
Januibe Tejera
Composer, conductor, and stage director, Januibe Tejera was born in Salvador (Brazil) into a family of theater artists. His artistic approach is characterized by an in-depth exploration of instrumental research and a reflection on politics transcribed into music, as well as a dialogue with theatrical writing and oral tradition music—universes that accompany him throughout his career.
Among his works are the opera Moi Singe, the musical theater piece Insanae Navis, the show Lumière et Son Tablado, and his extensive cycle Flashforward. In chamber music, his cycle for solo instruments has begun to integrate the repertoire of major instruments, with notable pieces such as Tremble for accordion and Envol for solo harp.
Tejera's works have been performed by internationally renowned ensembles such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Ictus, Ensemble Modern, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Camerata Aberta. He has also participated in major festivals in Europe and the Americas, including Wien Modern, Festival Présences, ENSEMS, Festival Musica Nova, Darmstadt Festival, and Milano Musica Festival. His work has been repeatedly recognized with awards, fellowships, and commissions, both in France and abroad, from prestigious institutions such as the Salabert Foundation, the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Foundation, Radio France, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Culture of Brazil, the San Fedele Prize, and the Franz Liszt Prize. In 2014-2015, he was an artist in residence at Casa de Velázquez, the French Academy in Madrid.
Alongside his career as a composer, Januibe Tejera also works as a conductor, focusing on contemporary repertoire. This practice is considered an extension of his work as a composer, allowing him to bring new works to life, experience music through performance, and engage in extensive instrumental research in close collaboration with musicians. As a conductor and music director, Januibe Tejera has led numerous instrumental and vocal ensembles in the Americas and Europe, including the Orchestra of the Theatro São Pedro, the Musica Reservata Professional Choir, the Ensemble of the Bienal de Música Contemporânea Brasileira, the Orquestra Sinfônica da USP, the New Music Ensemble of the BSoM, and the Hungarian Orchestra. Specializing in contemporary repertoire, he has premiered works by many composers in Europe, the United States, and Latin America, including Rogério Vasconcelos, Paulo Rios Filho, Russell Podgorsek, Ian Whillock, Gabriel Araújo, Geli Li, Julien Vincenot, and Tato Taborda, among others. Januibe Tejera is currently the artistic director of the Ensemble Plurisons (Brazil) and the musical director of the Ensemble SoundMap (United States). He is also the artistic director of the Plurisons Festival.
He teaches composition at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is also the director of the Experimental and Electronic Music Studio (EEMS). From 2003 to 2010, Januibe Tejera served as the director of the Festival Contemporânea-RS in Brazil.
