Mario Diaz de Leon (b. 1979 in St. Paul, MN) is a composer and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. After playing guitar in hardcore punk bands in the mid to late 1990s, he began writing works for classical instruments with electronics in 2001. Initially inspired by composers such as Ligeti, Dumitrescu, Ryoji Ikeda, and Scelsi, his works for classical instruments draw on many influences including noise electronics, spectral music, free improvisation, avant rock, and underground metal. He holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and Columbia University, and has studied with George Lewis, Fabien Levy, and Randy Coleman, among others. Ensembles such as ICE, iO Quartet, and Romania’s Hyperion Ensemble have performed his work internationally. He is a member of the Shinkoyo collective, founded in 2002, and has collaborated extensively with Shinkoyo members Severiano Martinez, Zeljko McMullen, and Doron Sadja. Since 1999, he has worked with visual artist Jay King, and the duo have exhibited multimedia works throughout the US and Spain. In 2006, he began giving solo performances, and has since embarked on various US tours and released the album Mira on Shinkoyo Records. He currently plays guitar in Mirrorgate, a duo with Doron Sadja.