Manuel Hidalgo Navas is a composer who approaches sound as an abstract acoustic object, acting on our way of listening. He explores the limits of listening, of waiting, and the relief of sound in the acoustic space; and he seeks to create situations where the presence of sound carries real musical meaning. His music includes concert works for vocal or instrumental ensemble, orchestra or soloists; as well as sound installations where the listener is at the centre of an almost architectural experience of sound.

The music of Manuel Hidalgo Navas has been performed by musicians such as Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, SWR Symphonieorchester, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble intercontemporain, Christine Chapman (Ensemble Musikfabrik), duo Lab51 or ARXIS Percussion Group; in venues such as MaerzMusik – Berliner Festpiele, La Biennale di Venezia or the Royaumont Festival.

He studied composition with Gabriel Erkoreka and Ramon Lazkano at Musikene, with Gérard Pesson at the Paris Conservatoire CNSMDP, and with Clara Iannotta at MDW University in Vienna. He also practiced electroacoustic composition with Yan Maresz, Luis Naón and Grégoire Lorieux. Currently, he is a PhD candidate as part of the programme SACRe-PSL for the promotion 2025-28, directed by Laurent Feneyrou.

He is a laureate of the Fondation de France (2024) and of the Musical Composition prize « Colegio de España – INAEM-CNDM » (2022).

images © Oliver Röckle