Biography

Tomás Barreiro (b. Mexico City, 1976) is a multidisciplinary composer dedicated to scoring music for film and television and creating concert music. He earned a Master's degree with honors from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (California, USA 2002, Fulbright-FONCA Grant). In 2008 he was selected by renowned composer Steve Reich as one of four finalists for the prestigious Toru Takemitsu Composition Award in Tokyo, saying that "Mr. Barreiro has a very fine ear." Reich also awarded him second place from a selection of 96 entries from composers in 26 countries. He has extensive experience in Music Pedagogy and has mentored a great number of students, many of whom have gone to occupy major roles as musical leaders both in Mexico and abroad.

Museo, a recently released film featuring his soundtrack (released globally by Milan Entertainment) received international attention as one of the most interesting Mexican movies of 2018, winning awards at Berlinale and FICM as well as six Fénix Awards nominations including Best Music. Other collaborations with director Alonso Ruizpalacios include Güeros, Verde, El último canto del Pájaro Cú, Café Paraíso, la voz humana, Rock and Roll, among others. Barreiro also created the soundtrack for Director Alejandra Márquez's Las niñas bien, (released March 2019) to favorable reviews at various international film festivals including TIFF, Chicago, Athens, and others.

His compositions include orchestral, chamber, and vocal works, electronic music, and solo pieces, many with awards from competitions including the 32nd Federic Mompou Young Composer Awards, Sayat-Nova International Competition, Maurice Ohana Award, and others. His concert music has been premiered in México, France, Poland, and Japan. In the United States, he conducted the AGBU Ensemble in Carnegie Hall, for a Special Weill Recital Award during the 2012 Sayat Nova International Composition Competition. In 2019 he became a Fellow of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte, the most prestigious recognition given to established artists in Mexico.

In the world of theatre, he has worked with directors Juan José Barreiro, Giovanna Cavassola, Marilú Carrasco, Isabel Tardán, Pablo Tamez, Isabel Muñoz, Emilio Maillé, and Patricia Arriaga. He is also part of Terceto de Guitarras, a chamber guitar ensemble based in Mexico City.

He is a Founding Professor of the Escuela de Música del Estado de Hidalgo, where he has taught and been part of the administration since 1999. He developed and directs an Online Master's Degree in Music Composition for Film, the first of its kind in Latin America currently under review by Mexico's Ministry of Education (SEP) for receiving full official accreditation. He developed and registered the Bachelor's Degree in Music at the Academia de Arte de Florencia, the first accredited classical music composition program offered by a Mexican private college. In 2014 and 2015 he also served as Artistic Director for Oaxaca's Summer Music Festival Instrumenta.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tomás Barreiro