Antonio Celso Ribeiro (Brazil 1962 -)

Antonio Celso Ribeiro was born in Pouso Alegre, MG. Since 2013 he is living in Vitória, ES, where he is Adjunct Professor – Chair of Composition at Music Department of Federal University of Espírito Santo – UFES. Ribeiro obtained his B.M. in Composition at the Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Music in 1993. Later he pursued his Master Degree in Linguistics at Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí – Pouso Alegre – MG and after he completed his Ph.D in Composition at Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Music.

From 1998 to 2001, he worked in the United States as a teacher and composer, also frequenting courses in Medieval Musical Literature in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Member of Centre de Documentation de la Musique Contemporaine (CDMC – France-Brazil), his works have been performed in Symposiums, Festival of Contemporary Music and other cultural events in Brazil and abroad (England, France, Netherlands, Greece, Germany, Russia, Colombia, Catalonya, Thailand, Israel, Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, Uzbequistan, United States, Canada and Uruguay). His works have been performed recorded by prominent performers and ensembles in Brazil and abroad, as XelmYa Trio (Berlim), Nieuw Ensemble (Amsterdam), Atlas Ensemble (Amsterdam), Tongue Stuff (London), Dúo Altbass (Barcelona), Luis Fonseca & Jing Shao (Madrid), Chai Found Music Workshop (Taipei), Luciane Cardassi (Banff), Duo Marray (Goiania), Jiuan-Reng Yeh (Taipei), Alvin Wong (Hong Kong), Wen-Hui Lily Lin (Taiwan/Bangkok), Shien Lee (Taiwan/Bangkok), Michael Hall (Chicago), Robert Pherigo (Kansas), Tania Sikelianou (Athens), Yguazú Vocal Ensemble (Weimar), Projeto DuoBrasil (Uberlândia), Duo Buosi Barcelos (Pouso Alegre) among many others, receiving as many work commissions from performers around the globe.

Although Ribeiro has been exploring a wide musical idiom, from modal scales to microtonalisms, his recent works have been classified in the field of the New Simplicity School, always having as a starting point a text, a poetry, a landscape, pictures, paintings… regardless of languages, time, country or culture. Worthy of note is the influence of Jewish folklore on his compositions, due to his Ashkenazi/Sephardic heritage. His musical idiom has been the main topic on several Master’s theses and papers in Brazil and abroad.

In 2004 Ribeiro was finalist in the 4th Brazilian International Composition Contest (IV CICC) promoted by International Bassist Society and Brazilian Association for Bass players.

In 2009, he was awarded in the BAMdialogue – Amsterdam at the 1st Brazilian Composers’ Competition, having his piece “Two Mechanical Birds and a Melancholic Cage” performed and recorded by the “Nieuw Ensemble” during the International Gaudeamus Music Week (2009), Amsterdam.

In 2011 his composition “Shui-Sha Lian – The Old Lake’s Spirit Sleeps and Dreams so Sweetly…” scored for Di, Pipa, Zhonghu and Guzheng was awarded the Judge’s Special Prize at the “2011 Sizhu Music Composition Contest – Formosa Landscape” – promoted by the acclaimed Chinese ensemble Chai Found Music Workshop, Taipei (Taiwan).

In September, 2012 his composition “Impossible Grace” was awarded the second prize at the first Al-Quds International Composition Award in Jerusalem, promoted by Al-Quds University College of Music, supported by Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ramallah.

In August, 2014 his composition “Dragons, Flies, Dragonflies, Drakkars and the Walls of Jericho” received Honorable Mention at 2014 Atlas Ensemble Composition Contest in Amsterdam.

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Antonio Celso Ribeiro webpage