Victor Márquez-Barrios began his musical studies under the guidance of Prof. Gerardo Soto (classical guitar) at the Jose Luis Paz Conservatory in Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 1998, he moved to Caracas to attend the University Institute of Musical Studies (IUDEM), where he worked under the wings of such masters as Prof. Luis Zea for classical guitar, Prof. Federico Ruiz for composition, and Prof. Gonzalo Micó for Jazz guitar, earning his Bachelor Degree in Music Composition in 2005. As a guitarist, Márquez-Barrios has been part of numerous festivals and seminars, as well as workshops, conferences, and master classes with well-known masters of international acclaim, such as: Alirio Diaz, Luis Zea, David Russell, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and Leo Brouwer.
As a composer, Márquez-Barrios holds an extended catalog of works that includes compositions for a variety of solo instruments, numerous chamber ensembles, mixed choir, electronics, concert band, and symphony orchestra. His music has been performed, published, and recorded by important soloists and ensembles from Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. Works by Márquez-Barrios have been programmed at numerous international music festivals, such as the Latin American Music Festival (Caracas, Venezuela), XVII Festival of Contemporary Music of Havana (Cuba), 20eme Festival Internacional de la Clarinette (Martinique), Hollywood Fringe Festival (Los Angeles, USA), the World Saxophone Congress (2012 and 2015 editions), and Clarinetfest 2018 (Belgium), among others.
In 2003, Márquez-Barrios and other fellow musicians founded enCayapa, an ensemble focused on promoting Venezuelan and Latin-American contemporary music based on folk genres. enCayapa’s first recording, entitled “Ensamble Urbano”, was released in the summer of 2006 and includes five of Márquez’s compositions. In this recording, Márquez-Barrios worked not only as composer and guitarist for the ensemble, but as one of the producers. “Ensamble Urbano” has received very positive reviews from some of the most important musicians inVenezuela and abroad.
In the year 2006, Victor Márquez-Barrios moved to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies in composition under the guidance of Composers Ricardo Lorenz and Jere Hutcheson at Michigan State University, where he earned his Master’s degree in Music Composition in 2009, a Doctoral degree in Composition in 2012, and a Master’s degree in Music Theory Pedagogy in 2013. During his time at MSU, Márquez-Barrios was an active participant in both master classes and individual lessons by important guest composers from the U.S. and Latin America, such as: Gabriela Ortiz, Paul Desenne, Daniel Catan, Ricky Ian Gordon, and John Corigliano.
An enthusiastic collaborator, Marquez-Barrios regularly works directly with performers and conductors, as well as with artists from a variety of disciplines beyond music. He has been awarded fellowships at some of the most prestigious residencies in the U.S. (MacDowell, Kimmel Harding Nelson, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts), and has been the recipient of grants and commissions from prominent national and international institutions such as New Music U.S.A., Ibermúsicas, the International Double Reed Society, and the American Composers Forum.
Marquez-Barrios holds M.M. and D.M.A. degrees in composition from Michigan State University, as well as a Master’s degree in Music Theory Pedagogy from MSU. He has served on the faculty at Michigan State, Kalamazoo College, Grand Valley State University, Alma College, and St. Lawrence University. Since 2015 and in parallel to his active career as a composer and guest lecturer, Victor Marquez-Barrios teaches music theory and composition as part of the faculty at Truman State University, where he is also the founding director of Uncommon Practice, the University’s contemporary-music ensemble. During the summer, Marquez-Barrios teaches at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.