Mikel Urquiza (1988, Bilbao) studies composition first at Musikene (San Sebastian) with Gabriel Erkoreka and Ramon Lazkano, then at the CNSM in Paris with Gérard Pesson. In 2014 he follows the Royaumont Voix nouvelles program. In 2019 he is mentored by the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation. He is a fellow of the French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici 2019-2020.

His chamber music is widely performed in Europe : his piano trio Cinq pièges brefs is played, among others, by Meitar Ensemble, the New European Ensemble, United Instruments of Lucilin and mdi ensemble ; Pièges de neige, premiered by Trio Catch at Cologne Philharmonie is then performed in Berlin, Hamburg and the Maison de la Radio in Paris. Diotima Quartet plays Indicio at the Festival Pontino in Italy, the BBVA Foundation in Bilbao, Ensems Festival in Valencia, and Musikprotokoll in Graz.

He collaborates with French ensembles such as C Barré, L'Instant Donné and the Ensemble Intercontemporain ; in Germany, he works with Trio Accanto, ascolta, mosaik ensemble and Musikfabrik. His music is performed as well at Présences Festival, ECLAT Festival, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, MATA New York and the Gaudeamus Muziekweek.

He writes several song cycles, such as Alfabet, for Sarah Maria Sun, I nalt be clode on the frolt, for Marion Tassou, or Songs of Spam, for the Neue Vocalsolisten.

His piano piece Contrapluma has travelled along the ECHO network — from Amsterdam Concertgebouw to the Wiener Musikverein — and has been in the selection of piano competitions Ferruccio Busoni and Concours International d’Orléans.