
ABOUT
Born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Luis Ramirez (b.1992) is a Mexican-Canadian composer with a penchant for rhythmically colorful textures and visually arresting soundscapes that often incorporate elements of Mexican folklore and a cinematic approach to musical story-telling. He is currently pursuing a doctorate with Randolph Peters at York University.
Luis has received praise for his "great talent and imaginative, unique voice" (Jocelyn Morlock) and his works have been performed by some of the top orchestras in North America, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. His chamber music has received premieres across the world, with performances at the Casalmaggiore Festival in Italy, AugustFest in Manitoba, Festival Cervantino in Mexico, and the Class Axe Workshops across Canada.
His work Chido earned him the CMC Prairie Region Emerging Composer Competition, and in 2019 Chido was awarded the first prize of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Awards of the SOCAN Foundation. Other prestigious awards include the OAC Music Creation Projects Grant and the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Award. He was the first recipient of the Jacques Israelievitch Scholarship at York University, established to honor the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s longest-tenured concertmaster.
Luis has received commissions from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Trio Kalysta, and GroundSwell, to name a few. In 2020, he was chosen as a composer fellow for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and he was recently commissioned for a second time by the TSO as part of their 2022/23 NextGen Composers program.
An eclectic musician, Luis has toured the Canadian Prairies as a classical pianist, taught composition at York University, conducted the Brandon Community Orchestra, presented his academic research at conferences around the world, and performed at bars with his tango quintet.