Juan Manuel Abras

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Abras and the second or maternal family name is Contel.
Juan Manuel Abras

Juan Manuel Abras in Amsterdam, 2006
Background information
Birth name Juan Manuel Abras Contel
Born (1975-02-01) February 1, 1975
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres Classical music
Occupation(s) Composer, conductor, researcher
Years active 1994–present
Labels Pretal, Tradition-Naxos Japan, Harmonia Classica
Website www.juanmanuelabras.com

Juan Manuel Abras Contel (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan maˈnwel ˈaβɾas]; February 1, 1975) is a Swedish-born Argentine classical music composer, conductor and researcher of European descent (Catalan and Galician on his father's side[1] and Basque, Italian and French on his mother's side[2]).

Background and education

Born[3] in Stockholm (Sweden), and then raised in Geneva (Switzerland) and Madrid (Spain), Juan Manuel Abras spent his adolescence in Buenos Aires, Venice and Bilbao, and his youth in Vienna and Kraków, receiving his music education while living in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Argentina along with his family (his father being a diplomat and journalist, his mother being a sociologist and piano teacher[4]). A disciple of Krzysztof Penderecki, Kurt Schwertsik and Roberto García Morillo, Abras completed both postgraduate and graduate studies in Musical composition (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Academy of Music in Kraków and 'Manuel de Falla' Superior Conservatory of Music Buenos Aires), while attending master classes and courses by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm and Alexander Müllenbach. At the same time, Juan Manuel Abras studied Orchestral conducting (completing both postgraduate and graduate studies) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (with Leopold Hager) and 'Manuel de Falla' Superior Conservatory of Music Buenos Aires, as well as privately with Guillermo Scarabino, while pursuing internships and courses with Michael Gielen (at the Berlin State Opera), Ervin Acél and Dominique Fanal. Prior to that, he completed studies in Piano—first taught to him by his mother during his childhood—(Municipal Superior Conservatory of Music San Sebastián, Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia—with Giovanni Umberto Battel—, Centro de Estudios Musicales Juan de Antxieta Musikaltegia Bilbao—with Luis Fernando Barandiarán—and 'Carlos López Buchardo' National Conservatory of Music—with Ana Litovsky-Grünwald and Elizabeth Fiocca—, now the Music Department of the Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte). He also obtained a Doctorate (PhD) in Music (Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina), a Master's degree in Hispanic Music (University of Salamanca-University of Valladolid), a Licentiate's degree in History and a Bachelor's degree in History (University del Salvador, studying also at the University of Deusto), while attending master classes and courses in Musical pedagogy, Music history, Harpsichord, and Marketing and cultural policies.

Career and awards

Juan Manuel Abras has been considered by specialized music critics as "a genuine representative of Argentine music [...] for premiering works that reveal a rooting in the musical heritage of the country"[5] and as "a firm promise of Argentine music abroad."[5] Musicologists have stated that in his musical works "there are, apart from the psychoanalysis [...] references to literature, religion, archaeology, etc."[6] and that "variety is also found in [...] [Abras'] musical language,"[6] which contains "in fact a unity, by nature inaudible [...] realised each time through the different styles."[6] In his musical piece 'Chacarera beatboxera', for instance, "Abras united in a whole elements taken from ethnic music, ancient popular melodies and New Music, creating a dancing whirlwind somewhat 'trance', full of solar joy and amusement,"[7] while during the Finnish premiere of his musical composition 'The song of Anna O.' he "took the listener to a world of rhythmically latent fantasy, similar to a haunted castle."[8]

Juan Manuel Abras has created more than a half hundred musical compositions (for symphony/chamber orchestra/ensemble and/or choir with/without soloists, stage, solo instrument, electroacoustic sounds, etc.) (see below), many of which have been performed[3] at: International Gaudeamus Music Week (Netherlands), International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn' (Poland), Festival MANCA (France), Time of Music Festival (Finland), International Forum of New Music 'Manuel Enríquez' (Mexico), Festival 'Le Printemps des Poètes' (France), International Festival Discantus (Mexico), International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Kraków Composers' Days' (Poland), Salzburg Mozarteum (Austria), Hellerau - Europäisches Zentrum der Künste Dresden (Germany), Bimhuis-Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (Netherlands), International Research and Information Centre 'Thracica' (Bulgaria), Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico), LRA Radio Nacional Auditorium (Argentina), Columbia University (USA), York University (Canada), University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Austria), University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), California State University (USA), Théâtre Dunois (France), Filharmonia Łódzka im. Artura Rubinsteina (Poland), Teatro Colón (Argentina), etc. His current discography (see below) includes works featured in 6 CDs published in Austria, France, Poland and Argentina.

Throughout his career, Juan Manuel Abras has won numerous awards and scholarships: Grafimuse Prize[9] (Brussels, 2011), Wiener Filmmusikpreis 2nd Prize[10] (Vienna, 2010), Sibelius Chamber Orchestra 'Bicentenario' Mention[11] (Banfield), TRINAC Prize[12] (EIMC-ISCM, 2008), Fundacja Argentynska Scholarship[13] (Warsaw, 2006), Beca 'Directorio' del Fondo Nacional de las Artes[13] (Buenos Aires, 2005), 'In Memoriam Erich Kleiber' Scholarship[14] (Berlin, 2004), 'Theodor Körner' Prize[15] (Vienna, 2003), 'Franz Josef Reinl' Stiftung 2nd Prize[16] (Vienna, 2002), TRINAC and TRIMARG Mentions[17] (both EIMC-ISCM-CAMU-IMC-UNESCO, 2002), Gold Medal Award both in musical composition and orchestral conducting (Buenos Aires, 2000), etc.

Professional and teaching positions

Juan Manuel Abras has worked[3] as composer in residence, as well as guest composer and commissioned composer, within the frame of activities held by: 51. International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn' (2008), Ensemble Aleph - 4th International Forum for Young Composers (Program 'Culture 2000' of the European Union; Paris, 2006), Fundacja Argentynska (Warsaw, 2006), XIII Laboratory of Contemporary Music (Warsaw, 2006), International Forum for Culture and Business (Dresden, 2003), etc. A member of the Austrian Composers' Society (ÖKB), Argentine Composers Association (AAC), United Composers of Argentina (CUDA) and SADAIC, Abras has been appointed[18] chief conductor, assistant conductor and artistic director of several Argentine orchestras (including the Ibero-American Chamber Orchestra of the National Academy of Fine Arts and the House [Symphony] Orchestra of the Tucumán Province), participating in the dissemination of Argentine music and Ibero-American music as composer, conductor, pianist and concert series organizer, also working as arranger, orchestrator, music engraver, score preparator and music copyist. In Argentina, Juan Manuel Abras also worked as Professor at the 'Astor Piazzolla' Superior Conservatory of Music of the City of Buenos Aires (teaching Musical analysis, Musical stylistics and Instrumental practice), as Invited Member (researcher)[19] of the Institute of Musicological Research 'Carlos Vega'-UCA (transcribing and researching[20] Latin-American manuscripts of Renaissance music and Baroque music) and as Professor at the National University of Lanús, Buenos Aires Province (teaching Musical techniques and Chamber music of the 20th century).

Selected compositions

Discography

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Waltmans, Frans. 'Juan Manuel Abras (AR).' Waltmans. Early and Contemporary Music. Netherlands: April, 2007.
  2. ↑ Wilkinson, Malan. 'Juan Manuel [Abras].' Pianists From the Inside. United Kingdom: 02/22/2013.
  3. 1 2 3  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.
  4. ↑ 03/10/2011: 'Me decepcionó no ver más óperas argentinas en el Bicentenario.' Diálogo con Juan Manuel Abras, uno de los compositores nacionales jóvenes más destacados de hoy.' (By Margarita Pollini). Ámbito Financiero (Argentina)
  5. 1 2 Coda, Héctor. 'Juan Manuel Abras y un estreno en Viena.' La Nación. Buenos Aires: 05/11/2003.
  6. 1 2 3 Solomos, Makis. 'The union of opposites. Interview with Juan Manuel Abras.' Carnet de bord. 4e Forum International des Jeunes Compositeurs. Ensemble Aleph. Paris: Coedition Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine-Ensemble Aleph, 2006.
  7. ↑ Bolesławska-Lewandowska, Beata. 'O 'Warszawskiej Jesieni' (część II).' Dwutygodnik Ruch Muzyczny, rok LII, nr 24. Warsaw: 11/23/2008.
  8. ↑ Kvist, Wilhelm. 'Är det tillräckligt irriterande?' Hufvudstadsbladet. Helsinki: 07/06/2007.
  9. ↑ 05/22/2011: 'Галерия 'Арте' показва творби на лауреатите от конкурса 'Графимуза.' Artnovini.com (Bulgaria)
  10. ↑ 09/16/2010: 'Wiener Filmmusikpreis 2010 vergeben – Kompositions-Workshops mit Badelt und Kolonovits.' Kulturia.com (Austria)
  11. ↑ 02/17/2011: 'Abras, galardonado en el Concurso 'Bicentenario." Mundoclasico.com. Diario internacional de música clásica (Spain)
  12. ↑ 08/06/2008: 'Juan Manuel Abras recibe más premios y encargos.' Mundoclásico. Diario internacional de música clásica (Spain)
  13. 1 2 07/02/2006: 'Estreno de una obra de Abras.' La Nación (Argentina)
  14. ↑ 05/05/2006: 'Beca Kleiber. Premian a la soprano Virginia Savastano. Actuará ante Barenboim.' La Nación (Argentina)
  15. ↑ July–December 2003: 'Prizewinners. Theodor-Körner Prize.' Gaudeamus Information (Netherlands)
  16. ↑ 06/25/2002: 'Se estrena en Viena la 'Suite Argentina' de Juan Manuel Abras.' Mundoclásico. Diario internacional de música clásica (Spain)
  17. ↑ September–October 2002: Ratier, Claudio. 'Juan Manuel Abras: Reconocido en el país y en el Exterior.' Cantabile. Revista de Música Clásica, año 4, n.º 15 (Argentina)
  18. ↑ 08/30/2000: 'Otra orquesta en crisis.' Clarín (Argentina); 08/23/2000: 'La lección de un gran director de orquesta.' Clarín (Argentina); 06/26/2000: 'Ibero-American Chamber Orchestra. The other side of classical music.' Buenos Aires Herald (Argentina)
  19. ↑ 'Archivos e Investigaciones'. UCA Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina - Instituto Carlos Vega. Buenos Aires: 2013
  20. ↑ Ibid. Some recent (2012) research projects include Los villancicos para la fiesta de Corpus Christi en el Cusco virreinal. Seminario de San Antonio Abad de Cusco (Research director: Diana Fernández Calvo; Main researchers: Rosana Gardes de Fernández, Juan Manuel Abras, Julián Mosca, María de las Mercedes Rodríguez and Nilda Vineis).

References

Bibliographic, academic and institutional sources (selection)

Hemerographic sources (selection)

External links

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