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Juan Manuel Abras (during the 18th century, also written Arbres; born Juan Manuel Abras Contel; February 1, 1975) is a Swedish-born Argentine classical music composer, conductor and researcher of European descent (Catalan and Galician on his father's side and Basque, Italian and French on his mother's side).

Background and education
Born in Stockholm (Sweden), and then raised in Geneva (Switzerland) and Madrid (Spain), Juan Manuel Abras received his music education while living in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Argentina along with his family (his father being a diplomat and journalist, his mother being a sociologist and piano teacher ). A disciple of Krzysztof Penderecki, Kurt Schwertsik and Roberto García Morillo, Abras completed both postgraduate and graduate studies in Musical composition (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Academy of Music in Kraków and 'Manuel de Falla' Superior Conservatory of Music Buenos Aires), while attending master classes and courses by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm and Alexander Müllenbach. At the same time, Juan Manuel Abras studied Orchestral conducting (completing both postgraduate and graduate studies) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (with Leopold Hager) and 'Manuel de Falla' Superior Conservatory of Music Buenos Aires, as well as privately with Guillermo Scarabino, while pursuing internships and courses with Michael Gielen (at the Berlin State Opera), Ervin Acél and Dominique Fanal. Prior to that, he completed studies in Piano—first taught to him by his mother during his childhood—(Municipal Superior Conservatory of Music San Sebastián, Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia—with Giovanni Umberto Battel—, Centro de Estudios Musicales Juan de Antxieta Musikaltegia Bilbao—with Luis Fernando Barandiarán—and 'Carlos López Buchardo' National Conservatory of Music—with Ana Litovsky-Grünwald and Elizabeth Fiocca—, now the Music Department of the Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte). He also obtained both a Bachelor's degree and a License degree in History (University of Deusto and Universidad del Salvador), while attending master classes and courses in Musicology, Musical pedagogy, Music history, Harpsichord, and Marketing and cultural policies.

Career and awards
Juan Manuel Abras has been considered by specialized music critics as "a genuine representative of Argentine music [...] for premiering works that reveal a rooting in the musical heritage of the country" and as "a firm promise of Argentine music abroad." Musicologists have stated that in his musical works "there are, apart from the psychoanalysis [...] references to literature, religion, archaeology, etc." and that "variety is also found in [...] [Abras'] musical language," which contains "in fact a unity, by nature inaudible [...] realised each time through the different styles." In his musical piece 'Chacarera beatboxera', for instance, "Abras united in a whole elements taken from ethnic music, ancient popular melodies and New Music, creating a dancing whirlwind somewhat 'trance', full of solar joy and amusement," while during the Finnish premiere of his musical composition 'The song of Anna O.' he "took the listener to a world of rhythmically latent fantasy, similar to a haunted castle."

Juan Manuel Abras has created more than a half hundred musical compositions (for symphony/chamber orchestra/ensemble and/or choir with/without soloists, stage, solo instrument, electroacoustic sounds, etc.) (see below), many of which have been performed at: International Gaudeamus Music Week (Netherlands), International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn' (Poland), Festival MANCA (France), Time of Music Festival (Finland), International Forum of New Music 'Manuel Enríquez' (Mexico), Festival 'Le Printemps des Poètes' (France), International Festival Discantus (Mexico), International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Krakow Composers' Days' (Poland), Salzburg Mozarteum (Austria), Hellerau - Europäisches Zentrum der Künste Dresden (Germany), Bimhuis-Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (Netherlands), International Research and Information Centre 'Thracica' (Bulgaria), Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico), LRA Radio Nacional Auditorium (Argentina), Columbia University (USA), York University (Canada), University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Austria), University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), California State University (USA), Théâtre Dunois (France), Filharmonia Łódzka im. Artura Rubinsteina (Poland), Teatro Colón (Argentina), etc. His current discography (see below) includes works featured in 6 CDs published in Austria, France, Poland and Argentina.

Throughout his career, Juan Manuel Abras has won numerous awards and scholarships: Grafimuse Prize (Brussels, 2011), Wiener Filmmusikpreis 2nd Prize (Vienna, 2010), Sibelius Chamber Orchestra 'Bicentenario' Mention (Banfield), TRINAC Prize (EIMC-ISCM, 2008), Fundacja Argentynska Scholarship (Warsaw, 2006), Beca 'Directorio' del Fondo Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires, 2005), 'In Memoriam Erich Kleiber' Scholarship (Berlin, 2004), 'Theodor Körner' Prize (Vienna, 2003), 'Franz Josef Reinl' Stiftung 2nd Prize (Vienna, 2002), TRINAC and TRIMARG Mentions (both EIMC-ISCM-CAMU-IMC-UNESCO, 2002), Gold Medal Award both in musical composition and orchestral conducting (Buenos Aires, 2000), etc.

Professional and teaching positions
Juan Manuel Abras has worked as composer in residence, as well as guest composer and commissioned composer, within the frame of activities held by: 51. International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn' (2008), Ensemble Aleph - 4th International Forum for Young Composers (Program 'Culture 2000' of the European Union; Paris, 2006), Fundacja Argentynska (Warsaw, 2006), XIII Laboratory of Contemporary Music (Warsaw, 2006), International Forum for Culture and Business (Dresden, 2003), etc. A member of the Austrian Composers' Society (ÖKB), Argentine Composers Association (AAC), United Composers of Argentina (CUDA) and SADAIC, Abras has been appointed chief conductor, assistant conductor and artistic director of several Argentine orchestras (including the Ibero-American Chamber Orchestra of the National Academy of Fine Arts and the House [Symphony] Orchestra of the Tucumán Province), participating in the dissemination of Argentine music and Ibero-American music as composer, conductor, pianist and concert series organizer, also working as arranger, orchestrator, music engraver, score preparator and music copyist. In Argentina, Juan Manuel Abras also worked as Professor at the 'Astor Piazzolla' Superior Conservatory of Music of the City of Buenos Aires (teaching Musical analysis, Musical stylistics and Instrumental practice), as Invited Member of the Institute of Musicological Research 'Carlos Vega'-UCA (transcribing and working on Latin-American manuscripts of Renaissance music and Baroque music) and as Professor at the National University of Lanús, Buenos Aires Province (teaching Musical techniques and Chamber music of the 20th century).

Selected compositions

 * Ave María (1997), for soprano and piano (World premiere: December 4, 1997. Sala 'Juan Bautista Alberdi', Centro Cultural General San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Verónica Gamberale, soprano / Laura Lachowicz, piano)
 * Chacarera beatboxera (2008), for human beatboxer, clarinet, percussion, piano and violin (Work commissioned by 51. International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn', Poland. World premiere: September 25, 2008. Ochota Sports Centre, Warsaw, Poland. Patryk 'TikTak' Matela, beatboxing / Kwartludium Ensemble. World premiere recording: CD Sound Chronicle of the Warsaw Autumn 2008 No. 5 (2008), Polish Music Information Centre, Polmic 045, Warsaw, Poland. Patryk 'TikTak' Matela, human beatboxing / Kwartludium Ensemble)
 * Chacarera endebussyada (2010), for piano solo (World premiere: May 16, 2011. Consejo Profesional de Ciencias Económicas de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Natalia González Figueroa, piano)
 * Chacarera meets the Puna (2005), for violin solo (World premiere recording: CD Obras para Violín Solo de Compositores Argentinos Vol. II (2007), Tradition, TR060427, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alejandro Drago, violin)
 * Conceptio, gestatio et partus (2005), for symphony orchestra
 * De coelesti hierarchia (2002), for male choir, vibraphone, organ, violoncello and electroacoustic sounds
 * De princesas y castillos (1997), for tenor and piano (Text by Juan Manuel Abras)
 * Dialoghi fra Mosè, Demostene, Virgilio e Turing (2004), [version of Dialogos between Moses, Demosthenes, Virgil and Turing] for flute, clarinet, violin and violoncello
 * Dialogos between Moses, Demosthenes, Virgil and Turing (2004), for string quartet
 * Drunken Fugue (1999), for saxophone trio (World premiere: May 19, 2003. 'Fanny-Hensel-Mendelssohn' Saal, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. Wiener Saxophon-Quartett)
 * Estelango (2002), for piano solo (World premiere: February 9, 2003. York Hall, Glendon College, York University, Ontario, Canada. Estela Telerman, piano)
 * Estelango (2003-2004), version for piano four hands (World premiere: May 21, 2005. Casal de Catalunya, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Estela Telerman, piano / Guillermo Carro, piano. World premiere recording: CD Los compositores académicos argentinos y el Tango II (2007), Pretal, PRCD 138, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Estela Telerman, piano / Guillermo Carro, piano)
 * Estelango (2008), version for percussion ensemble (World premiere: October 25, 2010. Salón de Actos, Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ensamble de Percusión del Conservatorio Superior de Música de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires 'Astor Piazzolla' / Marina Calzado Linage, conducting)
 * Flumen Dei, Ager Arkanus (2003-2004), for chamber orchestra
 * Harmonie – Alpha et Omega (2001), for soprano and piano (World premiere: April 25, 2002. 'Beethoven' Saal, Palais Pálffy, Vienna, Austria. Marika Ottisch, soprano / Laurenço César, piano. World premiere recording: CD Harmonie heute?! (2002), Harmonia Classica Records, HCR 022, Vienna, Austria. Marika Ottisch, soprano / Lourenço César Finatti, piano)
 * Huayno meets the Milonga (2009), for vibraphone and marimba (World premiere: June 10, 2011. Salón Intersecretarias de la Legislatura de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gonzalo Pérez, vibraphone / Martín Diez, marimba)
 * Humane Vitae (2000), for electroacoustic sounds
 * Kleriodapsis (a butterfly’s life). Doppelkonzert (2002), for violin, violoncello and chamber orchestra
 * La Chacayalera (1999), for children's choir
 * La Fuga de Valentino. Grosse Fugal a 6 (1999), for piano six hands (World premiere: November 17, 2000. Sala 'Juan Bautista Alberdi', Centro Cultural General San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
 * La Fuga de Valentino. Grosse Fugal a 6 (1999), version for symphony orchestra
 * La última batalla (1997), for soprano and piano (Text by Juan Manuel Abras. World premiere: December 4, 1997. Sala 'Juan Bautista Alberdi', Centro Cultural General San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Verónica Gamberale, soprano / Laura Lachowicz, piano)
 * ¿Libertas? 47 (1999), for instrument(s) and/or voice(s) (Work awarded the Grafimuse Prize, Brussels, 2011. World premiere: June 22, 2011. Arte Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria. Performed by music students from the New Bulgarian University)
 * Magia Azurra (1995), for violin, violoncello and piano
 * Milonga meets Malambo (2011), for violoncello and piano (World premiere: June 18, 2012. Sala 'Manuel M. Ponce', Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico. Juan Hermida, violoncello / Misa Ito, piano)
 * Missa ad tempus, duodecim tonis, et rythmis a populis argentinae traditis composita (2000), for solo voices, choir and symphony orchestra
 * Moment musical sur un thème de P. [Hill] et M. Hill (2012), for soprano and chamber ensemble (World premiere: June 4, 2013. Théâtre Dunois, Paris, France. Ensemble Aleph)
 * Muchos rostros, una Madre (2006), for solo voices, choir and chamber orchestra (Work commissioned by Fundacja Argentyńska, Warsaw, Poland. World premiere: May 7, 2006. Parafia p.w. Ofiarowania Pańskiego w Warszawie, Warsaw, Poland. Adriana Róża Szmyt, conducting / Barbara Wnuk, soprano / Bożenna Jurkiewicz, alto / Piotr Szmyt, tenor / Ryszard Morka, bass / Chór 'Cantate Domino' / Zuzanna Sawicka, harp / Natolińska Orkiestra Kameralna)
 * Musik für 'In 3 Tagen Bist Du Tot 2' (Filmsequenz) (2010), for chamber ensemble (Work awarded the Wiener Filmmusikpreis 2nd Prize, Vienna, 2010).
 * Noches para olvidar (2002), chamber opera in 1 Act
 * Pentecostés (Veni Sancte Spiritus) (2007), for choir and electroacoustic sounds(World premiere: May 26, 2007. Sala Koncertowa, Academy of Music in Kraków, Krakow, Poland. Grzegorz Brajner, conducting / Chór Kameralny 'Pogratulujmy Mrówkom')
 * Pésame (Actus contritionis) (2006), for narrator, choir, chamber ensemble and electroacoustic sounds (Work awarded the TRINAC Prize, EIMC-ISCM, 2008. World premiere: January 13, 2007. Sala Kameralna, Academy of Music in Kraków, Krakow, Poland. Grzegorz Brajner, conducting / Wojciech Leonowicz, narrator / Chór Kameralny Muzyki Współczesnej / Wiktoria Chrobak, percussion / Piotr Grodecki, double bass / Michał Pawełek, piano)
 * Quatuor pour un petit soldat du plomb (1999), for string quartet
 * Ricercare (1999), for flute, clarinet, violin and violoncello (World premiere: June 19, 1999. Wiener Saal, Salzburg Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria. Alexander Müllenbach, conducting / Son Youn Hwa, flute / Víctor Esfarelles, clarinet / Samuli Tuomikoski, violin / Pejman Memarzadeh, violoncello. World premiere recording: CD Argentina - Música de Cámara Vol. 1 (2006), Asociación Argentina de Compositores, AAC–2705, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alexander Müllenbach, conducting / Son Youn Hwa, flute / Víctor Esfarelles, clarinet / Samuli Tuomikoski, violin / Pejman Memarzadeh, violoncello)
 * Sedekte. Quinteto dodecatánguico (2000-2001), for bandoneon and string quartet (Work awarded the TRINAC Mention, EIMC-ISCM-CAMU-IMC-UNESCO, 2002 and the Gold Medal Award in Musical Composition, Buenos Aires, 2000)
 * Sedekte. Concierto dodecatánguico (2000-2001), [version of Sedekte. Quinteto dodecatánguico] for bandoneon and string orchestra
 * Seriallemande (1997), for piano 4 hands (World premiere: December 4, 1997. Sala 'Juan Bautista Alberdi', Centro Cultural General San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alicia Clausi, piano / Ping-Hui Ho, piano)
 * Sonata 'Medina' (1997), for piano solo (World premiere: December 3, 1999. La Casa de San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sergio Elena, piano)
 * Sueño y chacarera (2001), for flute and clarinet (Work awarded the TRIMARG Mention, EIMC-ISCM-CAMU-IMC-UNESCO, 2002. World premiere: August 8, 2001. Sala Grande, Audiorio de Radio Nacional, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Javier Blanco, flute / Alfredo Gómez, clarinet
 * Suite Argentina (2001), for chamber orchestra (Work awarded the 'Franz Josef Reinl' Stiftung 2nd Prize, Vienna, 2002. World premiere: June 7, 2002. 'Fanny-Hensel-Mendelssohn' Saal, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. Werner Hackl, conducting / Tonkünstler Ensemble
 * Suite Argentina (2001), version for symphony orchestra
 * Suite del Castillo de Arteaga (1997), for symphony orchestra
 * The Song of Anna O. (2005), for soprano and chamber ensemble (Text by Josef Breuer. Work selected by the Ensemble Aleph - 4th International Forum for Young Composers (Program 'Culture 2000' of the European Union. World premiere: September 6, 2006. Bimhuis, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ensemble Aleph. World premiere recording: 4e Forum International des Jeunes Compositeurs - Oeuvres sélectionnées (2006), Carnet de bord, Ensemble Aleph / Cdmc, Paris, France. Ensemble Aleph)
 * Trío de Sondika-Abasto (1999), for flute, clarinet and piano (World premiere: June 28, 1999. Sala 'Juan Bautista Alberdi', Centro Cultural General San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Natalia Garnero, flute / Esteban Cabello, clarinet / Juan Manuel Abras, piano)

Discography

 * 2008: 'Chacarera beatboxera.' Sound Chronicle of the Warsaw Autumn 2008 No. 5. Work commissioned by 51. International Festival of Contemporary Music 'Warsaw Autumn.' Patryk 'TikTak' Matela, human beatboxing / Kwartludium Ensemble. Polish Music Information Centre, POLMIC 045 (Warsaw, Poland)
 * 2007: 'Chacarera meets the Puna.' Obras para Violín Solo de Compositores Argentinos Vol. II. Alejandro Drago, Violin. Tradition-Naxos Japan, TR070427 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
 * 2007: 'Estelango.' Los compositores académicos argentinos y el Tango II. Estela Telerman, Piano / Guillermo Carro, Piano. Pretal, PRCD 138 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
 * 2006: 'The Song of Anna O.' 4e Forum International des Jeunes Compositeurs - Oeuvres sélectionnées. Work selected by the Ensemble Aleph - 4th International Forum for Young Composers (Program 'Culture 2000' of the European Union. Ensemble Aleph. Ensemble Aleph-Cdmc (Paris, France)
 * 2006: 'Ricercare.' Argentina - Música de Cámara Vol. 1. Son Youn Hwa, Flute / Víctor Esfarelles, Clarinet / Samuli Tuomikoski, Violin / Pejman Memarzadeh, Violoncello. Asociación Argentina de Compositores, AAC-2705 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
 * 2002: 'Harmonie Alpha et Omega' (Text by Otto Vicenzi). Harmonie heute?! Marika Ottisch, Soprano / Lourenço César Finatti, Piano. Harmonia Classica Records, HCR 022 (Vienna, Austria)