Mario Diaz de Leon is a composer, performer, and recording artist, whose creative work explores intersections of sound, spirituality, and technology.
Diaz de Leon is concurrently active in modern classical music, experimental electronic music, improvisation, and metal, having produced over a dozen albums of his work in collaboration with chamber ensembles, as a solo electronic artist, in the duo Luminous Vault, and with the improvisation trio Bloodmist. His music has been acclaimed by the New York Times, Pitchfork, and the New Yorker, and he has received commissions from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, International Contemporary Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, and TAK Ensemble.
During his teenage years he explored metal, hardcore, and electronic music, which was followed by study at Oberlin Conservatory and Columbia University, where he received a doctorate in music composition. Under the stage name Oneirogen, he released several albums of heavy ambient electronics performed internationally, including CTM Festival in Berlin; Donaufestival in Krems, Austria; and The Kitchen in NYC. The first electronic release under his own name, Heart Thread, was released in 2022, and was featured in the New York Times, New Sounds (New York Public Radio), and Groove (Germany). Heart Thread, Diaz de Leon explained, “is a way for me to explore sacred expressions of abundance—a technology for channeling mystical experience.” His 2023 album Spark and Earth melds together the contrasting elements of his work in metal, modern classical, and electronic music.
Having previously taught at Columbia as Core Lecturer, he is currently Assistant Professor of Music and Technology at Stevens Institute of Technology. His scores are published by Project Schott New York.
photo: Toby Driver
homepage photo: Katrin Albert