Victor Marquez-Barrios

Victor E. Marquez Barrios was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 1977. He began his musical studies under the guidance of Prof. Gerardo Soto (classical guitar) at Maracaibo’s Music Conservatory, where he also studied music theory and history. As a guitarist, he has been part of numerous festivals and seminars, as well as workshops, conferences and master classes with well known masters of international acclaim, such as: Alirio Diaz, Luis Zea, David Russell, Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Leo Brouwer, among others. In 1998, he moved to Caracas to attend the “University Institute of Musical Studies”, where he worked under the wings of such masters as Prof. Luis Zea for classical guitar, Prof. Federico Ruiz for composition and Prof. Gonzalo Mico for Jazz guitar, earning his Bachelor Degree in Music Composition in 2005. As a composer, Marquez Barrios holds an extended catalog of pieces which includes compositions for a variety of solo instruments, electronics, numerous chamber ensembles, mixed choir, and symphony orchestra. His pieces have been performed in important national and international festivals like the “University Institute of Musical Studies Festival”, 2001 and 2002 in Caracas, Venezuela; the “12th Latin American Music Festival”, 2002 in Caracas, Venezuela; the “XVII Festival of Contemporary Music of Havana”, 2002 in Havana, Cuba; and the “Chamber Music Institute” in Lincoln, Nebraska, 2009. Marquez’s compositions have also earned him several honors and awards, among others: Only award in the category “Chamber Music” for the 8th Competition “Musicalia Festival” in Havana, Cuba, 2002 for his piece String Quartet N.1; Honorable Mention in the 1st. International competition of choir composition and arrangement of the “VIII Vinicio Adames Festival 2002” in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, 2002 for his arrangement for mixed choir of the song Carretera de Carora, by Victor Hugo Marquez; and Michigan State University’s “Excellence in Diversity Awards 2007”, for his work Raguinho, for Solo Piano.

In 2003, Marquez Barrios and other fellow musicians founded enCayapa, an ensemble focused on promoting Venezuelan and Latin-American contemporary music based on folk genres. As a member of enCayapa, he worked in collaboration with other musicians (composers and performers) on the writing of new works for the ensemble. enCayapa’s first recording, entitled “Ensamble Urbano,” was released in the summer of 2006 and includes five of Marquez’s compositions. In this recording, Marquez worked not only as composer and guitarist for the ensemble, but as one of the producers. “Ensamble Urbano” has received very positive reviews from some of the most important musicians in Venezuela and abroad, such as latin jazz authority Paquito D’Rivera.

In the year 2006, Victor Marquez Barrios moved to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies in composition under the guidance of Composer Ricardo Lorenz at Michigan State University, where he earned his Master’s degree in Music Composition in 2008. Some of the works written since his arrival to the U.S. have been recorded and published, such as his Nana for saxophone quartet (2007), recorded by “H2 Quartet” in the CD: “America’s Milleninium Tribute to Adolphe Sax. Volume XIV” (Arizona University Recordings-Contemporary Composer and Performer Series) and two works for Solo Guitar included in the book “Guitar – Intro 3. The Repertoire Book”, edited by Guitarists Irina Kircher and Alfonso Montes and published by Chanterelle Verlag.

Today, Marquez Barrios pursues doctoral studies in composition at Michigan State University under the guidance of Dr. Jere Hutcheson, and continues his research on Latin American folkloric and contemporary music.