DR. RUBENS ASKENAR IS CELEBRATED FOR HIS ARTISTIC VISION, COMMITMENT TO EXPERIMENTATION, AND AVANT-GARDE APPROACH TO HIS CRAFT
His expertise extends to the sophisticated domains of acoustic and electronic sound design, where the synergy of these disciplines plays a crucial role in shaping his meticulous explorations of materialistic composition and orchestration.
Ruben's diverse career is defined by his dual roles as a freelance composer and Professor of Composition at the Academy.
His creative oeuvre is characterised by its diverse range of genres and forms, reflecting his exploration of compositional models based on multi-instrumental practice and technological developments. His works have been performed worldwide at an array of international festivals, including Muziekgebow in Holland, reMusic in Russia, FIMC in Spain and MATA festival in New York.
As part of the Academy's bicentenary celebrations, Rubens embarked on a cycle of pieces that traverse fragmented instrumental relationships, fuelled by intricate experimentation in both acoustic and electronic contexts. These novel instrumental bodies prove ideal within his musical universe, as they lack technical-instrumental context and interpretive reference, enabling him to craft unique and innovative compositional materials.
His performative abilities as a multi-instrumentalist have led to a deeply materialistic conception of his craft. His pioneering approach involves not only creating and developing new instruments but also manipulating them and delving deeply into their unique modes of vibration, constantly pushing the boundaries of what has been offered and striving to reveal what has yet to be explored.
Rubens has worked extensively in the field of live composition, creating and developing an innovative compositional system that facilitates a seamless interactive space for composers, ensembles and orchestras alike, redefining the boundaries of collaboration within contemporary music composition.
Supervision
Rubens supervises and examines PhDs in Composition (primary supervisor) at the Academy and at The Royal College of Music. Supervised project areas include orchestration models of inexact pitch notation, technology and timbre and the influence of electronics on orchestration practice, and Spectro-morphological approaches in composition.
Selected Publications
A catalogue of selected published compositions can be found at Composers Edition
Askenar, R., Lessons on Disremembering. Models of Sound Creation. Colección Canora II. Ateneo de La Laguna, 2023