Darío Bernal Villegas/Stefan Christoff/Eli Piña/Alex Motta
Darío Bernal Villegas (1978) Drummer, composer, and improviser trained in Mexico and London. An active figure in the Mexican improvised music scene, he has been a member of the Mexican improvisers’ collective Generación Espontánea for the past 18 years. He is currently part of the audiovisual trio Aves de Rapiña, Arto Ensamble, and the free dance band Lágrimas del Cíclope Llorón.
In 2024, he premieres the ensemble 7 Perros, a septet that performs original compositions by Darío Bernal, moving between free improvisation, free jazz, and funk. He has performed in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Colombia, and the United States.
In Mexico, he has participated in several festivals, including the Festival del Centro Histórico, Festival Radar, Festival Aural, Festival El Nicho, Festival de México en el Centro Histórico, and Festival Visiones Sonoras. Internationally, he has performed at festivals such as Festival ¡Escucha! in Spain and the Aarhus Festival in Denmark.
Since 2017, he has been part of the multidisciplinary laboratory Redonda Libre, which combines artistic practice with life aboard a sailing vessel. He has also participated in various documentaries, television series, as well as theater and contemporary dance productions.
Eli Piña (Mexico City, 2000) is a Mexico City–based saxophonist, clarinetist, vocalist and
improviser whose practice centers on free improvisation. Rooted in physical expressivity, her
approach treats the saxophone as a material object as much as an instrument, incorporating
extended techniques, electronic processing, and percussive gestures that expand and
recontextualize its traditional role.
She has performed at venues and festivals across Mexico and Europe, including Pitchfork Music
Festival Mexico alongside Mabe Fratti, PRIMI in Copenhagen, PanDymińska (PL) Sowieso (DE),
Exploratorium Berlin (DE) Confronting Noise in Berlin (DE), Resist To Exist Festival Berlin,
Fonoteca Nacional de México, Casa Del Lago (CDMX), CCE MX, Palacio de los Deportes (CDMX)
Jazzorca (CDMX). In addition to her solo work, she has been involved in a range of collaborative
projects spanning free jazz, ska, punk, and noise, contributing to more than ten recorded
releases.
Alongside her performance practice, Eli Piña is active in her local scene as an independent
concert producer and organizer, working with national and international artists such as
Concepción Huerta, Germán Bringas, Ana Ruiz, Remi Álvarez, Tobias Delius, Todd Clouser, Mariá
Portugal (BR/DE), Ava Mendoza (USA), Mia Dyberg (DK), among others.
Stefan Christoff is a media maker, community activist and artist living in Montréal. Stefan hosts the radio program Free City Radio, broadcasting weekly on nine community stations in Canada and shared globally as a podcast (Spotify + Apple Podcasts). Stefan makes music with many people globally, including Anarchist Mountains, Aidan Baker, Adriana Camancho, Aidan Girt, Lori Goldston, Nicolás Jaar, Sessa, Nour Sokhon and Joseph Sannicandro. Stefan is on the board of the Immigrant Workers Centre in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal, contributes organizationally to Cinema Politica, is a regular contributor to Radio AlHara in Palestine and coordinates support for the Sounds of Places residency at The Wonder Cabinet in Palestine. Stefan is also a street artist and works with the Social Justice Centre and is currently a graduate student in history at Concordia University in Montreal.
Alejandro Motta is a classically trained double bassist with a focus on contemporary music, sound experimentation, and stage performance. He is the co-founder of the free improvisation ensemble Algo Cruje and has collaborated with various national orchestras, including the OFUNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra). He recently participated in the performance of Memor I.A. as part of the UNAM Composition Workshop and is currently a member of the CEPROMUSIC Ensemble. His work ranges from traditional repertoire to more free-flowing creation, integrating sound and presence.
Darío Bernal Villegas (1978) Drummer, composer, and improviser trained in Mexico and London. An active figure in the Mexican improvised music scene, he has been a member of the Mexican improvisers’ collective Generación Espontánea for the past 18 years. He is currently part of the audiovisual trio Aves de Rapiña, Arto Ensamble, and the free dance band Lágrimas del Cíclope Llorón.
In 2024, he premieres the ensemble 7 Perros, a septet that performs original compositions by Darío Bernal, moving between free improvisation, free jazz, and funk. He has performed in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Colombia, and the United States.
In Mexico, he has participated in several festivals, including the Festival del Centro Histórico, Festival Radar, Festival Aural, Festival El Nicho, Festival de México en el Centro Histórico, and Festival Visiones Sonoras. Internationally, he has performed at festivals such as Festival ¡Escucha! in Spain and the Aarhus Festival in Denmark.
Since 2017, he has been part of the multidisciplinary laboratory Redonda Libre, which combines artistic practice with life aboard a sailing vessel. He has also participated in various documentaries, television series, as well as theater and contemporary dance productions.
Eli Piña (Mexico City, 2000) is a Mexico City–based saxophonist, clarinetist, vocalist and
improviser whose practice centers on free improvisation. Rooted in physical expressivity, her
approach treats the saxophone as a material object as much as an instrument, incorporating
extended techniques, electronic processing, and percussive gestures that expand and
recontextualize its traditional role.
She has performed at venues and festivals across Mexico and Europe, including Pitchfork Music
Festival Mexico alongside Mabe Fratti, PRIMI in Copenhagen, PanDymińska (PL) Sowieso (DE),
Exploratorium Berlin (DE) Confronting Noise in Berlin (DE), Resist To Exist Festival Berlin,
Fonoteca Nacional de México, Casa Del Lago (CDMX), CCE MX, Palacio de los Deportes (CDMX)
Jazzorca (CDMX). In addition to her solo work, she has been involved in a range of collaborative
projects spanning free jazz, ska, punk, and noise, contributing to more than ten recorded
releases.
Alongside her performance practice, Eli Piña is active in her local scene as an independent
concert producer and organizer, working with national and international artists such as
Concepción Huerta, Germán Bringas, Ana Ruiz, Remi Álvarez, Tobias Delius, Todd Clouser, Mariá
Portugal (BR/DE), Ava Mendoza (USA), Mia Dyberg (DK), among others.
Stefan Christoff is a media maker, community activist and artist living in Montréal. Stefan hosts the radio program Free City Radio, broadcasting weekly on nine community stations in Canada and shared globally as a podcast (Spotify + Apple Podcasts). Stefan makes music with many people globally, including Anarchist Mountains, Aidan Baker, Adriana Camancho, Aidan Girt, Lori Goldston, Nicolás Jaar, Sessa, Nour Sokhon and Joseph Sannicandro. Stefan is on the board of the Immigrant Workers Centre in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal, contributes organizationally to Cinema Politica, is a regular contributor to Radio AlHara in Palestine and coordinates support for the Sounds of Places residency at The Wonder Cabinet in Palestine. Stefan is also a street artist and works with the Social Justice Centre and is currently a graduate student in history at Concordia University in Montreal.
Alejandro Motta is a classically trained double bassist with a focus on contemporary music, sound experimentation, and stage performance. He is the co-founder of the free improvisation ensemble Algo Cruje and has collaborated with various national orchestras, including the OFUNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra). He recently participated in the performance of Memor I.A. as part of the UNAM Composition Workshop and is currently a member of the CEPROMUSIC Ensemble. His work ranges from traditional repertoire to more free-flowing creation, integrating sound and presence.
