Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a Mexican-American, music composer known for his immersive operas and experimental films. His music has been premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Mongolia and the United States and his music has been featured on the BBC, MTV, NPR & PBS. Felix, a non-award winning composer, often focuses on telling Latinx themed and minority stories that highlight border issues, underserved communities and his hispanic heritage.
In 2016, Felix was featured on PBS and nominated for a Lonestar Emmy for work on his 6-Piano project in which he restored six pianos for a concert featuring two new compositions. After the concert, Felix donated the pianos to schools in lower income neighborhoods in Austin. The 6 Piano Project has since been commissioned in San Antonio (2016), Barcelona (2017), Melbourne (2017) and Houston (2019).
In 2018, Felix was recognized for his “Opera on a Bus” and the “2018 Tobin Prize for Artistic Excellence” for which he premiered his “Headphone Opera” titled, THE WAR BRIDE at Luminaria Arts Festival. Then in 2019, Felix further expanded on a series of ‘silent’ headphone operas in Orlando for Fringe Festival (Best Composer), Austin, and San Antonio.
In 2019, Felix completed his critically acclaimed commission for immersive opera. Alien Wanderers : Alien World : Alien Home featuring soloist Katrina Saporsantos. Premiering at the Blanton Museum, Alien addressed discrimination and issues surrounding the United States’ southern border, marginalized groups and re-appropriation of borders.
In 2020, Felix released Öcalan, a chamber opera inspired by Kurdish Political Activist, Abdullah Öcalan.
In 2021, Felix premiered his chamber opera, Ribas-Dominicci, on Texas Public Radio. Ribas-Dominicci, is inspired by the life of Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci, a pilot in the U.S. Air Force who was killed during Operation El Dorado Canyon in 1986. In November 2021 Felix released a studio recording of Texas Skies, written for 2-pianos featuring pianist, Timo Andres.
In 2022, Felix premiered his 3rd symphony, Santa-Almada, in Austin TX. Santa-Almada is based on a true story sparked by a quest for answers about the composer’s absent father and Mexican ancestry, revealing the existence of a half brother and sister, also having been abandoned by their mutual father. In June 2022 Felix premiered a newly commissioned opera La Malinche – Traitor | Savior in Albuquerque.
In addition, Felix served as an official music ambassador for the US in China and composed music for a series of PSA’s for an international campaign by LIVESTRONG to raise cancer awareness in China and Mexico. In late 2014, Felix reformed his band, The Noise Revival Orchestra, for a tour in Asia highlighted by festival dates in Japan and Taiwan where TNRO performed for crowds of 35,000 and 50,000!