BRUNO MARQUES

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Bruno had his first experiences with the piano during his early childhood. At the age of 15, he took up the saxophone, and already awakened to a universe beyond the instrument, found himself amazed by the study of music theory. At 16, he had his first contact with the study of Harmony, which paved the way to a journey of endless learning and discoveries in several fields of music.

Bruno Marques graduated in Harmony under the teacher Julio Muniz (1997-1999) and the Professor Dr. Carlos Almada (1998-2002), with whom he also studied Arrangement and Counterpoint. He concluded the studies of Functional Harmony and Arrangement under Vittor Santos (2003-2008), also studying rhythm and ethnic conceptions and Counterpoint. Self-taught in Composition and Orchestration through the works of several authors, most notably: Paul Hindemith, Rismky-Korsakov, Arnold Schoenberg, and Walter Piston. During a two-month tour in Portugal, Bruno advanced his studies in Orchestration with academic students from the Masters Program at the University of Aveiro, also having some of his symphonic work performed.

As a Composer/Arranger, Bruno Marques writes frequently to artists and orchestras from Brazil (and occasionally from abroad) with the same ease in a wide array of instrumental formations, from solo piano and small chamber groups to big-bands, string orchestras, concert bands and symphony orchestras. He has worked with acclaimed brazilian artists/composers such as João Donato, Denise Pinaud, and Márcio Gomes, symphonic groups such as the Spanish wind quintet Quinteto Rubato and the Orquestra de Solistas do Rio de Janeiro, instrumentalists such as Nivaldo Ornelas and Mauro Senise, conductor/pianist Priscila Bomfim, African singer/songwriter Angela Ferrão, and many others. Bruno was principal guest arranger at the Luanda International Fair (Angola) for two years (2009 and 2011). For over 10 years, he was assigned to the Banda Filarmônica do Rio de Janeiro (BFRJ) as sole arranger for the orchestra. Bruno also developed many projects for UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro) and Uni-Rio, composing and arranging at the request of Professors and students of all academic levels. Occasionaly, he composes soundtracks for TV and games, also having written arrangements for soap operas produced by Rede Globo de Televisão. From 2017 to 2024, Bruno Marques has participated as a juror for the Desfile das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro - Grupo Especial, judging "Harmony".

As an instrumentalist, Bruno Marques recorded several soundtracks for Rede Globo de Televisão, among soap operas, series and the opening theme to "Programa do Jô". Often performs with his jazz/bossa-nova quartet, repertoire played with fluency. Additionally, he released a solo album in 2009, entitled "Bruno Marques", with original compositions and joined by over 50 musicians from the Brazilian music scene, both symphonic and popular. Also made available in Spain and Japan, the work presents Brazillian music in diverse formations, from a trio to a small orchestra, and was extraordinarily well received by the specialized media and critics, most notably the newspapers "O Globo", where it remained with a 5-star recommendation, and "O Estado de Minas", which dedicated an entire page to an article about the album and the artist. In 2010, Bruno played solo the Brazilian National Anthem at the NBB finals, opening the event held in HSBC Arena.
 
Every year, Bruno Marques teaches courses on Harmony, Arrangement, and Orchestration to musicians of all levels, from students to professionals, Masters and Doctors in the field of Music. He is currently working on the conclusion of his book, entitled "Treatise On Harmony".
 
For nearly two decades, Bruno Marques has been developing extensive work as a symphonic composer. Among his works are sonatas, waltzes, concertos, symphonic ouvertures, and others, composed for his own purposes or request by others. He concluded his first Symphony in 2013, which consists of a homage to the structures of the end of Classical/beginning of Romantic period, in approximately 70 minutes of music.