Born in 1971 in Mexico to a Dutch father and a Mexican mother, Juan Felipe Waller grew up in a culturally diverse atmosphere. After studies at the CIEM in Mexico, he studied composition at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Klaas de Vries and Peter-Jan Wagemans, and electro-acoustic music with Rene Uylenhoet. He participated in masterclasses with Luciano Berio, Jukka Tiensuu, Marek Stachowski, Franco Donatoni, Zbigniew Bujarski, and Gérard Brophy. His works have been performed in Mexico, Bulgaria, and Holland. Notable works include Eye Masking, which was performed at Gaudeamus Music Week in 1997; Blow (1998), a multi-media project, composed in collaboration with director Franck Scheffer and premiered by Asko Ensemble; Teguala (1999), a work for ceramic tiles and tape; and Calumnia (1999) for orchestra, which was awarded the first prize in the NOG Jonge Componistenprijs. He has also received grants from the National Culture Fund (FONCA) in Mexico and from numerous foundations in the Netherlands.