|
Santiago Vera-Rivera
Santiago Vera-RiveraSantiago Vera-Rivera (b. November 02, 1950)
(also known as Santiago Vera Rivera, without hyphen) is a Chilean
composer, teacher and musical researcher.
Studies
Vera-Rivera began his studies in composition at the Arts Faculty of
the Universidad de Chile, under composers Carlos Botto, Alfonso
Letelier, Juan Amenábar, Juan Lemann and Cirilo Vila.
He has taught at all educational levels in Chile and gave courses in
Equator, Bolivia, Colombia and Spain. At the present time he is a
permanent teacher and Director of the Departamento de Educación
Musical at the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación
(UMCE), the Universidad de Chile and the Instituto Interamericano de
Educación Musical (Inter-American Music Education Institute), a
Chile-based organism of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Academic posts
Vera-Rivera was a founding member of prestigious authors and
academic institutions, some of which he represented in Argentina,
Brazil, Spain, Italy, Sweden, France and England. In 1987, he was
elected President of the Asociación Nacional de Compositores de
Chile (ANC). On May 25, 1998, he was nominated as full member and
for period 2000-06 Executive Secretary of the Academia Chilena de
Bellas Artes of the Instituto de Chile, at present holding the post
of President for period 2007-10.
Some compositions and awards
He has written more than 80 works for different genres, including
the contemporary pieces Apocalíptika II for string orchestra and
piano, Apocalíptika III (1991) for orchestra and choir, and
Silogístika I (1989), for flute and acoustic guitar. "Refocilaciones"
(2007), for guitar will be released World Premiere in London in the
month of July by the prestigious Chilean guitarist Luis Orlandini.
He was the founder and director of SVR Producciones, a recording
label created in 1987 to publish Chilean and Latin American concert
and folk music from the 20th century. His repertoire includes more
than 70 musical works for almost all genres. Several of them have
received national and international awards. Most of his work has
been edited and performed in Chile, United States, Europe and
Oceania.
In 1987, he composed the first Mass for choir, soloists, traditional
instruments and orchestra in Honor of Pope John Paul II. In 1989,
his “Apocalíptika II” for string orchestra and piano was selected by
an international jury among 589 musical compositions from all over
the world for the World Music Days Oslo-90; its premiere took place
in Oslo (Norway) in September 1990. By the end of 1993, his
“Silogístika II” for voice (alto), clarinet, violin, violoncello and
piano obtained the highest score in it category in the sixth edition
of the contemporary Latin American music festival Trimalca (Tribuna
Musical de América Latina y el Caribe) that took place in Mar del
Plata (Argentina).
In 1996, he obtained the first prize in the competition of the
National Federation of Chilean Choirs for the harmonization of the
song “Arranca, Arranca”, by Violeta Parra. His harmonization of
another song by Violeta Parra, “Gracias a la Vida”, was performed
for the first official visit of a President from Finland to Chile on
March 5, 1997 at the Municipal Theater of Santiago (Chile) by the
Finnish artists Johanna Rusanen (soprano) and Ilkka Paananen
(piano). In 1998, Santiago Vera-Rivera composed "Sonata al Jazz",
dedicated to Walter "Pee Wee" Hunt.
In recognition for his production and distribution of Chilean and
Latin American classical music (música docta), Vera-Rivera was
awarded in 2004 with the Prize of the Consejo Chileno de la Música
(Chilean Council of Music), affiliated to the International Music
Council of the Unesco. The year 2006 SVR Producciones received the
Prize of the Critic by "Their permanent work of diffusion of works
of composers and interpreters of learned music".
|
