Javier Farías Caballero
Javier Farías, a native of Santiago, Chile is considered one of South America’s most important composers for classical guitar music today. His expansive repertoire includes music for guitar solo, duo, trio, and quartets both classical and electric; chamber music; choral and orchestral works; jazz, as well as music for charango, bandoneón, piano, solo viola and percussion. He began his studies in composition at the Modern School of Music in Santiago under the guidance of Guillermo Rifo while simultaneously pursuing classical guitar studies with Eugenia Rodriguez, Chilean folk guitar with Sergio Sauvalle and flamenco guitar with Carlos Ledermann.
Mr. Farías’ compositions have been performed worldwide and have received numerous accolades in both in his home country and abroad. He was most recently awarded first prize at the 2008 International Composition Contest “2 de Agosto” in Bologna, Italy for his orchestral work “Canta la Tierra”. In January 2005, he won first place at the XVIII Andrés Segovia International Composition Competition in Granada, Spain for his piece “Retorna” for solo guitar. In June 2004, Farías’ work “Sonata para guitarra” won first place among 128 entries from 30 countries in the Sixth International “Michele Pittaluga” Composition Competition for Classical Guitar in Alessandria, Italy.
In December, 2003 the Orchestra of the Modern School of Music honored him with their “Best Composer of the Concert Season Award”. This same orchestra has premiered three of Farías’ pieces including Concerto for Four Guitars, Percussion and String Orchestra (2000); Dezlía, for flamenco group, jazz ensemble and strings (2003); and Concerto II for Solo Guitar and Double String Quintet(2004).
In 2000, his Concerto I for Solo Guitar and Instrumental Group won third prize in the Xicoatl Kompositionswettbewerb fur Gitarre Agustín Barrios Mangoré in Salzburg, Austria. The competition was judged by members of the Mozarteum. His piece was later premiered by renowned Cuban guitarist Joaquín Clerch Díaz at the 25th Jahre Aspekte International Music Festival in Salzburg on February 10, 2001 with members of the Aspekte New Music Ensemble, directed by Kai Rohrig.
He is the founder and director of the Chilean Guitar Ensemble, a project funded in 2006 by the Chilean National Arts Foundation. This ensemble is dedicated to the expansion of guitar repertoire by Latin American composers with a special emphasis on those from Chile.
In 2005, Fondart Editions released Mr. Farías’ CD “Axial”, a recording that features his compositions for guitar.
He has been invited to lecture on his compositions “El vuelo de tu alma” and “5 fachadas” at the University of Hartford, Trinity College, North Carolina School of the Arts and Wake Forest University along with the Alturas Duo.
In 2003 he was invited to the festival “Fest der Gitarren” in Steyr-Austria, along with guitarists Marco Pereira from Brazil and Chirstoph Jaggin from Switzerland.
Currently, Mr. Farias is a professor of composition at the Modern School of Music in Santiago, Chile.
For more information please click on the following link. www.javierfarias.cl
Eugenio González Prado
A native of San Javier de Loncomilla, Chile, Eugenio González is known for his incredible technical ability, sense of musicianship and dedication to new music. Mr. González began his studies with Miriam Sepúlveda in the city of Talca and later continued with Eugenia Rodríguez at the Modern School of Music in Santiago.
He has been a finalist in many international guitar competitions including: 1st place in the XVIII International Contest of Cantabria, Comillas, Spain; 1st Place in the Ernesto Rosson del Pino national guitar competition in Chile; 2nd Place in the IV Certamen Internacional de Guitarra “Luys Milán” Vila de L’Olleria Valencia, Spain; 3rd place in the XII Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alirio Díaz, in Carora, Venezuela; and 3rd place III in the Liliana Pérez Corey Guitar Competition in Chile where he was also awarded the special prize for the best interpretation of a Chilean work.
In 2004 he was bestowed the “Best Interpreter of the Official Concert Season” award by the Modern Orchestra of Chile for his interpretation of the work “Concert II for Guitar and Double String Quintet”, by the Chilean composer Javier Farías. In 1996, the esteemed composer and Chilean national music prize winner Carlos Botto dedicated his work “Three Preludes for Guitar” to him. He has performed in some of the most prestigious halls in Chile including the Arrau Hall in the Municipal Theatre of Santiago, America Hall in the National Library, the Goethe Institute, Anahuac Hall in San Cristóbal, the Modern School Theatre, the North American–Chilean Institute, the Matucana Cultural Center, the Municipal Theatre of Maipu, the Spanish Cultural Center, the Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar and the Regional Theatre of Talca. He has also been invited numerous times to perform at the Entre Cuerdas International Guitar Festival held in Santiago Chile annually.
He has performed in master classes with some of the worlds most renowned guitarists including Alirio Díaz, Wolfgang Wiegel, Philip Candelaria, Aldo Rodríguez, Roland Dyens, Ricardo Gallén, Carlos Oramas, and Miguel Trápaga.
Mr. González has been a featured performer as both a chamber musician and soloist on many different recording projects such as the “Young Musicians for New Composers” produced by the Modern School of Music, “AXIAL, Writings for Guitar” by Javier Farías, as well as “Guitarra a la Chilena” from the composer Alejandro Caro.
Mr. González is the founder of the Classic Ensemble of the Modern School of Music, where he is currently a professor of the classical guitar.
Contact: eugenio.gonzalezp@gmail.com