Biography
Sebastián Errázuriz is an award winning Chilean composer. With his opera Viento Blanco (White Wind), he won Altazor Prize, Circle of Arts Critic Award and the recognition of the audience. His works for orchestra, chorus, instrumental and vocal soloists and chamber ensembles are performed widely in Chile and internationally. Beside that, he´s a musical producer and conductor for theater and films music.
About the USA premiere of La Caravana conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs published on November 21, 2009: “A dark-hued and ominous work that shows excellent compositional skills…. The piece has won a number of competitions and it is easy to see why. The composer was in the audience and took a well-deserved bow.” Also in Chile the press has commented his work on several opportunities like: “100 Leaders 2004”, “Revista El Sábado”, “Successful Young People” (2008) Diario Financiero, in addition to numerous interviews and chronicles in the media.
Born in Santiago, Chile in 1975, he began his musical career as a teenager, in the Projazz Academy studying guitar and harmony as well as participating in choirs. His professional education in composition started in the Instituto Profesional Escuela Moderna de Musica. Later he went on to earn a Master of Arts Degree from Universidad de Chile. His main professors have been Juan Orrego Salas, Guillermo Rifo, Jorge Martínez, Luis José Recart, Aliocha Solovera and Toly Ramírez. Later he studied Orchestra Conduction with Professor Eduardo Browne.
He is the Musical Director of Universidad San Sebastián since 2012. He founded Colectivo Los Musicantes at Projazz Profesional Institut premmiering a wide range of new works by chilean young composers.
Since 1999 his works are part of the regular programs for the country’s main orchestras such as the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil, Orquesta de Cámara de Valdivia, Orquesta Filarmónica de Temuco, the Orquesta Moderna, the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile, the Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de Concepción, the Camerata Los Andes, the Orquesta Mayor, and many others.
He has composed a variety of chamber works commissioned by prominent Chilean soloists for concerto performances throughout the country and abroad. In 2003 he won first place in the “Jorge Peña Hen Public Contest” with his symphonic work called “La Caravana “. Then, this work was published by Filarmonika Inc.
He has also participated in the main Contemporary Music Festivals in the country and in the Teatro Municipal de Santiago 150 year Commemoration with a symphonic work, “A History of Time”. He has been selected on two occasions for the “Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile Discovery Season”.
His work as composer and producer includes more than 15 phonograms such as “Siete proposiciones y un epílogo” (MusicActual), “Viento Blanco” (Oveja Negra), “Música Descubierta” (Fondart 2003); “Música y Poesía “(EM); “Chilean Viola XXI Century” Fondart 2001); and “Cuarteto Iniesta” (Fondart 2003), in addition to music for films and theater productions. In March 2008 his opera Viento Blanco successfully debuted in the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, winning acclaim from the public as well as the critics.
At 2013 he premmiere Gloria, a chamber opera about gossip TV programms at GAM with a great succes of the critic and sold out 12 shows.
He is a member of the National Composers Association.
In November 2015 he premiered his children's opera Papelucho at the Municipal Theater of Santiago.
In 2016 he composed, directed and commissioned the Chilean National Ballet to premiere the work Dos Times Bach.
2017 creates the Marzipan Symphonic show for the National Symphony Orchestra together with the mythical children's music group.
Since 2017 he lives and composes in Frutillar, Creative City of Music. In 2018 he premiered Cantata de los Oficios with 300 children from the Lake District.
Last march he premiered Patagonia, a post-Pandemic Musical Theater play thanks to an Iberescena Fund and FONDART at Teatro del Lago and Teatro Bío-Bío.
On 2022 he received the President of the Republic Award in Performing Arts for Opera.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Award for National Performing Arts President of the Republic 2022 mention Opera.
Opera XXI Award for Best Opera Production in Latin America 2022 for Ópera Patagonia.
Art Critics Circle Award for Best Patagonia Opera Staging, 2022.
First Place in the Jorge Peña Hen Composition Contest with the symphonic work La Caravana, 2003.
Young leaders El Sábado Magazine, 2004.
150 Years Season Medal of the Municipal Theater of Santiago, 2007.
Young people with success, Diario Financiero 2008.
Art Critics Circle Award 2008.
Altazor Award 2009.
Professional orchestra that he has conducted
Valdivia Chamber Orchestra
Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra
Temuco Philharmonic Orchestra
Chilean Chamber Orchestra
Small Municipal Orchestra
Ensamble MusicActual
Patagonia Orchestra
New World Orchestra
Youth Orchestras that he has conducted
National Youth Symphony Orchestra
Binghamton University Symphony (USA)
modern orchestra
The Projazz Musicians Collective
Coyhayque Youth Orchestra
Municipal Orchestra of Coyhaique
Orchestra of the Conservatory of the Austral University
Vitacura Interschool Orchestra