Oswaldo Torres, venezuelan composer, 1980. In 1996 he began his musical studies playing double bass in the Young Orchestra of Trujillo. In 1999 he enters at the University Institute of Musical Studies (nowadays National University of Arts — Venezuela) to get a degree on Music Licentiate; there he studied music composition with Federico Ruiz and Blas Atehortua. He was a member of the Schola Cantorum of Caracas (2000–2001), and he studied piano at “Simón Bolívar” Conservatory of Music (2001–2002), where he taught music theory (2001–2003).

He was a directive member of the Venezuelan Association of Contemporary Music (2005–2007). Some of his works have been performed by important ensembles: A Tempo Ensemble (France), Opera Nova Ensemble (Switzerland), the Symphonic Orchestras of Falcón, Lara and Carabobo States (Venezuela), Friedman String Quartet (Venezuela) and Zagreb String Quartet (Croacia).

His works have been played in Venezuela, Croatia, Argentina, Japan, China, Mexico and Chile.

In 2004 he was graduated in Latin-American Composition Committee (IUDEM-FESNOJIV). In the same year he was selected to take part of the “International Young Composers Encounter” INJUVE 2004 (Spain); there he attended master classes of composition with Roberto Sierra, Jesús Rueda, Mauricio Sotelo, Tomás Garrido, Beat Furrer and Salvatore Sciarrino.

He was selected to participate in the festival ISCM World Music Days in two opportunities: Croatia 2005 and Hong Kong 2007. In 2005 he received a Prize in the composition competition “II Salón Nacional de Jóvenes Compositores” in Venezuela. In 2007 his “String Quartet Nº 2 Syncretic Skin” was performed in Tokio in the concert “A Window open to the World” programmed by the Japan Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM Japanese Section). In 2008 his work “Retrospective Spiral” was selected and performed in the Trigésimo Foro Internacional de Música Nueva Manuel Enríquez, México.