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ivan-manzanilla-uno-de-los-percucionistas-mas-talentosos-de-mexico-ug-ugtoGuanajuato, Gto., March 30, 2018.- Iván Manzanilla is one of the most renowned percussionists in Mexico and abroad. A committed musician who stands out for his intense activity as a divulger of contemporary music, so he has made premieres as soloist and with the best ensembles both nationally and internationally.

Currently, the outstanding percussionist works as a professor-researcher in the Department of Music of the University of Guanajuato, where he is the coordinator of the percussion class.

In his work as a teacher in undergraduate and graduate school, he tries to get his students to practice outside the classroom so that they obtain professional experiences beyond their university time.

Examples of the above are the concerts he has provided with his students in different parts of the Mexican Republic and abroad. A few months ago, they traveled to Tijuana to present themselves together with musicians from the United States on the border of both countries. Mexican and American musicians played in their territory the same work to provoke a reflection on the current relationship of these countries and to show that no matter the nationality but the unity and solidarity between human beings.

In the same way they have played in Mexico City with German percussionists and have performed several concerts in Guanajuato. In addition, soon Ivan Manzanilla will tour with his students in Culiacan, Monterrey, Mérida, Pachuca and Guanajuato to present to the public one of the great works for percussion of the twentieth century, "Pléiades" of the composer Iannis Xenakis.

"Thanks to this series of concerts, the students have the opportunity to work a very high musical level with a demanding and real audience that will go to listen to the project," said Manzanilla.

The renowned percussionist began his work as a musician since he was a child, "at that time I did not know the percussions, but I wanted to learn to play the drums. My mom took me to music classes at UNAM and what was closer to the drums were the percussions, that's how I started. "

Since then to date, music has become a lifestyle, he realized his passion for percussion due to the diversity of sounds they provoke, " I like the percussions because they merge many sounds combined with the visual because to touch, you gesture, and you must make various movements, some instruments are large and voluminous. "

One of the projects in which Iván Manzanilla currently works is in the scholarship of creators with trajectory obtained by the National Fund for the Culture and the Arts (FONCA), a very important recognition because of all the country only give them the scholarship to five or six people.

The project lasts three years and consists of commissioning works of percussion to Mexican composers "I will make new music of Mexican composers and release their works in Mexico and abroad."

It is noteworthy that Iván Manzanilla has been presented in international scenarios such as the Volksbuhne of Berlin, Barbican Center, Teatro Real in Madrid and various locations in countries such as Japan, France, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany and Mexico. His solo activity and chamber is documented in labels such as Tzadik, Innova, Wergo, Dorian, Mode and Quindecim.

He has also received several awards, among which is the first place in the fourth Musical Performance Contest "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" of UNAM, the first prize of chamber music competition of UNAM, the award of the Union of Critics of Music and I.N.B.A. theatre, and the Stipendienpreis in the 42 Internationalen Ferienkursen für Neue Musik 2004 in Darmstadt, Germany.

He studied the degree in percussion at the National Autonomous University of Mexico obtaining honorable mention and the medal Gabino Barreda for his high academic performance. He also holds the degrees of teacher and Doctor in musical arts from the University of California in San Diego, where he studied under the tutelage of Steven Schick.

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