The Spanish composer and percussionist David Moliner has been described as one of the most complete European musicians of his generation. Born in 1991 in Cuenca, Spain, he studied with Pascal Dusapin at the Haute École de Musique de Genève and with Jörg Widmann at the Universität der Künste and Barenboim Said Academy in Berlin.

Early in his career, Moliner began to develop a compositional aesthetic that has enabled him to pioneer new genres and to invent new forms. He has been implementing this aesthetic, which he calls “dynamism,” in a series of works titled Eglogas, Masquerades, Mystiques, Estructuras, Entes and Esoterics. “Dynamism” originates from Moliner’s experience as a percussionist who, like singers, uses the body to make music. His transition from performance to composition took place within this context. Moliner’s formal compositional ideas are rooted in gestures and movements he first learned as a percussionist.

Orchestral and chamber music figures prominently in Moliner’s oeuvre to date, which is published by Universal Edition. His instrumental compositions have a strong theatrical element, expressing a dramaturgy that emphasizes the physical aspect of music.

Moliner’s works have been performed by such orchestras as the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, West Divan Orchestra, Valencia Symphony Orchestra and Spanish Youth National Orchestra, as well as by such ensembles as the SWR Vokalensemble, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Recherche and Plural Ensemble. Moliner also enjoys a close association with such soloists as the clarinetist/composer Jörg Widmann, for whom he has written a concerto; Moliner in turn has performed Widmann’s music as a percussionist.

As a percussion soloist, Moliner has performed his own percussion compositions at such concert venues as the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the KKL Luzern, the Philharmonie in Paris and the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Among the distinctions Moliner has garnered are first prize at the Vibraphone Competition of the Italian Percussion Arts Society, the Universität der Künste Berlin Composition Prize commission and the Roche Young Commissions Award presented by Lucerne Festival.

Thomas May / Written in August 2023

"'Dämonischer Iris' made a very strong impression [...] Moliner is a gripping storyteller, creating a sense of suspense at the beginning and then moving in several unexpected directions, swerving from Ligeti-like whimsy (musicians doubling on harmonicas feature among the sound world, along with whistles and birdcalls) to dead-serious intensity as if in a stream of consciousness. After hearing Klaus Mäkelä conduct the Oslo Philharmonic in Scriabin’s 'Poème de l’extase' the previous day, I couldn’t help but think of 'Dämonischer Iris' as a kind of 21st-century counterpart depicting the intensely contradictory character of human nature."

Thomas May / Roche Young Commissions 2023

"David Moliner effectively structures his mythologically charged “Demonic Iris” with archaic percussion."

Urs Mattenberger / Luzerner Zeitung

"Moliner is remarkable in two respects: [...] not only blurs the boundaries, but this apparently corresponds fundamentally to his approach, no matter what instrument he writes for."

Neue Zeitschrift für Musik / Dietrich Heißenbüttel

His ability to play all by heart and his musical corporality in percussion are unique and exceptional.

UdK Berlin I-d Magazin

"(...) it is not surprising that his compositional aesthetic is considered a pioneer of new genres and new forms."

Codalario.com / Alba María Yago Mora

"his ... Mein Logos, is a work of energetic nature that arises from that percussive principle and shows off its soloist, with an orchestra, somewhat smaller than in the other scores in the program, collaborating for this purpose, except for contrasting fragments like that suggestive solo interspersed from the concertmaster. A kind of tight correlation of the concept, as of electronic music, of the "attack-resonance", together with "transversal" techniques of soloist and music stands"

Revista Ritmo / Luis Mazorra Incera

"[...] Having the composer himself as the main soloist and indicating some entries by himself to the rest of the percussionists, the discourse became really powerful"

Platea Magazine / Gonzalo Lahoz

"The naturalness with which Moliner combines sensuality and form is impressive."

El Español / Álvaro Guibert

"Bells, whistles, whispers, body blows. All this in a timbral amalgam of undoubted musical cohesion, where we glimpse influences that go from Igor Stravinsky, in those impulsive rhythmic ostinatos, through Franco Donatoni, with that heterodox use of brass."

Heraldo de Aragón / Francisco Javier Aguirre
David's Moliner Partner Adams Percusion
Universal Edition is David Moliner's publishing company