Commissions
Original music for ensembles, orchestra, soloists, and institutional projects.
Film and Media Scoring
Original music for film, documentary, and multimedia projects.
Teaching and Education
Classes, workshops, and seminars on composition and analysis
Commissions
Original music for ensembles, orchestra, soloists, and institutional projects.
Film and Media Scoring
Original music for film, documentary, and multimedia projects.
Teaching and Education
Classes, workshops, and seminars on composition and analysis
About
Rafael Motomochi (Monterrey, México 1991) is a Mexican composer and composition professor at the Facultad de Música of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he teaches music scoring for audiovisual media.
He currently serves as Artistic Coordinator of the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Composition from UANL under the mentorship of Dr. Ricardo Martínez Leal and a Master’s degree in Composition and Arranging from the Universidad Tito Puente.
He has participated in courses, workshops, and masterclasses with distinguished musical figures such as Panayiotis Kokoras (Greece), Philip Grange (United Kingdom), Joao Pedro Oliveira (Portugal), Julio Estrada (Mexico), Osvaldo Budón (Uruguay), Constantine Caravassilis (Greece), Victor Rasgado (Mexico), Roberto Morales (Mexico), Ignacio Baca Lobera (Mexico), Núria Andorrà (Spain), and Iván Ferrer (Mexico), among others.
His compositional approach centers on the musical gesture as a structural and narrative axis, exploring the behavior of sound and its capacity to articulate movement, tension, saturation, and silence. His works have been performed by the Sinfonietta UANL, the UANL Symphony Orchestra, Ensamble de Percusión Q-Sión, Cuarteto Cromano, and other ensembles dedicated to contemporary creation.
About
Rafael Motomochi (Monterrey, 1991) es compositor y maestro de composición en la UANL y el Tecnológico de Monterrey, especializado en musicalización audiovisual.
Actualmente es coordinador artístico del Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León.
Es licenciado en Composición Musical por la UANL y maestro en Composición y Arreglo por la Universidad Tito Puente. Ha estudiado con destacados compositores internacionales como Kokoras, Grange, Oliveira, Estrada, Budón, Caravassilis, Rasgado, Morales, Baca Lobera, Andorra e Iván Ferrer.
Awards
His presence on international stages reflects the global scope of his work and the relevance of his artistic voice in contemporary composition. Each recognition serves not only as a personal achievement, but as motivation to further explore the expressive potential of sound.
- 2026 — JAPAN. Special Mention in the 1st Aion Digital Art Prize, with the work The Last Minutes of Life, an international competition dedicated to digital and multimedia art.
- 2026 — St. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.Selected composer, XIII St. Petersburg International New Music Festival (reMusik.org); Convulsión Sonora performed by the Vacuum String Quartet.
- 2025 — Timisoara, Romania. Winner of the 12th Remus Georgescu International Competition.
- 2025 — PRAGA, REPUBLICA CHECA. Participation in HOLFLUXX 25 International Festival of Film and Music with The Last Minutes of Life.
- 2024 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA. First Prize, XIV International Competition of Creativity Music and Electronics, with The Last Minutes of Life (electroacoustic music).
- 2024 —MEX. He received the commission to orchestrate the anthem of the Faculty of Music at UANL in commemoration of its 85th anniversary.
- 2024 — MEX. Winner of the PECDA Grant (Artistic Creation and Development Stimulus Program) in Nuevo León.
- 2023 — MEX. Participant in the 45th Manuel Enríquez International Festival of New Music 2023, featuring the work "La Danza de la Lluvia" (percussion sextet).
- 2022 — MEX. Winner of the PECDA Grant (Artistic Creation and Development Stimulus Program) in Nuevo León, for the project "Danza de la lluvia en Nuevo León."
- 2022 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA. First Place at the XIV International Competition of Creativity, Music, and Electronics, with the work "Murmullos" (percussion quintet).
- 2022 — MEX. Participant in the 44th Manuel Enríquez International Festival of New Music 2022, with the work "Murmullos" (percussion quintet).
- 2021 — MEX. Founding member of the Colegio Neoleonés de Compositores de Música.
- 2021 — MEX. Percussion work for the documentary Horizontes tímbricos.
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2020 — MEX. Participación en ENARTES Virtual 2020 dentro del documental
Mockumentary “Horizontes Tímbricos” con la obra, “Murmullos”, (quinteto de percusión). - 2018 — MEX. Recipient of the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León grant.
- 2015 — 2016 MEX.Recipient of the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León grant.
- 2014 — MEX. First Prize at the Nuevo León State Composition Competition, held during the Festival Internacional de Música Nueva de Nuevo León.
Awards
His presence on international stages reflects the global scope of his work and the relevance of his artistic voice in contemporary composition. Each recognition serves not only as a personal achievement, but as motivation to further explore the expressive potential of sound.
- 2026 — SAN PETERSBURGO, RUSIA. Participación en el XIII St. Petersburg International New Music Festival (reMusik.org).
- 2025 — Timisoara, Romania. Winner of the 12th Remus Georgescu International Competition.
- 2025 — PRAGA, REPUBLICA CHECA. Participation in HOLFLUXX 25 International Festival of Film and Music with The Last Minutes of Life.
- 2024 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA. First Prize, XIV International Competition of Creativity Music and Electronics, with The Last Minutes of Life (electroacoustic music).
- En 2024 —MEX. He received the commission to orchestrate the anthem of the Faculty of Music at UANL in commemoration of its 85th anniversary.
- 2024 and 2022 — MEX. Awarded two PECDA grants (Programa de Estímulo a la Creación y Desarrollo Artístico), Nuevo León.
- 2022 — MOSCOW, RUSSIA. First Place at the XIV International Competition of Creativity, Music, and Electronics, with the work "Murmullos" (percussion quintet).
- 2022 — MEX.. Participation in the 2022 Manuel Enríquez International Forum for New Music with the work “Murmullos” (percussion quintet)
- 2021 — MEX. Founding member of the Colegio Neoleonés de Compositores de Música.
- 2021 — MEX. Percussion work for the documentary Horizontes tímbricos.
- 2020 — MEX. Participation in ENARTES Virtual 2020 within Horizontes Tímbricos with Murmullos.
- 2018 — MEX. Recipient of the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León grant.
- 2015 — 2016 MEX.Recipient of the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León grant.
- 2014 — MEX. First Prize at the Nuevo León State Composition Competition, held during the Festival Internacional de Música Nueva de Nuevo León.
Rafael Motomochi
Music
Azufre - for orchestra (2025)
Azufre ( sulfur )
for orchestra
1222+Picc – 2221 – Timp+2 – Str
2025
Azufre portrays the effect of industrial activity on the environment, especially the gas emissions that
come from factories and heavy machinery.
The piece creates a soundscape in which the listener can imagine the mechanical pulse of the
industrial plants, the metallic rumble, and the smoke rising, expanding, and enveloping the
surroundings.
The title refers to the characteristic smell of certain industrial pollutants and to the toxicity that fills
the air due to these emissions.
Duration: 10 minutes
El Fogón - for norteño style diatonic button accordion and piano (2025)
El Fogón (The Campfire)
for norteño-style diatonic button accordion and piano
2025
El Fogón is a work for norteño accordion that portrays people gathering around a fire on a ranch. The music recreates the festive atmosphere of a gathering where people sing, dance, hug, and share the joy of being together. As time passes, the mood becomes slower and more nostalgic; between drinks and memories, people remember their youth and those who are no longer with them. In the end, the piece returns to a joyful character, suggesting the arrival of dawn and the journey back home with the satisfaction of having shared a night of memories and warmth.
Duration: approx. 7 minutes
The Last Minutes of Life – Electroacoustic Music (2024)
The Last Minutes of Life
Electroacoustic music – Work composed with Minimoog Voyager.
2024
This piece uses a candle to capture the transition from life to death. The candle represents the
fragility and brevity of life. Its flame, which starts steady and gentle, reflects the heartbeat and
the silence before it goes out.
As the music progresses, the candle begins to respond, moving and vibrating more intensely,
reflecting the rising tension and the struggle for life. This is a significant moment where life
fights to hold on.
In the final part, the flame returns to a calm that anticipates what’s coming. Eventually, the
candle goes out, leaving only smoke, which symbolizes total absence: nothing remains—just
emptiness and silence—a body without energy, without a soul.
Duration: 6:14
La marioneta - for orchestra (2024)
La marioneta - (The Marionette)
for orchestra
1221+Picc – 1201 – Timp+2 – Str
2024
The Marionette is a composition that seeks to represent the movement of a marionette, including the sound of its steps, its unsteady
and broken walk, the playful movement of its body, the noise it makes when its wooden body strikes the floor upon falling, and the nearly invisible strings that control it. These strings are represented by
high-pitched musical textures.
Duration: 10:30 minutes
La Danza de la Lluvia - for percussion ensamble and electronics.. (2023)
La Danza de la Lluvia (The Rain Dance)
for percussion sextet and electronics
- Wind chimes.
- Polystyrene foam.
- Flexatone/Congas.
- Marimba.
- Güiro/glockenspiel
- Wind chimes/Flexatone.
2023
The Rain Dance captures the drought that occurred in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, in the year 2022. As a piece of descriptive music, "The Rain Dance" presents a collection of scenes that begin by portraying the desperation and sobbing of the people due to the lack of water. Suddenly, they observe clouds approaching from the horizon. Gradually, the wind begins to intensify, and they collectively begin a ritualistic dance to invoke the rain.
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Murmullos - for percussion ensamble and electronics. (2020)
Murmullos (Murmurs)
for five percussionists and electronics
- Güiro
- Snare I
- Crash ride/Snare II.
- Bass Drum.
- Vibraphone
- Electronics.
2020
Murmurs is a composition that takes its main inspiration from the hissing sound of a murmur, the quietude one hears when a
person speaks softly or shares a secret.
This composition evokes the image of a person alone in the forest. As night falls, mysterious whispers and ominous creaks envelop
the lone figure in the forest. These sounds intensify, indicating a lurking presence—something is there, something is pursuing them.
The music unfolds a narrative that explores the tension between solitude and the unseen forces that come alive in the darkness.
The enigmatic pursuit adds an extra layer of fascination to the experience, encouraging listeners to immerse themselves in the evolving story of the solitary figure in the forest.
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Paranoid — for acoustic guitar (2019)
PARANOIDE
para guitarra acústica
2019
Paranoid is a work that reflects the condition of a person whose delusions lead to aggressive,
angry, and uncontrolled behavior; portraying a process that moves from calm to delirium.
The piece seeks sudden and intense exaggeration through changes in speed, dynamics, and
rough attacks; in other words, moving from a quiet moment to an intense one.
Duration: 9:00
Convulsión Sonora - for string quartet (2019)
Convulsión sonora (Sonic Convulsion)
for string quartet
2019
Sonic Convulsion is an immersion into the absolute void, where silence is broken by an uncontrollable force. The work begins in stillness, with vibrations that slowly grow and twist, moving through spasms and convulsions that suggest a universe in formation. The sound steadily starts to intensify, leading to a final explosion of stridency that reflects the birth of the cosmos.
Duration: 9:40
A ímprobo II - for string quartet (2017)
A ímprobo II (intense and prolonged effort)
for string quartet
2017
The term ímprobo refers to an intense and prolonged effort. The work begins from an initial state of calm and develops a musical discourse that gradually moves toward tension, increasing through the insistence and accumulation of sonic material until reaching a point of saturation and exhaustion.
Duration: 9:40
Agonize - for violin and piano (2017)
Ímprobo – for B♭ clarinet, vibraphone, violin, and cello (2016)
ímprobo (intense and prolonged effort)
for B♭ clarinet, vibraphone, violin, and cello (2016)
2016
The term ímprobo refers to an intense and prolonged effort. The work is based on this notion and develops a gradual musical discourse that begins in stillness and slowly accumulates tension, leading the sonic material to a point of saturation and wear.
Duración: 15:00
Mutare II – for orchestra and piano (2015)
Mutare II – 3 mov. (Mutation)
for orchestra and piano
2015
The term mutare refers to the act of changing or transforming. The work begins from a minimal intervallic material, built through the superposition and displacement of scales formed by two intervals. Throughout the piece, this initial material gradually expands and transforms, like a small organism that grows, develops, and becomes more complex, generating new harmonic and melodic configurations over the course of the work.
Fase - for B♭ clarinet, vibraphone, piano, and violin. (2014)
Fase (Phase)
for B♭ clarinet, vibraphone, piano, and violin
2014
The term phase refers to elements of the same nature within a system formed by multiple components. The work is built from a shared musical structure based on scales combined one on top of another. From this structure, fragments are taken to form the musical material for each instrument. These phases are organized and reorganized throughout the musical discourse.
Duration: ca. 9 minutos
TV Interview: Rafael Motomochi and his International Presence in Russia – Info 7
Rafael Motomochi was featured in a special report by Azteca 7 highlighting his career as a composer and his invitation to the reMusik.org festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.
RAFAEL MOTOMOCHI TO REPRESENT MEXICO AT THE REMUSIK.ORG FESTIVAL IN RUSSIA – 2026
Rafael Motomochi will participate in the reMusik.org festival with his piece "Convulsión Sonora", performed by the Vacuum String Quartet, in Russia. Vacuum String Quartet.
1st Aion Digital Art Prize (Japón) - 2026
The Last Minutes of Life del compositor Rafael Motomochi, recibió una mención especial en la 1st Aion Digital Art Prize, certamen internacional dedicado al arte digital y multimedia.
Concert, works from the Nuevo León Composers Center - 2026
Rafael Motomochi served as the artistic coordinator for the 2025-2026 fellows of the CONARTE Nuevo León Center of Composers, presenting the concert "Perspectivas: Cuatro visiones del sonido" after eight months of musical creation, in Mexico.
CONARTE PRESENTS THE NEW GENERATION OF THE CENTRO DE COMPOSITORES DE NUEVO LEÓN – 2025
Rafael Motomochi, professor at the UANL Faculty of Music, was appointed as the artistic coordinator for this new generation of the Center of Composers, in Mexico.
iNTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILM AND MUSIC, PRAGA, CHEQUIA - 2025
Winners of the Remus Georgescu Composition Competition!, RUMANIA - 2025
Reopening of the Silvestre Revueltas Auditorium – 2025
Rafael Motomochi will premiere his work "Azufre" at the concert "Hoy fue un día soleado... y no se olvida," organized to celebrate the reopening of the Silvestre Revueltas Auditorium at the UANL Faculty of Music, in Mexico
Creación Sonora FAMUS with Rafael Motomochi – 2025
Rafael Motomochi was interviewed on "Creación Sonora FAMUS," an artistic and cultural program dedicated to showcasing the compositional work of current students and alumni of the Faculty of Music, in Mexico.
Electroacoustic Music Concert – 6th Anniversary of CEIIDA (2025)
Rafael Motomochi will participate with his piece "The Last Minutes of Life" in the electroacoustic music concert organized by the FAMUS Composition Department for the anniversary of CEIIDA, in Mexico.
1º Lugar en el XIV International Competition of Creativity Music AMD ELECTRONICS, Moscú Rusia - 2024
Rafael Motomochi won first place in the Musical Composition / Sound Art category with his work "The Last Minutes of Life" at this international competition held in Russia.
Motomochi, PECDA Nuevo León Award Recipient – 2024
Rafael Motomochi won the PECDA Nuevo León 2024 grant with his project "La contaminación," an orchestral work composed for the UANL Sinfonietta that gave life to his piece "Azufre", in Mexico.
The Contamination: An orchestral work composed for the UANL Sinfonietta.
From this project, the work Azufre was composed.
85th Anniversary of the Faculty of Music at UANL – 2024
Rafael Motomochi participated in the Gala Concert of Mozart's Requiem for the 85th anniversary of the UANL Faculty of Music with his work "La Marioneta", in Mexico.
Inaugural Concert of the Colegio Neoleonés de Compositores de Música de Concierto A.C. – 2023
Rafael Motomochi presented his string quartet piece titled "Convulsión Sonora" at the concert "Resonancias entre valles y montañas," marking the inauguration of this civil association, in Mexico.
Q-Sión Regional Tour – 2023
45 Foro internacion de musica nueva manuel enriquez - 2023
Reportaje TV: Rafael Motomochi en el XII International Competition of Creativity “Music and Electronics” - 2022
Rafael Motomochi was featured in an Info 7 television broadcast, where he discussed the creative process behind his winning piece "Murmullos" and his international achievement, in Russia
FAMUS Professor Receives International Award for Musical Creativity – 2022
Rafael Motomochi won first place in the musical creativity and electronics competition organized by Moscow with a piece created during the pandemic, in Russia.
1º Lugar en el XII Concurso Internacional de Creatividad MÚSICA y ELECTRÓNICA , MOSCÚ, RUSIA - 2022
Rafael Motomochi won first place in the Music Composition / Sound Design category with his work "Murmullos" at this international competition, in Russia.
Motomochi, ganador del PECDA Nuevo León - 2022
Rafael Motomochi won the PECDA Nuevo León 2022 grant with the project that gave life to his musical work "La danza de la lluvia", in Mexico.
Danza de la lluvia en Nuevo León.
Proyecto que dió vida a su obra La danza de la lluvia
Musical Projects Developed at the Centro de Compositores de Nuevo León – 2018
Rafael Motomochi participated in the development of musical projects at the Nuevo León Center of Composers, a CONARTE initiative dedicated to promoting contemporary music creation, in Mexico.
Creators from Nuevo León Honored at the CONARTE Awards 2018
Rafael Motomochi received recognition as a fellow of the 2018 generation of the Nuevo León Center of Composers, in Mexico.
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