ABOUT
Natalia is an electroacoustic music artist, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Detroit, Michigan. She studied composition and music theory at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Musicales (CIEM) in Mexico City and is currently completing her M.A. in Media Arts in the Performing Arts Technology department at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
Her work has been showcased in prestigious venues across Mexico and the U.S., as well as at internationally renowned festivals, including Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria, Festival IZIS in Koper, Slovenia, and at summits and conferences such as the 40.4 Festival at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Gloucestershire, and the University of Michigan. She has also been commissioned by the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth as part of “The Mexican Repertoire Initiative.” Her wind ensemble pieces from this initiative are published by The Valley Winds in Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts.
Her research focuses on creating augmented immersive sonic experiences that seamlessly combine diverse listening modes in three-dimensional space—intimate binaural experiences through open-back headphones, shared speaker systems using 3-D audio technologies like Ambisonics, and natural sound fields, including the direct sound of acoustic instruments. Her goal is to craft hybrid environments where listeners can simultaneously experience audio from these sources. She seeks to create an augmented immersive experience that enhances both acoustic and electroacoustic music composition by blending textures that extend beyond the confines of traditional stereo or fixed performance spaces.
Natalia is deeply interested in intersecting her art with social narratives, particularly using it as a medium to address gender violence. She was the sound designer for Ni Une Más, a multidisciplinary production that weaves together music, theater, and dance to tell the stories of gender-based violence survivors and to celebrate their growing agency. Her thesis project continues this exploration, focusing on gender violence in Mexico through immersive compositions using 3D audio and a hybrid listening environment.
In 2021, she released music under her solo project name, Nati Bu, blending electronic and Latin American genres with acoustic instruments, electronic beats, and synthesizers.
As a performer, Natalia has contributed as an accordionist, vocalist, and pianist in Latin American and jazz ensembles. At the University of Michigan, she has participated in groups like the Electronic Chamber Music, the Digital Music Ensemble, and the Creative Coding Collective. She also performs solo, independently exploring sensor-based technology as a fundamental element of her practice.