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Agustín Fernández

Born in Bolivia in 1958, he studied composition in La Paz with Alberto
Villalpando and in Japan with Takashi Iida and Akira Ifukube. In 1984
he moved to the United Kingdom, studying for an MMus at Liverpool University
and for a PhD at City University.
An early career singing and playing the charango at folk clubs ended when
his voice broke in the early 1970s, at which point he turned his attention
to classical music (Brahms's Trio op. 40 was responsible for this). In
1975 his orchestral work Rapsodia won the national composers' competition
marking the 150th anniversary of Bolivia's independence. He paid his way
through university studies at Bolivian Catholic University by teaching
harmony at the National Conservatoire and playing with the National Symphony
Orchestra, reaching the position of principal viola. In Japan he worked
at the Bolivian embassy and taught Spanish to trainee JOCV volunteers.
In the UK he was for four years Composer-in-Residence at Queen's University,
Belfast, where the Job included the chairmanship of the Sonorities Festival.
A lectureship at Dartington College of Arts was followed by an appointment
in 1995 as lecturer in composition at Newcastle University, followed by
that of Senior Lecturer and, from August 2007, Chair in Composition. He
regularly returns to Bolivia for performances, workshops and other teaching
engagements.
Fernández has featured in numerous international festivals, such
as Focus (New York), Summergarden (New York), London International Opera
Festival, Sonorities (Belfast), Huddersfield Festival, Encontro de Compositores
e Intérpretes (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Jornadas Musicales de Música
Contemporánea (Bolivia), International New Music Week (Bucharest),
Barcelona Festival of Song, Septiembre Musical Tucumano (Argentina), and
many others.
Foto © Grover
Hinojosa
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