Miguel Espinel

Miguel Espinel

Miguel Espinel is a PhD student in ethnomusicology at the University of North Texas, originally from Caracas, Venezuela. Espinel obtained his BA in Music and German from Texas A&M University. He received his MA in Music at the University of North Texas with a focus in composition and a related field in ethnomusicology. He began his PhD in ethnomusicology in fall 2017. His research interests include sound studies and modern notions of indigeneity, particularly mesoamerican pre-hispanic identity and its musical expression within a globalized world. Espinel recently participated in a roundtable panel discussing applied community work within the field in the 2018 SEM-Southern Plains conference in Lubbock, TX. As a composer, Espinel is interested in electroacoustic music and intermedia collaboration. His works have featured in concerts, festivals, and conferences in Denton, Fort Worth, College Station, Houston, Saint Cloud (MN), Eugene (OR), New Brunswick (NJ), and Tallahassee (FL). While at UNT, Espinel has performed with the Chinese, Gamelan, Brazilian, and Nova ensembles. He currently performs in the electroacoustic improvisation duo Monte Espina, along with fellow Venezuelan improviser Ernesto Montiel.