Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Javier Bravo is an active guitarist, composer and teacher. He graduated with golden medal at the “Manuel de Falla” Municipal Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires and he was awarded several times both as a composer and as a performer.
As a guitarist, Javier has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and with symphonic orchestras in Argentine, Spain, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, México Puerto Rico and USA.
He has released six studio albums to date, with repertoires ranging from Renaissance to contemporary, with emphasis in argentine contemporary music and his own compositions.
As a composer he wrote and arranged music for several instruments including symphonic and electroacoustic music.
His musical language is inspired by popular Argentine music and jazz, together with sound resources and procedures of contemporary music.
STUDIES
Javier Bravo began his guitar studies with Mónica Cervera, and later he continued his studies at the “Manuel de Falla” Municipal Conservatory of Music where he took advanced guitar courses with Vicente Elías and studied composition with Rodolfo Daluisio. Graduated with golden medal at Manuel de Falla Conservatory, he also got a degree in Music at National University of Arts (UNA).
AWARDS
He has been awarded several times in guitar and composition competitions since 1986:
Young Guitarist National Competition(1986, Jrimian Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentine).
Young Soloist National Competition (Symphonic orchestra of Bahía Blanca 1994 2º Prize, guitar-harp category, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentine).
Young Musician Competition ( Symphonic orchestra Nacional -Strings category -1º Prize 1995, Buenos Aires, Argentine).
Carlos Suffern Musician Competition ( 1º Prize Radio Nacional 1996, Buenos Aires, Argentine).
XI Composition Competition “Andrés Segovia” (1º prize, “Sonata Porteña” for guitar, La Herradura-Almuñecar 1998, Spain)
“Luis Gianneo” Guitar Competition (1º Prize 1998, Buenos Aires, Argentine).
“Pau Casals” International Guitar Competition , (2º Prize 1999, Rosario, Argentine).
International Competition of the Festival de Música de Bs. As. (1º Mention, 2001, Buenos Aires, Argentine).
“Eduardo Fabini” Composition Competition (3º Prize, “Diálogos Rioplatenses” guitar and string orchestra, Montevideo, Uruguay,2004)
1º Honorific Mention at Music Composition Competition of the City of Buenos Aires (Awarded 2006, Composition, Period 1998-1999).
Honorific Mention Juan Carlos Paz Composition Competition (Fondo Nacional de las Artes, 2019).
He assisted to the international course “Música en Compostela” (Santiago, Spain 1993) and was a semifinalist at classical guitar competitions : UNISA (Pretoria, South Africa 1995) and Printemps de la Guitare (Walcourt, Belgium 1996)
CONCERTS
As a guitarist, Javier performed solo and chamber music recitals in Argentine, Spain, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, México Puerto Rico and USA, invited by International Festivals such asGuitarras del Mundo, GuitarrasenConcierto (Argentine), International Festival of Lausanne (Switzerland), Guitarras del Sur (Paraguay), International Festival Eduardo Fabini (Uruguay), Guitarras en Otoño (México), International Festival Cordes Pinceés (Valenciennes, Francia) and Guitarras del Sur (Asunción, Paraguay).
He has appeared as soloist with the Bahía Blanca Symphonic Orchestra, National Symphonic Orchestra, University of Tucumán Chamber Orchestra, EMET Chamber Orchestra , Congress String Orchestra, San Martín Symphonic Orchestra, Lanús Chamber Orchestra, Philarmonic Orchestra of Toluca, México, and Juan De Dios Filiberto Orchestra. He performed Rodrigo (Concierto de Aranjuez), Vivaldi (Concierto for two mandolines), Piazzolla (double concert for guitar and bandoneon),Castelnuovo Tedesco (Concerto for two guitars and orchestra) and his own concerto music (Diálogos Rioplatenses, De dos Orillas, and Concierto Porteño).
RECORDINGS
Cd: “España: de Albéniz a Paco de Lucía”. (1996 )
Cd: “A dúo”. “Silvana Saldaña-Javier Bravo” ( 2000)
Cd: “Colección de música argentina” (2002).
Cd: “Cordatum: Colección de música argentina vol. II, la guitarra contemporánea”. Pieces by S. Ranieri, G. Gandini, F. Rovetta, C. Ginastera, J. Bravo (2013)
Cd: “Carmen!:spanish inspired music for guitar duo ”. Pieces by Manuel de Falla, Georges Bizet, Joaquín Rodrigo, among other composers.(with Silvana Saldaña , 2013).
Cd: “Mantram: Colección de música argentina vol. III: la guitarra contemporánea”. Pieces by S. Ranieri, J. Kumok, M. Pavia, J. Bravo, F. Maglia, R. Schemper. (2013)
TEACHING
Javier has an active guitar-teaching schedule as a professor at National University of Arts, Astor Piazzolla Conservatory and Manuel de Falla Conservatory. He gives regular master classes and lectures as part of his participation in International Festivals.
COMPOSING
As a composer he wrote and arranged music for several instruments including symphonic and electroacoustic music. His musical language is inspired by popular Argentine music and jazz, together with sound resources and procedures of contemporary music.
List of work:
Preludio for piano, (1993).
Suite Hispana (Homenaje a Joaquín Rodrigo) for guitar (1993).Video score
Romance de la luna luna for canto and piano (text by García Lorca) (1993).
Variaciones Livianas (for guitar 1994).
Incidental Music for Tomo la Palabra (argentine poetry texts, 1994).
Imágenes for flute and piano, (1995).
Sonata Porteña, for guitar, Editorial EMEC (España),( 1995). video1 video2 video3
Danza (homenaje a Ginastera), (for simphonic orchestra, 1999).
Bitango, for piano, 1999.
Kuntur (evocación andina), for guitar, (2000).
Figuras, for electroacoustics, (2000).
Kuntur (reworked for guitar and tape, 2002). audio
Toccata (guitar,2004).video score
Diálogos Rioplatenses (guitar and string orchestra,2004).First Performance: Javier Bravo, guitar, Tucumán University Orchestra, director: Roberto Buffo, 2006
Desamparo (for guitar duo, 2005). First performance: 2016 by Dúo Bordona, Jorge de la Cruz and Julián Socolovsky. video score
De dos Orillas (two guitars and string orchestra, 2005).First performance :Circulo Italiano, Orq. Juv. del Congreso Dir: Rolando de Piaggi, Guitarras: Silvana Saldaña, Javier Bravo, 2007.video
Distancia (guitar), 2005. ). video score
Trío (for violín, cello and piano, 2007).First performance :Scala de San Telmo by Sebastián Masci, Matías Villafañe, Orlando Millaá. audio1 audio2 audio3 score
Four pieces for quartet (guitar quartet, 2008).First performance :Cuarteto “In Crescendo” Universidad Maimónides 2008.
Canto de Ilúvatar, (guitar quartet, 2014).First performance :Florencia Thomas, Esteban Carbone, Julián Socolovsky, and Jorge de la Cruz at Museo Hispanoamericano Fernández Blanco, 2015 video Video score
Alucytango, (solo guitar, 2014).Video
Two pieces for guitar( 2016). First performance :Florencia Thomas, Facultad de Derecho UBA 2016.Video
Senderos del Tiempo (for guitar and real time electronics, 2017). First performance :Emiliano Salvatore Sala Morillo UNA 2017.Video score
Construcciones, ( violín and bandoneón, 2019). First performance :Teagan Faran (violín) y Amijai Shalev (Bandoneón).Sala Morillo (UNA) 2019 video
