2026 Festival Artists

Classes: Group Improvisation, Guide to Performing with Electronics

Members: Felipe Aizaga, violín; Paola Viteri, violín, Gerson Eguiguren, viola

Las Cuerdas de la Muerte began as a group seeking to explore new genres and styles within the string quartet format. They were soon invited to work on various tribute projects for renowned bands such as Guns N' Roses, Extremoduro, and Pink Floyd. Thanks to their distinctive style and dynamic energy, they have collaborated—both in the studio and on stage—with celebrated artists such as Bajofondo, Sal y Mileto, Pancho Terán, and Mariela Condo, among others. Their versatility across musical genres and styles has led to invitations to conduct classes and workshops at institutions including the National Conservatory of Music and the Universidad de las Américas. In these workshops, they foster the learning and development of contemporary techniques—such as improvisation and the "chop" percussive bowing style—as well as techniques specific to genres like fiddle music, Arabic and Irish music, jazz, pop, and more.

Classes: Exploring Extended Techniques and New Sonorities, Introduction to Live Electronics, Application of Composition Strategies - Session 2

Dr. Claudia Aizaga is an Ecuadorian flutist, educator, and cultural advocate. She is the founder of SonAlt Arts and the contemporary music ensemble Newphonia, and is a member of the Latin American ensemble Son de Cuerdas. Additionally, she serves on the boards of directors for Minnesota Winds and Minnesota Youth Symphonies. Throughout her career, she has championed the dissemination of contemporary music and the creation of spaces for learning, collaboration, and connection among communities from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

As a soloist and chamber musician, she has dedicated much of her career to performing and promoting works by living composers and lesser-known repertoire. Her work includes commissioning new pieces for solo flute, electronics, and interdisciplinary projects. In Ecuador, she has been a guest artist at the Perla del Pacífico International Festival in Guayaquil and the International Flute Festival "En el Centro del Mundo" in Quito. Her international residencies and collaborations include Western Illinois University, Louisiana State University, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts, among other institutions.

As an educator, Claudia views music education as an opportunity to spark curiosity, foster creativity, and cultivate lifelong learning. She has worked with students of various ages and backgrounds, promoting an environment of trust and artistic exploration. This vision has guided her teaching at institutions such as the MacPhail Center for Music, Bowling Green State University, the Detroit Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Gershwin Conservatory, among others.

Claudia Aizaga holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

Classes: Introduction to Field Recording, Composition Strategies,  Applications of Composition Strategies

Dr. Mateo Wojtczack is a composer, educator, and cellist from New York. His compositions draw inspiration from his experiences with nature, literature, and historical sites. His current research explores the intersection of embodied composition, field recording, and acousmatic music. The most recent culmination of this research includes his doctoral dissertation, "Synthesizing an Embodied Composition Practice: Applications of Embodied Field Recordings in Ambisonic Music", and his ambisonics fixed media work, "Water Portraits".

His pedagogical approach to composition, music theory, and aural skills helps students develop strategies for making informed, creative decisions that align with their unique artistic voices. During his graduate studies, he taught undergraduate courses in music theory and aural skills at Bowling Green State University and the University of Georgia. He also provided private instruction in composition and music theory through the University of Georgia’s Community Music School. Additionally, he offers private lessons in composition and cello to students of all ages, aiming to foster a love for music and the confidence to express themselves.

His acoustic and electroacoustic works have been performed across the United States and internationally. In the U.S., his pieces have been selected for presentation at national and regional conferences and festivals, including SEAMUS National Conference, Society of Composers Inc., SPLICE Institute, the Tennessee Valley Music Festival, and the Very Spicy Opera Aria Institute. He has also collaborated with the Taceti Ensemble for the Thailand International Contemporary Music Festival (Bangkok, Thailand) and the Valencia International Contemporary Ensemble for the Valencia International Performance Academy (Valencia, Spain).

Mateo earned his doctorate in composition from the University of Georgia, studying under Emily Koh and Peter van Zandt Lane. He holds a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia. When not composing, Mateo enjoys hiking, traveling, and playing video games.

Classes: History of Electroacoustic Music, Introduction to Live Electronics

Sum Yee Lee is a composer, pianist, and artistic director from Guangzhou, China, based in Seattle, Washington (USA). As a sacred music director, she has extensive experience leading rehearsals and religious services, recruiting musicians, and selecting diverse repertoire. Sum Yee has organized concerts and managed social media for contemporary music events at Bowling Green State University.

Sum Yee has extensive experience teaching composition, piano, and music theory to students of all ages. She encourages young musicians to draw inspiration from a variety of musical styles. Her students actively participate in prestigious national competitions.

Her music often draws inspiration from nature, human experiences, and works of art, and is characterized by spontaneous shifts in dynamics, color, character, and texture. She has received recognition from the New York Youth Symphony’s 2024 First Music Commission and won the Call for Scores for the 2024 IAWM Annual Concert. Her music has been presented at the SEAMUS National Conference, Electronic Music Midwest (EMM), the Dream American Emerging Composers Concert,  "She Scores" concert series, and MOXsonic.

Sum Yee is pursuing a doctorate in composition and a master's degree in media arts technology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her master's degree in composition from Bowling Green State University. She also holds bachelor's degrees in piano and composition from Western Washington University, and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Washington.

Guest Composer

Class: Sonic World of "Quintet for Pífano" - A mixture of Andean tradition and academic music

Adrián Maldonado is an Ecuadorian musician, composer, music producer, and educator born in Quito. His artistic work spans academic, popular, and traditional Latin American music, integrating contemporary, Andean, and symphonic influences into versatile and innovative soundscapes.

He holds degrees in Clarinet, Music Production, and Popular Music from the Universidad de los Hemisferios, as well as a Master’s degree in Musical Composition and Sound Arts from the Universidad de las Artes de Guayaquil. He furthered his training at the George Gershwin Conservatory, FOSJE, and the Agrupación Sur Quitus, while also participating in courses and masterclasses covering saxophone, clarinet, jazz, Andean and Arabic instruments, live sound, and musical conducting.

As a performer, he has played with major Ecuadorian musical institutions, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador, the City of Quito Orchestra, the Quito Metropolitan Band, and the Municipal Band. In 2014, at the age of 19, he performed as a soloist with the Quito Metropolitan Band after winning an international clarinet competition; in 2017, he won another competition, performing as a soloist with that year's clarinet choir.

As a composer, he has been part of the creative teams for large-scale musical-theatrical works such as the "Cantata 200 años de Gesta Libertaria", "Cantata Rumiñahui", and "Cantata Eloy Alfaro", all premiered at major venues in Quito. Notably, his role in these cantatas extended beyond composing and performing to include musical direction and general production. In the realm of popular and Latin American music, he has collaborated with artists and groups such as Margarita Laso, Papaya Dada, Curare, Tierra Libre, and Proyección Altiplano, as well as various symphonic and corporate ensembles. He has also participated in large-scale musicals such as "Cabaret" and "Chicago". He currently teaches harmony, clarinet, and saxophone at the Universidad de los Hemisferios and serves as concertmaster of the Andean Instruments Orchestra of Ecuador. Additionally, he directs his own music academy, Sinfonart, where he provides instruction in clarinet, saxophone, Andean instruments, harmony, solfège, composition, and ear training.

Winning work: The Qinghai Lake

Wang Ziyuan is a young composer from Beijing, admitted to Central Conservatory of Music High School as top of his major in 2020, studying under Professors Hao Weiya, Chen Xinruo and Yao Chen.

At 17, he was the only student from his school shortlisted for the 14th "Bai Chuan Award", with his winning work performed at He Luting Concert Hall. His award-winning works are performed globally, fusing modernist techniques with East Asian pentatonic traditions in sincere, innovative creation.

Winning Work: Is It Me?

Cristina Lord is a Los Angeles-based composer, electronic musician, occasional vocalist and pianist, and educator. Her work often explores interactive electronics, the intersection between popular and classical genres, and collaboration with other art mediums such as film, poetry, theater, and dance. Lately she has often been exploring generative algorithmic electronics to create adaptive, aleatoric textures.

Cristina has written for organizations and ensembles including Experiments in Opera, People Inside Electronics, c3LA, loadbang, Gnarwhallaby, Friction Quartet, HOCKET, Neave Trio, the Southern California Brass Consortium, and the Long Beach Laptop Collective, among others. She has participated and been featured in festivals and institutes such as the Hear Now Music Festival, New Music Gathering, Oh My Ears, soundpedro, Longy’s Divergent Studio, Westben, and the Splice Institute.

Cristina is co-founder of the Los Angeles Electroacoustic Ensemble, a laptop quartet specializing in the performance of live electronic chamber music. She also is an independent singer-songwriter and electronic music producer under the moniker Universed.

Besides writing, Cristina is active in the Los Angeles new music community as Associate Director of People Inside Electronics. Cristina teaches classes in music technology, electronic music, theory, and musicianship at CSU Long Beach, Chapman University, and Fullerton College.