Kuraia Ensemble was founded in Bilbao in 1997 by the composer María Eugenia Luc, its current artistic director. The group's main goal consists in making contemporary composers' works available to a broader public, while providing the composers with a high quality ensemble they can collaborate with.

Kuraia has performed all over Spain and abroad (Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador…), winning acclaim from both the general public and the specialized critics: "one of the ensembles of contemporary music of reference in Spain" (Scherzo), “an excellent interpretation" (Ritmo), “an excellent ensemble" (Docenotas), "solid and very capable" (El diario vasco, Spain), "of the highest quality" (El Comercio, Peru). The group has a variable number of musicians, adapted in every case to the demands of the project. All its members stand out as brilliant technicians with genuine musical qualities, backed up by the experience of a solid professional and soloistic career.

The group is resident ensemble at the Kuraia Contemporary Music Encounters  and Conservatorio "J.C.Arriaga" in Bilbao. It takes part regularly in other important festivals and new music concert series: Universität der Künst and Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, Labirinti Sonori in Parma and Conservatorio of Milano (Italy), Music Around (Strasbourg, France), Arsonic (Mons, Belgium), Composition Prize Fundación SGAE-CNDM, Alicante Music Festival, BBVA Foundation, CDMC (Madrid), Rondó season (Milan and Monza, Italy), National Arts Center (Mexico City), Lima International Festival (Peru), among others. Some of these concerts have been recorded and broadcasted on the Spanish National Radio (RNE-Radio Clásica) and radios of many countries of Europe and America. 

Quality, variety and innovation are the features that make Kuraia Ensemble's proposals stand out. These include the realization of documentaries, CD and DVD recordings (Orpheus and Sintonía Label). His CD "De aire y luz" dedicated to music by Luc received in 2016 the Gold award by Melómano  review. In 2014 the ensemble collaborated with Yoko Ono in her performance "Sky piece to JC". Other projects includes portrait concerts of important spanish composers such as Luis De Pablo, Joan Guinjoan, Félix Ibarrondo, José Manuel López López, and also the premieres of new chamber operas and music theater productions, among which we could mention some XXth century masterworks such as "L'histoire du soldat" (Strawinsky) or the czech composer Viktor Ullman's opera “Der Kaiser von Atlantis”. Kuraia Ensemble commissions new works from composers and often develops new music awareness programs in collaboration with the Universität der Künste and MusikHochschule in Berlin, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Basque Country University (UPV-EHU) and Musikene- Higher School of Music of the Basque Country.

Ensemble Kuraia count with sponsorships by Culture Ministry-INAEM of Spanish government, Basque government, Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, Bilbao Council, Fundación SGAE, AIE, Musikabulegoa and Etxepare Basque Institut.
  

"My colaboration with Kuraia  take probably  twenty years.  My "Epístola al transeúnte" is among his most frequented works: they have played it by half the world. Their versions have gone from the admirable to the insuperable: I say it with happiness and gratitude."
Luis De Pablo
20/09/2012

"Kuraia is without doubt one of the important groups of our country by its already long history, but above all by the conviction, professionalism and refinement of all  its members. Groups of this level are the future of music, the true music."
José Manuel López López
6/9/2012