Alex Jimenez Ruanova
Composer
Mexico City, 1979
Alex’s music is marked with his attention to the finest of technical details, revealing folkloric Hispanic American influences, as well as strong influence from the aesthetic style called Hemofiction, created by the dramatist Juan Trigos S., which has represented a turning point in Alex’s life defining him as a composer of Hemofiction.
Alex’s music was performed in several international forums and concert halls. He obtained important commissions, and his music was performed by ensembles and orchestras.
Alex Jimenez Ruanova received numerous prizes and recognitions. His composition “Ritmato a 3” for Flute, Bass Clarinet and Piano, won the workshop – competition organized by Juan Trigos in collaboration with Ensamble 3 and was premiered in the Italian Cultural Institute (Mexico, 2010).
“Music for Theater of Hemofiction” for big ensemble was selected by #Ensemble and the Ministry of Culture of Poland in 2016. “Music for Theater of Hemofiction” for small ensemble (commissioned by ASKO / Schoenberg) was awarded by the ‘Fourth Annual Bowling Green State University New Music Ensemble’ in Ohio (USA), and by The International Rostrum of Composers (IRC), where Alex was also part of jury of the composition competition in 2016 (Wroclaw, Poland).
Five pieces for Orchestra won the fourth place of “Primer Concurso de Composición Orquestal de Morelia” (Mexico, 2022).
Alex´s works and biography are mentioned in the “Latin American Classical Composers: A Biographical Dictionary”, edited by Martha Furman Schleifer and Gary Galván. As well as, “La Música en Latinoamérica” by Ricardo Miranda and Aurelio Tello.
Alex was invited to participate in the Open Call Nodus 2022, Artistic Residence in (Castelló, Spain), unfortunately he could not assist.
In 2020, he was part of the soundSCAPE festival, composition, and performance exchange.
Alex was selected as resident composer in Camargo Foundation (Cassis, France, 2010). Moreover, he was part of ‘Dora Maar House’, artistic residency (Ménerbes, France, 2015).
Alex does an extensive work producing, organizing, and leading projects with different music ensembles, institutions, and festivals, such as trio-to-go, Dieter Hennings (guitarist), LUXA 21, Cracow Duo, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (Mexico), Festival Internacional Chihuahua, and more. Currently, Alex writes the program notes of Sinfonietta MIQ (Mexico)
Alex has a master´s degree in music composition from CODATS University of Arts (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) with Klaas de Vries. And will accomplish a PhD in Music Theory and Composition at the Akademia Muzyczna w Krakowie (Poland)
Interview with the musicologist Luis Ausentia Saantojai:
“…Symphony Nº. 2, by Jiménez Ruanova, which the OFCM faced under the conformities of a score of gothic proposal and subtle jazz notes. Syncopated percussions, harp of swung pulse. Several piano solos in clusters of contiguous notes and recreation of marches and neo-baroque dances.
Which composition did I like the most? A very difficult question to answer: All four are interesting, but if I have to choose, my answer is: I’ll choose Jimenez Ruanova’s Symphony Nº 2.” Feliz hallazgo musical de Carlos Olivares Baró (05/06/2021)
https://www.razon.com.mx/opinion/columnas/carlos-olivares-baro/feliz-hallazgo-musical-437600
Alex comments about MúsicaHemoficción:
“For me, Hemofiction is Horror, fear – from the Greek Phobos Φóβος – produced by the confrontation with my own consciousness and unconsciousness, which evidences my blood ties, generating regressions to remove the induced and indoctrinated veil, all this to identify the madness. I capture such madness of the characters of Hemofiction through musical reiterations or repetitions, a fundamental part of my music.”
“I understand Hemofiction with my ears, sounds produce images and vice versa. All roads lead me to Hemofiction.”