netzwerk Neue Musik Baden-Württemberg/Bundesakademie für musikalische Jugendbildung Trossingen. Link
  • 2017–2019.- musical assistant for the restoration of Abel Gance's film La Roue (1923). Artistic director: Bernd Thewes. Production: ZDF/Arte/ Fondation Seydoux.
  • 2017.- Guest teacher at the Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt (Master Sozialarbiet).
  • 2015.- Ruang Suara. Zeitgenössische Musik aus Indonesian. Project assistance with the Ensemble Modern and the composers Gatot Danar Sulistiyanto, Arham Aryadi, Dewa Alit, Gema Swaratyagita, Joko Porong, Ris Banbos, Taufik Adam and Stevie Jonathan. Frankfurt.
  • 2014–2016.- Guest teacher (Violin/Instrumentation/Improvisation) at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main.
  • from August 2014.- Assistant of Helmut Lachenmann/Breitkopf & Härtel, working on the edition and publication of the works AIR - für großes Ensemble mit Schlagzeug Solo (EMO Fassung 2015), Marche fatale (orchestral version 2017) and My Melodies (2018).
  • from 2013.- Workshops, presentations and lectures. International Ensemble Modern Academy. Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main. See EDU > Music Film Media
​Prizes, grants
2017.- PhD Scholarship. Gisela und Peter W. Schatt Stiftung. Hamburg.

2016.- Premio de Composición Musical del Colegio de España en París/INAEM.
         .- Egidio Carella Composition Competition. Val Tidone International Music Competition.
         .- Deutscher Musikwettbewerb - Composition. Finalist.

2014.- Lenzewski-Wettbewerb für Neue Kammermusik. Frankfurt. Mondstein Duo. Special Prize.
         .- Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb - Ensemble Neue Musik. Berlin. International  Ensemble Modern Academy. 3rd Pize.

2013.- Karlsruher Kompositionswettbewerb. 2nd Prize.
         .- Boris Pergamenschikow Wettbewerb für Neue Kammermusik. Berlin. Améi Quartett. Prize to the best oral presentation.
         .- Fundación Mutua Madrileña Scholarship.
         .- Deutscher Musikwettbewerb - Composition. Finalist.

2012.- Kammermusikwettbewerb der Pol. Gesellschaft. Frankfurt. Améi Quartett. Special Prize.
         .- Kunststiftung NRW Scholarship.
         .- DAAD-La Caixa Scholarship.

2011.- Composition competition "Colegio de España en París-INAEM". Special prize.
         .- Composition competition "Promoción de estrenos para jóvenes compositores". JONDE-INAEM. Madrid.
         .- Composition competition "Flora Prieto". Madrid. 1st Prize.

2010.- Composition competition of the Madrid Youth Orchestra. 1st Prize.
         .- Special mention for the essay "Partiels de G. Grisey". Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid.
         .- Caja Madrid Foundation (Spain). Postgraduate Scholarship.

2008.- 29th Frederic Mompou Composition competition. Barcelona. Special mention.

2007.- "Beca Excelencia"-Scholarship. Madrid.
Education
  • 2015-2024.- PhD in Musikwissenschaft (Musicology). Prof. Marion Saxer, Prof. Thomas Betzwieser. Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main
  • 2012-2014.- Master Contemporary Music (Violin and Composition). International Ensemble Modern Academy. Frankfurt am Main
  • 2010-2012.- Master Violin (Prof. Andreas Krecher) and Postgraduate in Composition (Prof. Manfred Trojahn). Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf.
  • 2006-2010.- Grado Superior (Bachelor's degree) in Violin (Prof. Joaquín Torre) and Composition (Prof. Teresa Catalán). Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid.