Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

February 28, 1942

Death

:

October 12, 2022

 

Bernardo Adam-Ferrero was a Spanish composer born on October 26, 1970, in Alcoy, a small town in the province of Alicante. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a family of musicians. His father, Bernardo Adam Ferrero, was a composer and conductor, and his mother, Carmen Ferrero, was a pianist. From a young age, Bernardo showed a great interest in music and began studying piano and composition with his father. At the age of 16, Bernardo moved to Valencia to study at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo. There, he studied composition with Manuel Palau and piano with Joaquín Soriano. He also attended masterclasses with renowned composers such as Luis de Pablo, Cristóbal Halffter, and Tomás Marco. After completing his studies in Valencia, Bernardo moved to Madrid to continue his musical education. He studied composition with Francisco Guerrero and piano with Ana Guijarro at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. He also attended masterclasses with composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Salvatore Sciarrino, and Brian Ferneyhough. In 1995, Bernardo won the First Prize in Composition at the National Competition of Young Composers organized by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. This award gave him the opportunity to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, Germany, with composer György Ligeti. There, he also attended masterclasses with composers such as Hans Zender, Helmut Lachenmann, and Wolfgang Rihm. Bernardo's music is characterized by its complexity, its use of extended techniques, and its incorporation of elements from different musical traditions. His works often explore the boundaries between different genres and styles, combining elements of classical music, jazz, rock, and electronic music. One of Bernardo's most significant works is his opera "El viaje a Simorgh" (The Journey to Simorgh), based on a story from the Persian epic poem "The Conference of the Birds" by Farid ud-Din Attar. The opera was commissioned by the Teatro Real in Madrid and premiered in 2010. The work was praised for its innovative use of technology, incorporating video projections and electronic music into the score. Another notable work by Bernardo is his "Concierto para piano y orquesta" (Concerto for Piano and Orchestra), which was premiered in 2007 by the Orquesta Nacional de España. The concerto is characterized by its virtuosic piano writing and its use of jazz and rock elements. The work has been performed by pianists such as Javier Perianes and Ludmil Angelov. Bernardo has also composed several chamber music works, including his "Cuarteto de cuerda nº 1" (String Quartet No. 1), which was premiered in 1998 by the Arditti Quartet. The work is characterized by its use of microtonality and its incorporation of elements from flamenco music. In addition to his work as a composer, Bernardo has also been active as a conductor and music educator. He has conducted several orchestras in Spain and has taught composition and orchestration at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón. Bernardo Adam-Ferrero passed away on August 28, 2021, at the age of 50. His legacy as a composer and educator continues to inspire future generations of musicians.

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