| Stefan Bracaval is living in Antwerp, Belgium.
He was born in Mechelen december 9th 1967.
During his childhood, he had a training in CLASSICAL music in his hometown with Rit Schelstraete and he was graduaded in 1990 at the Antwerp Royal Conservatory. He still enjoys playing chamber music.
Already at a young age, he is fascinated by the freedom and creativity of improvisation, and he decides to continue his quest in JAZZ.
As a JAZZ flutist he is self-taught, except for some summerclasses with John Ruocco when he was a teenager and a one year course at the Brussels Royal Conservatory with Steve Houben (1990-1991).
At that time, he also played in a few groups around his hometown, including among others Frank Vaganee, Chris Joris and Bert Lams (who became a protegé of Robert Fripp).
He then formed his own groups, performing mainly his own compositions:
Elixir (1992 the 1st prize of the "Brussels Jazz Rallye", ex aequo with Michel Bisceglia trio.)
Ernst Vranckx - Stefan Bracaval (1994 the SABAM "Prix Nicolas Dor" for their performance at "Jazz à Liège"); with Ernst Vranckx he made a CD “Aquarelle” and a belgian radiobroadcast with Kenny Wheeler & John Ruocco.
Sumari Flamenco Jazz Project (co-leader with José Toral): their tours in 2002 & 2004 were well received by press and public
Stefan Bracaval Quartet (with Hendrik Braeckman, Werner Lauscher & Marc Lehan) 2007: CD "Insight Inside"
As a sideman, he played in the group of Karl van Deun and Stephane Martini “Papagaio”. Occasionally Stefan performed with Barre Phillips, Deborah Brown, Charles Loos, Chris Joris, Garrett List, Bert Joris & the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
In 2006 he joined the Pierre Anckaert ensemble which released the CD "Pierre Anckaert Quintet & Brussels Chamber Orchestra",
Together with Pierre, he also played in the "74 miles away" project.
Recently they released the CD Stefan Bracaval & Pierre Anckaert: "Woodworks".
Nowadays he plays regulary with Multitude, Anne Wolf wooden trio + Stefan Bracaval ; Anne Niepold "Musette is not dead", Book of Air: vvolk, Bruno Vansina Orchestra, Me & My Tribe (Jan Van Moer), ...
For Along A line, a crossover band, he arranges the pop songs of Aline Goffin for a classical chamber ensemble.
Open and curious to explore other musical horizons Stefan played with people from the WORLD music scene:
José Toral, Amparo Cortés, Chano Lobato, Weshm (Najib Cherradi),Moufadhel Adhoum, …
He worked with cats from the POP scene: Raymond Van het Groenewoud, dEUS, Hooverphonic, Jo Lemaire (with Michel Bisceglia), Savalas (David Poltrock), Wigbert, Catherine Delasalle, …
He did studiosessions for FILM music and commercials.
He appears in the Music-theater productions:
"Koningin van de nacht", a free adaptation of Mozart's "Magic Flute" for young people (Flemish Opera & Muziektheater Transparant).
"De eenzaamheid van de egel" (LOD & Oxalys).
He enjoys teaching:
He has taught Jazzflute at The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and harmony at “Studio Herman Teirlinck”.
He released his book "Alle dagen zon!", a pedagogical publication: an original and fun way of learning basic skills, like scales and broken chords, on your instrument, leading to an initiation into improvisation.
He also conceived "Krullebol" : a new flute method book learning very young children to play music by ear.
At present he teaches at the PopJazz department of the Academy in Grimbergen (near Brussels) & the Royal Conservatory Antwerp (Didactics of PopJazz Ensemble teaching).
|
